Our Team
Ron Najafi, PhD
Co-founder & Chairman
Ron Najafi is a serial entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. As the founder of five companies, he brings over 25 years of leadership in the biopharmaceutical sector to EmerRx BioPharma. In 2000, he founded NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, where he guided the company from concept to IPO. During his tenure at NovaBay, Dr. Najafi led strategic partnership efforts, securing significant collaborations with Galderma S.A., the world’s leading dermatology company, and Alcon Laboratories Inc., the leading ophthalmology company. He also expanded NovaBay’s global reach through partnerships with China Pioneer Pharma in Shanghai, Shinpoong Pharma in South Korea, and Virbac in France. In addition to his executive leadership, he served as NovaBay’s Chief Scientific Officer.
Before founding NovaBay, Dr. Najafi was the President and CEO of CP Lab Safety, Inc., a chemical laboratory safety devices company that manufactures his invention, Ecological Funnels, and now distributes over 300,000 products worldwide. He also held executive and scientific roles at Rhône Poulenc Rorer (now Sanofi-Aventis), Perkin Elmer Applied Biosystems (now Thermo Fisher), and Aldrich Chemical Company.
Dr. Najafi is an accomplished inventor with more than 70 patents and pending patent applications. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemistry from the University of San Francisco and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Davis.
Mitch Raponi, PhD
Co-founder & CEO
Mitch Raponi is an accomplished leader in biotechnology and personalized medicine, with over 25 years of experience in the development of innovative therapies and diagnostic strategies. As the CEO of EmerRx Biopharma, Dr. Raponi leads the company’s efforts to revolutionize the treatment of opioid overdose, particularly fentanyl poisoning, through the development of next-generation intranasal naloxone.
Before joining EmerRx Biopharma, Dr. Raponi served as Chief Scientific Officer at Alphina Therapeutics, a biotech start-up focused on therapies targeting cancer metabolism. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Biomarker Development & Translational Research at BeiGene, where he spearheaded companion diagnostic strategies for the company’s immune-oncology and targeted cancer therapeutics pipeline.
Dr. Raponi’s career also includes his role as Vice President of Molecular Diagnostics at Clovis Oncology, where his leadership contributed to the development and approval of the first next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based companion diagnostic for the PARP inhibitor, rucaparib. He spent 15 years at Johnson & Johnson, building and leading biomarker and companion diagnostic programs across both the diagnostics and pharmaceutical divisions.
Dr. Raponi earned his PhD in Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry from the University of New South Wales, as part of a joint industry-sponsored project with Johnson & Johnson. His work has been widely published in the fields of gene therapy, cancer genomics, personalized medicine, and drug development.
With extensive experience in both large pharmaceutical companies and dynamic biotech firms, Dr. Raponi is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge solutions to address the opioid crisis. His leadership at EmerRx Biopharma is driven by a deep commitment to improving patient outcomes and creating impactful therapies for underserved medical needs.
Hamid Mobedi, PhD
Co-founder & CSO
Dr. Hamid Mobedi is a pharmaceutical scientist with extensive expertise in drug development, formulation sciences, and polymer-based drug delivery systems. He specializes in sustained-release formulations, intranasal drug delivery, and innovative therapeutic technologies.
As CSO at EmerRx, Dr. Mobedi leads research and development efforts to advance intranasal naloxone formulations, improving efficacy and pharmacokinetics for opioid overdose treatment. Prior to this, he was a Senior Research Scientist at Emery Pharma, where he contributed to analytical method development, bioanalysis, and drug formulation strategies.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Mobedi was Founder and CEO of Varian Pharmed, overseeing the formulation and commercialization of multiple sustained-release pharmaceuticals. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, has authored numerous publications, secured multiple patents, and collaborated extensively on translational drug development projects.
Aaron C. Cook, MD
Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Aaron C. Cook brings over three decades of deep clinical, academic, and strategic expertise to his role as the Chief Medical Officer at EmerRx, where he leads the company’s clinical development efforts and plays a pivotal role in advancing its drug pipeline through clinical trials.
A board-certified orthopedic surgeon since 1991, Dr. Cook has had a distinguished career specializing in trauma, joint replacement, hand, and reconstructive surgeries across both adult and pediatric populations. He holds certifications from the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners.
Dr. Cook has served as an Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and was the off-site residency director since 1993. In addition to a long-standing clinical practice, he has held multiple leadership roles in hospital operations, overseeing utilization management, budgeting, physician recruitment, and marketing initiatives.
His broad experience includes extensive work in medical-legal evaluations, serving as a board-certified Independent Medical Examiner and expert witness in criminal, malpractice, personal liability, and workers’ compensation cases. He has reviewed quality-of-care cases in orthopaedic surgery for the California Medical Board and served on committees governing the procurement of radiologic imaging equipment and surgical technologies.
Dr. Cook earned his B.S. in Biochemistry at University of California, Davis cum laude before graduating in the top 10% of his class from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed both his Internship in General Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery Residency at the UC Davis Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center, where he served as Chief Resident. He has done to both laboratory and clinical outcomes research and is a published author.
In parallel with his medical career, Dr. Cook has built a strong track record as an advisor and investor. He has consulted for numerous medical and pharmaceutical companies on pain management, arthritis therapies, cost containment and electronic medical records. As an angel investor and super angel, he has supported several early-stage drug development and technology startups and has been a Limited Partner in venture capital funds. He has assisted companies with fundraising, strategic planning, and the implementation of independent investigational trials leading to FDA IND applications for expanded use cases.
As Chief Medical Officer at EmerRx, Dr. Cook leverages his clinical, operational, and entrepreneurial background to guide the company’s clinical research strategy and ensure the delivery of safe, effective, and innovative therapies to patients in need of life saving medications.