CONSULTING SERVICES FOR PHARMA AND HEALTH SCIENCES IN
OPHTHALMOLOGY

• Wai started Tiresias Biopharma Consulting in 2024 to bring his experience as a drug-developer, physician, and vision scientist to clients in ophthalmology.

• Previously, Wai was the inaugural Retinal Diseases Discovery Lead in the Retina Disease Area Stronghold at Johnson and Johnson (JNJ) Innovative Medicine, where he initiated the establishment of a state-of-the-art retinal discovery research facility in the Bay Area, and led the recruitment of a leading research team.  He oversaw the creation of portfolio of early retina programs, including assets in novel platforms such as oligonucleotides and gene therapy, and advanced a small-molecule program to clinical development for common retinal diseases. 

• Prior to JNJ, Wai was a tenured senior investigator and faculty member at the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he led a NIH-funded laboratory investigating neuroinflammation as a driver of retinal diseases.  At the NIH, he provided clinical care as a board-certified ophthalmologist and retinal specialist and served as the lead and initiating investigator on a number of Phase 1/2 trials and Phase 3 in retinal diseases including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and rare retinal diseases. 

• He received Bachelor’s degrees from MIT in both Chemical Engineering and Biology, and his MD and PhD degrees from Washington University School of Medicine, and his residency and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania and the NIH.  He has received research training in the laboratories/teams of Robert Langer (MIT), Rudolf Jaenisch (MIT), Rachel Wong (Wash U), Jean Bennett (UPenn), Emily Chew (NIH), and Frederick Ferris (NIH).

• Wai is a highly cited author on >150 publications and patents in leading journals (h-index = 66) and has been a speaker/organizer of >100 lectures/symposia/workshops.  His work has been recognized in awards including the Sayer Vision Research Award (NIH), Young Investigator Award (Macula Society), Secretariat and Achievement Awards (American Academy of Ophthalmology).

• He has previously served as consultant to biotech companies on preclinical translation and early-phase clinical trials.  He has also been a Key-opinion Leader (KOL) and Subject-Matter Expert (SME) to large pharma, including speaking at workshop panels and appointment to a Scientific Advisory Board.

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•  :As a consultant, he will

  •  Leverage extensive domain expertise in ophthalmology to generate valuable insights for clients

  • Navigate complex landscape of the ophthalmology sector, advising strategy across disease indications and drug platform

  • Provide insightful analysis and interpretation of preclinical and clinical research data, driving optimization of next steps

  • Advise effective communication of scientific/medical concepts to diverse audiences, including investors, regulatory agencies, internal management, and medical and patient communities

  • Build trusted and consequential partnerships with key stakeholders, utilizing established professional networks