About us

Daocheng Zhu, PhD MD

Founder and Chief Scientific Officer

  • 25+ Years of Research in Fusion Proteins and Immunology.
  • Postdoctoral Training at University of Innsbruck (Austria) and UCLA.
  • Former Research Roles at UCLA, Cedars-Sinai, Harvard Medical School, and Assistant Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
  • Principal Investigator on NIH, NSFC, and National Key R&D Grants.
  • Published in Nature Medicine, Immunity, PNAS, and Other Leading Journals.
  • Holder of 5 PCT Patents and Recipient of Multiple Awards in Allergy and Immunology.
  • Former CSO of Kexin Bio, Leading U.S.-China Regulatory Submission for Anti-Allergic Fusion Protein that Achieved Phase I/II Clinical Approvals.
  • Led Projects Funded by China’s National Major New Drug Development Program.

Hank Yang, MD PhD

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

  • Physician-Scientist with expertise spanning basic research, translational studies, clinical development, and patient care.
  • Assistant Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine.
  • Attending Physician, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Cedar-Sinai Medical Center.
  • Director, Multiple Myeloma and Bone Cancer Lab, Cedar-Sinai Medical Center.
  • Principal Investor on Multiple Clinical Trials.
  • Extensive Clinical Experience in Managing Complex Cases in Oncology and Hematology.
  • Dual M.D. and Ph.D., With Training in Biomedical Research and Clinical Medicine.
  • Career Built at the Intersection of Research, Clinical Practice, and Healthcare Innovation, Guiding Strategy with Scientific Rigor, Clinical Relevance, and Business Vision.

    • Robert A. Figlin, MD, FACP

    Board of Directors

    • A nationally recognized leader in genitourinary and thoracic oncology, Dr. Figlin’s research focuses on renal cell carcinoma and thoracic malignancies. He established and directs the Kidney Cancer Program at CedarsSinai Medical Center, which aims to understand the biology of kidney cancer and translate that knowledge into novel treatment approaches. His leadership is in developing novel anticancer drugs that avoid the toxicity associated with standard treatments furthers Cedars-Sinai’s tradition of compassionate patient care.

    Richard S. Shames, MD

    Chief Medical Officer

  • Dr. Richard S. Shames is a board-certified allergist-immunologist with over 25 years of experience across academic medicine and biopharmaceutical drug development.
  • He has held senior clinical and medical leadership roles at Merck, Protagonist Therapeutics, Aldea Pharmaceuticals, and PDL BioPharma, contributing to multiple programs in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases that advanced through late-stage development and regulatory approval.
  • Dr. Shames previously served as full-time faculty at Stanford University and UCSF, bringing a strong foundation in patient care, clinical research, and medical education.
  • As Chief Medical Officer of RiverCreek Therapeutics, he leads clinical development strategy and regulatory execution for the company’s IgE-targeted biologics, guiding early clinical design, IND advancement, and translational alignment to support efficient first-in-human development.

    • Lii-Shin Lin, MS, RN, OCRN

    Director of Clinical Operations

  • Oncology-trained registered nurse with extensive experience in U.S.-based clinical research and trial operations.
  • Master of Science in Nursing, University of Maryland.
  • Former clinical nurse in the Bone Marrow Transplant Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
  • Clinical trial data management experience at Temple University School of Medicine, Bone Marrow Transplant Program.
  • Former Clinical Trial Regulatory Manager at UCLA TORI (Translational Oncology Research International) Network.
  • Over 10 years of experience at UCLA TORI supporting regulatory oversight and operational management of Phase I, II, and III oncology clinical trials.
  • Deep expertise in clinical trial design support, regulatory submissions, IRB coordination, and multi-center trial operations.

    • Paren Knadjian

    Senior Financial Advisor

    • Paren Knadjian is Partner-in-Charge of the Los Angeles office and a senior leader in Transaction Advisory Services at EisnerAmper, a leading global advisory and investment services firm.
    • He brings over 20 years of experience in M&A,equity and debt financings, and capital markets, having advised on 300+ transactions with an aggregate value exceeding $3.5 billion.
    • In addition to his advisory career, Paren has over 15 years of C-suite operating experience, serving as CEO, COO, and Acting CFO across multiple high-growth companies, including SaaS, healthcare, media, and e-commerce businesses.
    • He has co-founded two companies that were successfully acquired and is widely recognized for bridging strategic finance with hands-on operational execution.
    • At RiverCreek Therapeutics, Paren serves as Senior Financial Advisor, supporting capital strategy, investor positioning, and transaction planning as the company advances its clinical development and fundraising initiatives.