Ophthalmic Advisory Committee
Stephen Wilmarth, MD (Chair)
Stephen Wilmarth, M.D., is a board certified ophthalmologist with 30 years of experience. Currently practicing in Roseville, Calif., Dr. Wilmarth is a founding member and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Medical Vision Technology, the largest private practice group in Northern California. Dr. Wilmarth is also a founding member of Horizon Vision Centers, which specialize in laser vision correction, with seven surgical clinics located throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. Dr. Wilmarth is medical director of the Horizon Vision Center in Roseville, Calif. He is a member of the Medical Executive Committee and medical director of Ophthalmic Surgery at South Placer Surgery Center in Granite Bay, Calif., where he performs cataract and vision correction surgery.
As a practicing eye surgeon, Dr. Wilmarth has become particularly concerned about the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as the over-reliance on antibiotics in ophthalmology. Since January 2002, Dr. Wilmarth has advised and supported NovaBay in the development of non-antibiotic, anti-infective ophthalmic products and is responsible for initiating the Alcon-NovaBay relationship. In 2006, NovaBay dedicated its new Synthetic Chemistry Laboratory to Dr. Wilmarth in appreciation of his contributions to the development of NovaBay Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Wilmarth received a BA with Honors from the University of California, Berkeley, and attended Stanford University School of Medicine, where he participated in the first isolation and purification of endorphins.
More information about Dr. Wilmarth may be found at www.wilmartheye.com
Kathryn K. Najafi-Tagol, M.D.
Kathryn K. Najafi-Tagol, M.D., is a founding member of the scientific advisory board at NovaBay Pharmaceuticals. She conducted the initial research for developing NovaBay’s Aganocide® compounds into an antimicrobial ophthalmic drug, which led to a major partnership between NovaBay and Alcon Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Najafi-Tagol is the founder and medical director of the Eye Institute of Marin, where she practices general ophthalmology and specializes in the treatment of glaucoma. She is a member of the faculty at the California Pacific Medical Center. As a fellow in the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), Dr. Najafi-Tagol has been a frequent lecturer at the AAO’s annual conference. She has also volunteered for EyeCare America, a public service program of the foundation of the AAO, which strives to reduce avoidable blindness and severe visual impairment by raising awareness of eye disease and care, providing free eye health educational materials and facilitating access to medical eye care.
Dr Najafi-Tagol received her B.S. with Honors in Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, and received her medical doctorate degree from the University of California School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in glaucoma at the Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, in Los Angeles.
More information about Dr. Najafi-Tagol may be found at www.najafimd.com.
Behzad Khosrovi, M.A., Ph.D., Chief Alliance Officer and Senior Vice President of Product Development, NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Dr. Behzad Khosrovi has directed research and development for NovaBay Pharmaceuticals since he joined the company in 2003. He currently serves as NovaBay’s Chief Alliance Officer and Senior Vice President of Product Development. Dr. Khosrovi plays a major role in managing collaborations between NovaBay and its corporate partners Alcon and Galderma.
Dr. Khosrovi’s accomplishments managing new drug and biologic research span more than 30 years. He has in-depth experience in the chemistry, manufacturing, preclinical, clinical and regulatory requirements for both biologics and drugs, as well as a long history of product development achievements. Dr. Khosrovi has taken numerous diverse product candidates through the FDA's Investigational New Drug procedure, with three of these approved and currently sold in both the U.S. and Europe.
Prior to joining NovaBay, Dr. Khosrovi was vice president of development for Neurobiological Technologies Inc. He also served in various roles of escalating responsibility at Cetus Corp., where he was ultimately vice president of development. He has acted as a consultant to several biotechnology companies, advising on manufacturing, quality control and product development.
Educated in England, Dr. Khosrovi received his M.A. degree in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge and earned his Ph.D. in applied microbiology & biochemical engineering from the University of Manchester.
