Meet the Team – Protransit

Gary Madsen, Ph.D.

President and CEO

Co-Founder

Dr. Madsen brings more than 30 years of experience in developing and commercializing biotechnology products across diverse markets and company stages. He spent 17 years at Abbott Laboratories leading product support, new product development, and business development initiatives. He later served as Vice President of R&D at IDEXX Laboratories in Westbrook, ME.

Dr. Madsen has held senior leadership roles at several biotechnology and diagnostics firms, including:

Chief Technical Officer, EraGen Biosciences

Director of Product and Business Development, Promega Corporation

Associate Vice President, Automation, Third Wave Technologies

SVP, Strategic Business Development, Gilson Inc.

Founder, Biotech Resolutions, LLC

Throughout his career, he has spearheaded the development and launch of numerous FDA-regulated products, directed large cross-functional teams, and advised emerging biotech companies on high-impact growth strategies.

In 2012, Dr. Madsen was appointed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at UNeMed, the technology transfer office of the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This role prompted his relocation from Madison, WI, to Omaha, NE, and led to the co-founding of ProTransit Nanotherapy and ProTransit Dermal Therapy in 2013 with Dr. Vinod Labhasetwar. He has represented ProTransit in national media following major licensing milestones and was featured in the Omaha World-Herald as part of a spotlight on UNeMed’s innovation ecosystem.

Vinod Labhasetwar, Ph.D.

Co-Founder

Dr. Labhasetwar is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, with expertise in translational and clinical nanomedicine focused on cancer, CNS injuries, and cardiovascular diseases. His current research includes nanoparticle-based drug and gene delivery for cancer treatment and detection, antioxidant enzyme therapy for stroke and spinal cord injury, and vascular-targeted therapy to prevent post-angioplasty complications.

Vinod's work also explores the role of cell membrane biophysics in drug transport and nanoparticle uptake, with recent efforts centered on epigenetic nanotherapy for drug-resistant and metastatic cancers. He has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications, holds several U.S. and international patents, and has received multiple honors, including Young Scientist, Distinguished Scientist, and Innovator awards.

He is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and was named a Highly Cited Researcher and Most Influential Mind in Science by Thomson Reuters. In 2014, he was awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Gold Medal for his contributions to science and technology at the House of Lords, UK. Dr. Labhasetwar is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of Drug Delivery and Translational Research, the official journal of the Controlled Release Society.

Tommy Stormberg, Ph.D.

Product Development Scientist

Dr. Stormberg comes to ProTransit as a consultant scientist with a strong background in R&D, process development, and scientific documentation. He earned both his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and B.S. in Biomedical Physics from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. With a focus on translating scientific innovation into effective therapeutic products, Tommy brings expertise in developing and optimizing formulations, ensuring process scalability, and maintaining rigorous documentation and quality control standards throughout the development lifecycle.

Brady Stillman, Ph.D.

Operations Director

Dr. Stillman is a key consultant to ProTransit, overseeing the production of the company's Pro-MP™ delivery technology. With extensive experience in GLP and cGMP-compliant manufacturing environments, Brady manages both pre-production and final production processes to ensure quality control and regulatory adherence. Brady is affiliated with the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, and brings deep operational expertise from concept to clinical-grade manufacturing.

Philippe Burnham

Vice President

Business Development and Marketing

Philippe brings over 30 years of pharmaceutical industry expertise to ProTransit, with a deep understanding of market dynamics, stakeholder engagement, and early-stage commercialization. Known for his strategic, value-driven approach, Philippe has led major product launches and divisions at blue chip pharma companies and start-ups. His experience includes Rogaine® at Pharmacia & Upjohn, launching Xenical® (orlistat, now Alli®) for weight loss, founding and running a cosmeceutical start-up at Hoffmann-La Roche, and leading the Dermatology/Topicals Division at Valeant-Medicis-Obagi. Philippe earned his BA from Middlebury College in Vermont. His most recent focus is on commercializing market-disruptive microparticle drug delivery platforms for a wide range of diseases and conditions with high unmet needs for better, faster and safer clinical outcomes.