Feb 23, 2026

Pelage Pharmaceuticals Appoints New Board Member and Expands Executive Leadership Team

Company expands board of directors and makes key leadership promotions to support upcoming late-stage trials of PP405 in androgenetic alopecia
Maykin Ho, Ph.D., appointed to Pelage board of directors
Nathan Wheeler, MPH, appointed Chief Operating Officer
Lisa Sherman promoted to Vice President, Head of Clinical Operations

LOS ANGELES – February 23, 2026 – Pelage Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine biotechnology company, today announced the appointment of Maykin Ho, Ph.D., to its board of directors, and the promotions of Nathan Wheeler to Chief Operating Officer and Lisa Sherman to Vice President, Head of Clinical Operations.

“We are pleased to welcome Maykin to Pelage’s board as an independent director and to announce key leadership promotions within our organization,” said Daniel Gil, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Pelage. “Maykin’s industry expertise and strategic guidance will be invaluable as we advance PP405 into late-stage clinical development this year. With a strong team in place, including Nathan and Lisa, whose contributions have been instrumental to our progress, Pelage is poised to build on our positive Phase 2 trial in androgenetic alopecia. We plan to share full data from this trial at an upcoming medical meeting and look forward to continuing to work towards making a meaningful impact for people with hair loss.”

“Pelage’s unique approach to activate dormant hair follicles for promoting hair growth is grounded in stem cell biology. The company is well positioned to develop an innovative treatment for hair loss worldwide” said Dr. Ho. “I’m thrilled to join Pelage. I look forward to partnering with the rest of the board and the talented leadership team to achieve this ambitious goal.”

Maykin Ho, Ph.D., to board of directors

Dr. Ho has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare and finance industries. She serves on the board of directors for Agios Pharmaceuticals, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Kyntra Bio, Neumora Therapeutics, Parexel, the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center, and the Institute for Protein Innovation. Dr. Ho is also a venture partner at Aulis Capital and a member of the Biotech Advisory Panel of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Previously, she was a board member of GRAIL and a venture partner of Qiming Venture Partners. She is a retired partner of the Goldman Sachs Group where she served as senior biotechnology analyst, co-head of healthcare for global investment research and advisory director for healthcare investment banking. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Dr. Ho held various managerial positions in strategic planning, marketing and research at DuPont-Merck Pharmaceuticals and DuPont de Nemours & Company. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. Dr. Ho holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology and a B.S. from the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center.

Nathan Wheeler, MPH, as Chief Operating Officer

Nathan joined Pelage in March 2024. A seasoned leader with more than 15 years of experience guiding cross-functional teams and advancing innovative therapies from early discovery to clinical validation, Nathan has played a crucial role in driving the strategy and operations for the company. Prior to Pelage, Nathan served as Head of Project & Portfolio Management at Visus Therapeutics, where he directed late-stage development and managed a diverse ophthalmology pipeline. Previously, Nathan led early-stage portfolio management at Allergan, guiding programs from discovery to clinical proof of concept across multiple therapeutic areas. Nathan holds a Master of Public Health and a B.S. in Kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton.

Lisa Sherman as Vice President, Head of Clinical Operations

Lisa brings over 20 years of experience in clinical research across the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to her role of Vice President, Head of Clinical Operations at Pelage. Throughout her career, Lisa has held leadership roles spanning academia, regulatory affairs, clinical operations and project management, and has successfully supported multiple New Drug Application (NDA), Biologics License Application (BLA) and Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) submissions. Prior to Pelage, Lisa held roles of increasing responsibility at Kinevant Sciences, Roivant Sciences, and Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. She began her career at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Office of Protocol Research. Lisa holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration Healthcare Management from the University of Phoenix and a B.S. in Kinesiology from the University of Houston.

About Pelage Pharmaceuticals

Pelage Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing first-in-class treatments for hair loss. With a focus on stem cell biology and metabolism, Pelage is advancing a new class of treatments designed to reactivate dormant hair follicle stem cells and restore the body’s ability to naturally grow hair. Its lead program, PP405, is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials in androgenetic alopecia. Through its rigorous scientific foundation, Pelage is pioneering first-in-class hair growth solutions for men and women of all hair types experiencing hair loss.

For more information about Pelage, visit https://pelagepharma.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn and X. To learn more about upcoming trials for PP405, sign up for updates at https://www.pelagepp405.com/.

Pelage Contact

Business development and investor inquiries: info@pelagepharma.com

Media inquiries: media@pelagepharma.com

About Pelage Pharmaceuticals

Pelage Pharmaceuticals is pioneering the first regenerative approach to hair loss, grounded in stem cell biology.

Pelage’s platform targets an intrinsic metabolic switch in hair follicles and is being developed for androgenetic alopecia and other forms of hair loss, with the aim of delivering a clinically tested, FDA-approved treatment suitable for all genders, skin types, and hair types.

Clinical Advisory Board

Arash Mostaghimi, M.D., M.P.A., M.P.H., F.A.A.D.

Vice Chair of Clinical Trials and Innovation, Director of the Dermatology Inpatient Service at Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Associate Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Arash Mostaghimi is the Vice Chair of Clinical Trials and Innovation and Director of the Consult Service for the Department of Dermatology at Brigham & Women’s Hospital. With board certifications in dermatology, internal medicine, and clinical informatics, Dr. Mostaghimi is an active clinician with an emphasis on complex medical dermatology and hair loss disorders. As a clinical researcher, Dr. Mostaghimi has over 275 peer reviewed publication, and served as a principal investigator involved in the design and implementation of numerous clinical trials. He has received numerous teaching and mentorship awards and is co-director of the Complex Medical Dermatology Fellowship.

Clinical Advisory Board

Amy McMichael, M.D., F.A.A.D.

Professor and Past Chair of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine

Dr. Amy McMichael is a Philadelphia native who received her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She completed Dermatology residency training at the University of Michigan School of Medicine.

Dr. McMichael is a Professor in the Department of Dermatology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC. She has held leadership positions in the Department for over 20 years first as Residency Program Director for 12 years and Chair of the Department for 11 years. She has been a leader in her field, including her roles as past President of Skin of Color Society and past President of the National Medical Association Dermatology Section. She recently served as a Board member of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Dr. McMichael’s clinical and research interests include: hair and scalp disorders, psoriasis, and skin of color. She is co-editor of several medical

Clinical Advisory Board

Mathew Avram, M.D., J.D., F.A.A.D.

Director of the Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center, Massachusetts General Hospital
Associate Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Mathew M. Avram is the Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center and serves as Faculty Director for Dermatology Cosmetic Training at Harvard Medical School. He is the Past-President of both the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery. Dr. Avram has co-authored 7 textbooks and 90 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Avram has delivered over 800 invited lectures, co-chaired teaching sessions for the FDA for three years, and has two U.S. patents. Dr. Avram has been recognized by Newsweek as one of the Top 10 cosmetic dermatologists in America.

Clinical Advisory Board

Amelia K. Hausauer, M.D., F.A.A.D.

Director of Dermatology and Minimally Invasive Aesthetics at Aesthetx

Dr. Amelia K. Hausauer is the Director of Dermatology and Head of Aesthetic Medicine at Aesthetx, a hybrid dermatology and plastic surgery practice in Northern California. She is a key opinion leader for early pipeline innovation and development of multiple injectable and regenerative therapies as well as an active research investigator. Dr. Hausauer spearheaded one of the largest clinical trials using PRP for hair growth and served as the chief editor for Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Microneedling in Aesthetic Medicine. Earning a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and medical doctorate from University of California San Francisco, Dr. Hausauer completed residency at New York University then an American Society for Dermatologic Surgery cosmetic surgery fellowship.

Leadership

Qing Yu Christina Weng, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Weng is the CMO of Pelage. She is a physician-scientist and entrepreneur, board-certified dermatologist, and Lecturer at Harvard Medical School. She is experienced in corporate startup strategy as Head of Business Development & Strategy at Kira Pharma and CSO and cofounder of Mymiel Skincare. She is on the Board of Directors for the Dermatology Innovation Forum and Dermatology Summit. Dr. Weng has an undergraduate degree from the California Institute of Technology, MD from Harvard, and she completed dermatology residency and fellowship at Harvard.

Leadership

Daniel Gil, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Gil is the CEO of Pelage. He is also a Venture Partner with Visionary Ventures. Until 2018, Dr. Gil was a Vice President at Allergan, overseeing the research portfolio and early clinical development. His research contributed to development of 5 marketed drugs and he led 8 clinical development projects. He is an inventor on 70+ issued US patents and author on 45 peer-reviewed research articles. Dr. Gil has an undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard University and a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Leadership

Michael Jung, PHD

Co-Founder

Co-Founder
Professor, UCLA Chemistry & Biochemistry

Dr. Jung is a renowned Medicinal Chemist and co-founder of several successful startups. He is also co-inventor of two FDA approved drugs for prostate cancer (Xtandi & Erleada) with several drugs currently in clinical trials.

Leadership

Heather Christofk , PhD

Co-Founder

Co-Founder
Professor, UCLA Biological Chemistry

Dr. Christofk is a leader in the metabolism field with a research focus on how metabolism regulates cell state transitions. Her groundbreaking collaborative research with Dr. Lowry revealed that changes in metabolism can instruct hair follicle stem cell activation, forming the basis for the Pelage’s approach to treat hair loss. She is a Professor of Biological Chemistry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Associate Director of Basic and Translational Research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UCLA, her PhD from Harvard, and conducted postdoctoral research at UCSF before joining the faculty at UCLA in 2008.

Leadership

William Lowry, PhD

President & Co-Founder

President & Co-Founder
Professor, UCLA Molecular, Cell and Dev. Biology

Dr. Lowry is a leader in the stem cell field with 20+ years of research experience resulting in the discovery that hair follicle stem cells can be activated by metabolic manipulation. His work has led to the creation of several startups including Pelage and Sardona, as well as other efforts under development.