About Us
Our name, Xentria, is inspired by “centrality.” It describes our dedication to delivering adaptive approaches to ambitious drug innovation through authentic life-sciences partnerships. Established in 2020, we collaborate with biopharmaceutic communities to create innovative solutions to challenging drug development.
Headquartered in Chicago, we are taking a lead to support surging life-sciences initiatives for global audiences while encouraging diversity, individualism and sustainability.
Our Mission
We advance challenging drug development that addresses unmet needs where greater levels of collaboration, tenacity and partnership are demanded.
We seek to tackle challenges in potentially higher-risk early-stage development. We achieve this by building authentic partnerships with energy, vision and high levels of teamwork and trust.
Our Values
As we execute our mission as a team, as individuals and as an organization, we are continually guided by our values in all our relationships and everything we do.
Leadership
through partnership
Use our experience and know-how to guide partners as together we seek to define and realize their ambitions.
Learning
through authenticity
Actively listen with genuine curiosity, constantly seeking to understand and contribute with sincerity in an open, professional relationship.
Courage
through knowledge
Strive to constantly explore the less-taken paths that our expertise and experience can recognize.
Enthusiasm
through belonging
Act and think as one in all we do, recognizing exceptional personal contribution and teamwork as our driving forces.
Perseverance
through desire
Sustain the energy and passion to deliver for partners and patients as we confront challenging drug development.
Leadership Team
Our leadership covers the spectrum of skills and specializations needed to
successfully guide the development of products or intellectual property.
Set up a call with us – we’d love to discuss your goals and ideas.
Tom Shea, President
Tom Shea is the founding President of Xentria overseeing all aspects of business development, clinical, regulatory, and commercial operations. Tom is also the founding CEO of Meitheal Pharmaceutical, Inc., a generic pharmaceutical company focused on development, manufacture and supply of generic injectable products, which was established in January 2017.
Prior to joining Xentria and Meitheal, Tom was Vice President of Global Alliance Management for Sagent Pharmaceuticals and was responsible for global partnerships, supply chain and product development. Before his work at Sagent, Tom held various roles at APP, now Fresenius Kabi North America, in Commercial Operations and Business Development, focusing on Portfolio Management and National Accounts.
Tom started his pharmaceutical career as a Sales Rep at Fougera, now Sandoz. During his tenure at Fougera, he held positions of increasing responsibilities eventually attaining the position of National Sales Manager. Tom earned an M.B.A. from Notre Dame University and a B.A. in Philosophy from Marquette University.
Kathleen Shanahan, Associate Director, Human Resources
Kathleen leads the human resources function for the organization, overseeing employee relations, benefits, training, employee services, and developing company policies.
Tom Matthews, Vice President, Clinical Development
Tom has held various positions in clinical research in industry and academic settings. Prior joining Xentria, Tom served as a Senior Researcher at Olympus Corporation, focusing on interventional pulmonology solutions. His research career began at Northwestern University and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, primarily focused on asthma and cystic fibrosis therapeutics. Previous to this, Tom practiced as a Registered Respiratory Therapist in adult and pediatric critical care settings at various hospitals in Chicago and Indianapolis.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care from Indiana University and a Master of Public Health, focused in Epidemiology and Healthcare Management, from Benedictine University. His research interests are centered in pulmonology, inflammatory disorders, critical care medicine, and rare diseases. His professional interests are centered in building and supporting efficient clinical development programs to fulfill unmet needs for suffering patients.
Noopur Singh, Vice President, Marketing & Patient Affairs
Noopur Singh is the Vice President, Marketing & Patient Affairs overseeing Xentria’s advocacy efforts and fostering collaborative relationships with patient experts, key opinion leaders and clinical investigators. Motivated to eliminate challenges to drug access, Noopur is focused on strategic patient-centered drug development that bridges scientific gaps and cuts through the red tape across the drug supply chain.
Prior to Joining Xentria, Noopur was the Research Director at the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research and played a key role in the development and execution of the organizations scientific research agenda. Before her time at FSR, Noopur was Clinical Site Manager Synexus Clinical Research in Chicago, responsible for the direction and execution of clinical trials. Prior to that, Noopur held various roles at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago where she managed over 25 industry-sponsored trials and was an active participant in the Therapeutics Development Network with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. With over 10 years of both lab and clinical research experience in genetic and autoimmune-related rare diseases, her research interests focus on patient-centered outcomes and integrating the patient journey into drug development. Noopur earned a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan.
Dionne Howe, Associate Director, Clinical Operations
Dionne Howe is the Associate Director of Clinical Operations and provides clinical operations leadership and oversight for all study activities, and determines operational processes, systems, and standards to support effective clinical program management and compliance across trials and locations.
Dionne earned an M.B.A. from Foster School of Business at the University of Washington Seattle and a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She started her career working for a CRO as a bench scientist, then transitioned to Quality Assurance, R&D and Clinical Operations. Since 2003 Dionne has held positions in clinical research as a Clinical Research Coordinator, Clinical Research Associate, Clinical Study/Trial Manager and Clinical Project Manager. Prior to joining the Xentria Team in April 2022, Dionne was a Senior Clinical Project Manager at ICON – Biotech/Oncology.
Lidia Gantoi, Vice President, Finance
Lidia is the organization’s senior financial executive, overseeing all aspects of finance, accounting, and strategic planning.
Robert Baughman, MD, Lead Scientific Advisor
Robert P. Baughman, MD serves as Xentria’s Lead Scientific Advisor, advising the company on strategy as well as research and development activities. Dr. Baughman received his MD from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and completed his fellowship at University of Cincinnati, University Hospital. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Disease.
During his long and illustrious career as a practicing pulmonologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Baughman specialized in researching lung and respiratory diseases and undertook significant work on potential treatments for sarcoidosis.
He is published widely, with over 300 original papers and more than 100 review articles and book chapters. In addition to his academic work, he sits on multiple medical journal editorial boards and has been actively involved in the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research, dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and to improving care for sarcoidosis patients around the world.
Keith Robinson, MD, Medical Lead & Scientific Advisor
Keith Robinson, MD, MS, FCCP serves as Xentria’s medical lead and key scientific advisor. Dr. Robinson is Senior Medical Director with the Medical & Scientific Management group of Syneos Health. He is a board certified Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine physician with over 17 years of clinical experience.
Before Syneos, Keith worked as an Intensivist and Pulmonary Medicine Consultant with Pulmonary Physicians of South Florida, LLC, serving as Medical Director of Fusion Health Pulmonary Rehabilitation & Wellness for 7 years.
Dr. Robinson completed medical training at Indiana University School of Medicine and his residency in internal medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, San Diego.
His professional activities include 10 years of clinical research as a principal investigator, focused in pneumonia, asthma, COPD, and pulmonary hypertension trials. In addition, Keith has spent 11 years as a consultant and advisor to Astra Zeneca, Mylan, Theravance, Sunovion, Actelion, CAIRE Industries, and AG Industries.
Tom Hoggan, Portfolio Development & Strategy Advisor
Tom Hoggan is a UK based consultant who supports Xentria to identify and evaluate potential assets through our network of development partners. He leads the translation of concepts to comprehensive clinical development plans, including target product profiles, value proposition, regulatory strategy, and clinical study protocol development. He has worked in the research industry since 2006, supporting many biotech and large pharma companies to navigate the clinical development pathway to successful market approval or exit strategy.
Tom began his research career in early phase clinical development at ICON. In 2012, he began a two-year stint with the UK’s National Institute of Health Research, where he advised biotech and pharma companies on the successful development of clinical study protocols, and subsequent execution of those studies in the UK. In 2014, Tom joined Parexel where he held strategic positions of increasing responsibility and scope, eventually becoming global strategy lead in the Immunology & Inflammation therapeutic franchise.
Tom is passionate about developing creative and adaptive development pathways for new assets, with the ultimate goal of expediting the availability of new medicines to patients in need.