Steve A. Orndorff, Ph.D. | Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer

Steve Orndorff is a serial entrepreneur with more than 25 years experience in the biotechnology industry. Previously he was President and CEO of Univera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a drug discovery company focused on diseases of inflammation and the immune response. During his career he has had responsibility in a broad array of disciplines such as basic research, manufacturing, product development and business development at various biotechnology companies including Genex Corporation, NutraSweet, Inc., and ZeaGen, Inc. Dr. Orndorff is a past President of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and a founding Board member of the Colorado BioScience Association. He received a B.S. in Biology from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. in microbiology from University of Maryland.

William T. Poncy, M.B.A. | Vice President, Commercial Development

William brings more than 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry to Accera.  He has a demonstrated track record of success in all aspects of the pharmaceutical commercial organization.  Prior to joining Accera in 2007, he was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Myogen, Inc. (acquired by Gilead Sciences) where he built the commercial organization and launched a pulmonary anti-hypertension franchise.  Previously he was Vice President of Sales and Marketing, North America for Pharmion where he developed an oncology commercial organization.  He started his career in field sales with Berlex Labs and then from 1982 until 2000, William held several positions at DuPont Pharmaceuticals including sales, managed care, trade, marketing, public policy and various management roles.  Bill received his B.S. in Biological Science from the University of California, Irvine and his M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix.  

Lauren C. Costantini, Ph.D. | Vice President, Clinical Development

Lauren C. Costantini has broad experience in CNS drug development from research through Phase III clinical trials. Prior to joining Accera in 2006 she was Director of Product Development at Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a public company focused on development of novel treatments for CNS disorders. Working in roles of increasing responsibility, Dr. Costantini was most recently responsible for managing pivotal international Phase III clinical trials and regulatory affairs at Titan. Previously she was on the faculty of neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital where she worked in neuroregeneration research and clinical trials on Parkinson’s disease. Lauren received her B.S. in Biology from Purchase College, State University of New York and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Albany Medical School at the University of Albany.

Samuel Henderson, Ph.D. | Executive Director, Research

Samuel Henderson's research has defined new pathways in the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Most recently, Dr. Henderson was at The Institute of Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO where he investigated the genetics of aging. Prior to that, he was a Lead Scientist at GenoPlex, Inc. directing research in anti-aging technologies. Dr. Henderson has co-authored numerous scientific publications, patents and reviews, including fundamental discoveries in aging research. He received his B.A. in Biology from Washington University, St. Louis, MO and his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology from University of Chicago. He received extensive post-doctoral training in developmental biology at the University of Wisconsin.  Dr. Henderson is the scientific founder of Accera.

Gregory Kading, CFA, M.B.A. | Vice President, Finance

Gregory Kading has over 20 years experience in finance and accounting in a variety of positions with US West (now Qwest Communications), including accounting operations, financial planning and analysis, financial modeling, business planning and corporate investment analysis. Most recently he was Director of Finance for the Broadband Services unit of Qwest. He has been a financial consultant for numerous start-up companies and has been an adjunct instructor at Metro State College of Denver and Arapahoe Community College. Greg was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute. An Iowa native, Greg holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University, and an M.B.A. degree from Creighton University.