Board of Directors

Dr. Walker co-founded Aclaris and has served as Aclaris’ Interim Chief Executive Officer and President since January 2024, and Chair of Aclaris’ board of directors since January 2023. Dr. Walker previously served as Aclaris’ Chief Executive Officer until December 2022 and has served as a member of the board of directors since its inception in July 2012. He is a board-certified dermatologist and serial entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the life science industry. He began his pharmaceutical industry career at Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Walker co-founded NeXeption, LLC, a biopharmaceutical assets management company, in 2012, and its affiliated companies. Prior to Aclaris, he co-founded and served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Vicept Therapeutics, Inc., a dermatology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company, from 2009 until its acquisition by Allergan, Inc. in 2011. Previously, Dr. Walker co-founded and led a number of life science companies, including Octagon Research Solutions, Inc., a software and services provider to biopharmaceutical companies (acquired by Accenture plc); Trigenesis Therapeutics, Inc., a specialty dermatology company, where he served as Chief Medical Officer (acquired by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Inc.); and Cutix Inc., a commercial dermatology company. He also co-founded and previously served on the boards of the Dermatology Summit, Dermatology Innovation Forum, and Advancing Innovation in Dermatology. Dr. Walker is on the board of directors of Aldeyra Therapeutics, Inc., a publicly held biotechnology company, as well as several private companies. In 2016, Dr. Walker was awarded the Frank Baldino Bioscience CEO of the Year award and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Greater Philadelphia award. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology. He received a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Lehigh University.

Christopher Molineaux has served as Lead Independent Director of Aclaris’ board of directors since January 2023, having previously served as Chair since June 2019. He has served as a member of Aclaris’ board of directors since 2014. Since 2010, Mr. Molineaux has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Life Sciences Pennsylvania, formerly Pennsylvania Bio, a pharmaceutical and biotech industry advocacy organization, and previously served as its Senior Vice President, Membership Services. Mr. Molineaux previously served as worldwide Vice President of Pharmaceutical Communications and Public Affairs for Johnson & Johnson, a global healthcare company. Mr. Molineaux also served as Vice President for Public Affairs at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross.

Maxine Gowen has served as a member of Aclaris’ board of directors since July 2019. Dr. Gowen joined TamuroBio Inc., a biotechnology company, in August 2019, and served as its part-time Chief Executive Officer until December 2021. Dr. Gowen founded Trevena, Inc., a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, and served as its President and Chief Executive Officer from 2007 until 2018. Prior to this, Dr. Gowen held a variety of leadership roles at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) over a period of fifteen years. Dr. Gowen was previously President and Managing Partner at SR One, the venture capital subsidiary of GSK, where she led its investments in, and served on the board of directors of, numerous companies. Until 2002, Dr. Gowen was Vice President, Drug Discovery, Musculoskeletal Diseases at GSK, responsible for drug discovery and early development for osteoporosis, arthritis and metastatic bone disease. Dr. Gowen held a tenured academic position in the School of Pharmacology, University of Bath, UK from 1989 to 1992. Dr. Gowen currently serves on the boards of directors of the publicly held companies Merus N.V. and as chair of Passage Bio, Inc. Dr. Gowen previously served as a director of the publicly held companies Trevena, Inc., Aceragen, Inc. (formerly known as Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) and Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Gowen received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of Bristol, UK, then received a Doctor of Philosophy in cell biology from the University of Sheffield, UK, and received a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School. Dr. Gowen also received a Doctor of Science from the University of Bath, UK.

William Humphries has served as a member of Aclaris’ board of directors since 2016. Mr. Humphries joined Alcami Corporation, a contract development and manufacturing organization, in June 2023 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and member of its board of directors. From May 2021 to May 2023, Mr. Humphries served as the Chief Executive Officer of Isosceles Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company. From 2018 to December 2020, Mr. Humphries served as President of Ortho Dermatologics, the dermatology division of Bausch Health Companies, Inc., and previously served as its Executive Vice President, Company Group Chairman for Dermatology and OraPharma from 2017 to 2018. From 2012 to 2016, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the North American business of Merz, Inc., an affiliate of Merz Pharma Group, a specialty healthcare company. From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Humphries served in a number of leadership positions with Stiefel Laboratories, Inc., a dermatology pharmaceutical company, including as its Chief Commercial Officer and then as President beginning in 2008. Stiefel was acquired by GSK in 2009, after which Mr. Humphries served as the President of Dermatology for Stiefel from 2009 until 2012. Mr. Humphries previously held multiple senior executive roles in sales and marketing, business development and international marketing for Allergan, Inc., concluding as Vice President of its U.S. skincare business. Mr. Humphries currently serves as a director of the publicly held companies Clearside Biomedical, Inc. and PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and as a director of the privately held life sciences company Bryn Pharmaceuticals. He previously served as a member of the board of directors of STRATA Skin Sciences, Inc, a publicly held company, and SKNV. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

Anand Mehra has served as a member of Aclaris’ board of directors since 2014. Dr. Mehra has served as a founding partner of Forge Life Science Partners, a biotech investment firm, since its inception in May 2023. Prior to founding Forge, Dr. Mehra served mostly recently as a managing general partner of Sofinnova Investments, Inc. (fka Sofinnova Ventures, Inc.), a biotech investment firm from 2007 to January 2020. Prior to joining Sofinnova, Dr. Mehra worked in J.P. Morgan’s private equity and venture capital group, and before that, Dr. Mehra was a consultant in McKinsey & Company’s pharmaceutical practice. Dr. Mehra currently serves as the chair of the board of directors of the publicly held company Merus N.V. He previously served on the board of directors of the pharmaceutical company Spark Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Mehra received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political philosophy from the University of Virginia and a Doctor of Medicine from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Vincent Milano has served as a member of Aclaris’ board of directors since January 2020. Mr. Milano most recently served as Chair of the Board of Aceragen, Inc. (formerly known as Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.), a publicly held biopharmaceutical company, from 2022 to August 2023, having previously served as Idera’s President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of Idera’s board of directors since 2014. From 1996 to 2014, Mr. Milano served in increasingly senior roles at ViroPharma Inc., a pharmaceutical company acquired by Shire plc in 2014, most recently as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer from 2008 to 2014. From 1985 to 1996, Mr. Milano served in increasingly senior roles, most recently as a senior manager, at KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm. Mr. Milano currently serves on the boards of directors of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly held company, and Life Sciences Cares Philadelphia, a non-profit organization. Previously, Mr. Milano served on the boards of directors of the publicly held companies Spark Therapeutics, Inc. and Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc., and VenatoRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company. Mr. Milano received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Rider College.

Andrew Powell is an independent consultant who has served as a member of Aclaris’ board of directors since January 2017. Mr. Powell served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Medivation, Inc. from 2015 through the company’s acquisition by Pfizer, Inc. in 2016. Prior to Medivation, Mr. Powell served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of InterMune, Inc. from 2013 to 2015, where he helped the company prepare for the U.S. approval and launch of Esbriet® (pirfenidone) as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and played a leadership role in InterMune’s acquisition by Swiss drug maker Roche Holdings AG. Immediately prior to joining InterMune, he was Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary at Cornerstone Therapeutics, Inc. through its successful sale to Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. Prior to Cornerstone, Mr. Powell served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at ImClone Systems, Inc. where he helped the company grow before playing a key role in a successful process that resulted in a sale to Eli Lilly and Company. Prior to ImClone Systems, he was part of the senior team that repositioned CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. as a leader in dermatology. Early in his career, Mr. Powell held positions of increasing responsibility for nearly 15 years at the multinational health care company Baxter International, Inc., where he was instrumental in a series of transactions that established Baxter throughout Asia. Mr. Powell previously serves on the board of directors of Silverback Therapeutics, Inc., (now known as ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) Landee Corporation (now known as Lifecore Biomedical, Inc.), Synthorx Inc., a biopharmaceutical company acquired by Sanofi Aventis in January 2020, and Motif Bio plc. Mr. Powell received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School.

Bryan Reasons has served as a member of Aclaris’ board of directors since April 2018. Mr. Reasons is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Mallinckrodt plc.  Prior to joining Mallinckrodt, Mr. Reasons served as the Chief Financial Officer of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and prior to that as Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Impax Laboratories, Inc. until its acquisition by Amneal in 2018. Before joining Impax, he was Vice President, Finance of Cephalon, Inc. and of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., following the acquisition of Cephalon by Teva. Mr. Reasons previously worked at E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Mr. Reasons currently serves on the board of directors and on the audit committee of Societal CMDO (f/k/a Recro Pharma, Inc.), a publicly held company. Mr. Reasons received a Bachelor of Science in accounting from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from Widener University. He is a certified public accountant in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Andrew Schiff has served as a member of Aclaris’ Board of Directors since 2017. Dr. Schiff joined Aisling Capital, an investment firm, in 1999 and currently serves as one of its managing partners. Prior to joining Aisling Capital, Dr. Schiff practiced internal medicine for six years at The New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he maintains his position as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine. Dr. Schiff currently serves on the board of directors of the publicly held company Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. Dr. Schiff also currently serves on the board of directors of the privately held company Dren Bio. He is a board member of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, as well as other charitable organizations. Dr. Schiff received a Doctor of Medicine from Cornell University Medical College, a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University, and a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Neuroscience from Brown University.