Our Team
The surgeons, scientists, and athletes building TX-33.
Temple OrthoBio is developing TX-33, an investigational therapeutic designed to prevent scar tissue after joint surgery. The team behind it is 14 people across five countries, including co-founder Dr. Riley J. Williams III, Chief of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
- 14team members
- 5co-founders
- 4medical and scientific advisors
- 2Olympian performance advisors
- 5countries
Co-Founder
Who is Dr. Riley J. Williams III?
Dr. Riley J. Williams III is a co-founder of Temple OrthoBio and Chief of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, one of the most respected orthopedic hospitals in the world. He is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and cartilage repair.
- At HSS
- Chief, HSS Sports Medicine Institute. Director, Institute for Cartilage Repair.
- HSS ranking
- No. 1 hospital in the world for orthopedics (Newsweek and Statista). No. 1 in the U.S. for orthopedics for 17 consecutive years (U.S. News & World Report).
- Academic
- Professor, Weill Cornell. Educated at Yale and Stanford.
- Team physician
- USA Basketball, Brooklyn Nets, NY Liberty, NY Red Bulls. Previously NY Mets and NY Giants.
- World stage
- Served as Venue Medical Officer for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
- Ventures
- Co-founder of BICMD and Overture Resurfacing.
"TX-33 is a game changer. I see it being used in every surgery we do."
Co-Founders
Who founded Temple OrthoBio?
Temple OrthoBio has five co-founders: Sanj Singh, Dr. Riley J. Williams III, Jens Thies, Samuel Ogunsalu, and Jennifer Raoul. Between them they bring senior executive experience in drug development, orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, biomaterials, biomanufacturing, supply chain, product development, and intellectual property.
Sanj Singh, MBA
Co-Founder & CEO
More than 20 years of C-suite leadership in biotech and life sciences, and co-founder of three biotech companies. As CEO of Temple Therapeutics, he built a clinical-stage company through strategic commercial partnerships, new intellectual property, and financing for late-stage clinical development. Board member of BIOTECanada and former professor of entrepreneurship and technology management at the University of Saskatchewan.
Jens Thies, PhD, MBI
Co-Founder & CSO
Scientist and inventor with more than 20 years in radical innovation and 36+ patent families in advanced biomaterials, medical devices, and drug delivery. Global lead biomedical scientist (Senior Science Fellow) at DSM Biomedical from 2017 to 2023, where he led development of its drug delivery platform. PhD, Heriot-Watt University; postdoctoral research at Caltech; Executive Master's in Business Innovation, TIAS Business School.
Samuel Ogunsalu, BS, MSc (Eng), MBA
Co-Founder & VP Product & Corporate Development
Engineer and life science executive with 25 years of C-suite experience in technology commercialization, licensing, and business development. He has negotiated licenses, M&A, and technology partnerships with Merck, GSK, Pharmacia (now Pfizer), and Abbott (now AbbVie), and has served as Chief Business Officer and Chief Commercial Officer. Currently a non-executive director of a listed orthopaedics company.
Jennifer Raoul, PhD
Co-Founder & Strategic IP Advisor
Internationally recognized patent agent and entrepreneur with a PhD in fibrosis and inflammation pathways. Built the IP portfolio that protects TX-33 through 2044.
Medical & Scientific Advisors
Who advises Temple OrthoBio on medicine and science?
Four advisors guide the clinical and scientific work: three orthopedic surgeons and a neurosurgeon.
Vinod Dasa, MD
Medical Advisor
Orthopedic surgeon at LSU Health, Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, and Irvin Cahen Endowed Chair for Research. Pioneer of outpatient, opioid-free total knee replacement and co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of SIGHT Medical. Named a LinkedIn Top Voice in health care.
Shaun P. Patel, MD
Medical Advisor
Orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee reconstruction and joint replacement. Chair, American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) Digital Health Committee, and Deputy Editor, Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation. Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and Castle Connolly Top Doctors.
Pieter J. Emans, PhD, MD
Medical Advisor
Orthopedic surgeon at Maastricht University Medical Center+, specializing in knee and shoulder arthroscopy and joint-sparing surgery. Head of the Center for Translational Mobility Research. Award-winning cartilage repair researcher (Goran Bauer Prize, Nordic Orthopaedic Foundation) and co-founder of Chondropeptix and Avalanche Medical.
Raphael Guzman, PhD, MD
Scientific Advisor
Chair of Neurosurgery, University of Basel. Chief Physician and Head of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Basel, and Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery, University Children's Hospital Basel. Leads a research group in regenerative medicine; former Stanford School of Medicine faculty.
Athlete Performance & Recovery Advisors
Who advises Temple OrthoBio on athletic performance and recovery?
Recovery science has to work on the field, not just in the lab. Two Olympians keep TX-33 grounded in what elite recovery demands: Olympic and World Cup athlete and exercise scientist Emily Renna, and three-time Olympian Neville Wright, Recovery Therapist and Sprint Coach with Canada Soccer.
Emily Renna, BSc, MSc
Exercise Science Advisor
USA Bobsleigh and member of the 2026 Olympic team. Former hurdler and two-time World Cup medalist. MSc in Clinical Exercise Science.
"Anytime there is an injury, it seems the majority of athletes want to find the quickest way to recover and get healthy. I feel like with major injuries that require surgery, an investigational product like TX-33 could do just that and hopefully mitigate the recovery timeline in an effective manner."
Neville Wright
Recovery & Performance Advisor
Three-time Olympian. Recovery Therapist and Sprint Coach, Canada Soccer.
"I have personally dealt with scar tissue. It means everything. Whether you are on or off the podium. The margin at the elite level is so small."
Business & Strategy
Who advises Temple OrthoBio on business and strategy?
Three advisors support financing, brand, partnerships, and investor relations.
Steven D. Spence
Strategic Financial Advisor
Banker who introduced the team to Dr. Williams.
Sean Hanrahan
Marketing, Brand Strategy & Partnerships
Melissa Barall, CFA, FDN-P
Investor Relations, Dealmaker, and Sports
Our Story
How did Temple OrthoBio start?
Temple OrthoBio started with a conversation in 2011 and grew through a series of chance meetings. Every person on this team was found by accident. None of it was planned. All of it mattered.
In 2011, Sanj Singh sat down with Dr. Raphael Guzman, head of neurosurgery at the University of Basel. The question was simple: could a known molecule reduce fibrosis after back surgery? Guzman was candid. He put the odds at about 2%. Sanj went ahead anyway.
Weeks later, at a biotech conference in Boston, Dave Maske of DSM Biomedical walked up and asked whether the same molecule could work in spine surgery. He offered DSM's help. In Maastricht, Sanj met Jens Thies, a DSM Biomedical scientist and inventor. Thies agreed to test the idea. The biomaterial delivery system that would become TX-33 started there.
In 2012, also in Boston, Sanj met Samuel Ogunsalu. Sam saw applications far beyond spine surgery and offered ideas for a spin-out company. He and Jens became co-founders. Jennifer Raoul, an internationally recognized patent agent and entrepreneur Sanj had known for 16 years, joined to build the IP portfolio. Her PhD focused on fibrosis and inflammation pathways. She was the right person at the right time.
In 2015, Sanj met Neville Wright in an Air Canada Lounge. Wright is a 3x Olympian and Recovery Therapist and Sprint Coach with Canada Soccer. When Sanj asked about the role of scar tissue in athletic recovery, Wright said it "means everything" at the elite level. He later joined as an advisor.
Fast forward 13 years. A Phase 1/2 trial. Multiple publications. Growing interest from orthopedic sports medicine. Surgeons Dr. Vinod Dasa, Dr. Shaun Patel, and Dr. Pieter Emans joined as medical advisors. Then banker and friend Steven Spence introduced the team to Dr. Riley J. Williams III at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Williams reviewed the science, called it "a game changer," and became a co-founder.
Emily Renna came through a Sports Business Journal article by Joe Lemire. She was initially skeptical. Then she saw the technology and the team. A former hurdler, two-time World Cup medalist, and member of the USA Bobsleigh team with an MSc in Clinical Exercise Science, she joined as Exercise Science Advisor. She was a member of the 2026 Olympic team.
In 2024, Temple Therapeutics spun off Temple OrthoBio to focus on orthopedic applications of TX-33. The company is headquartered in Liège, Belgium, with team members in five countries. The mission: help people keep doing the activities they love, for as long as possible.
Timeline
Temple OrthoBio at a glance
2023
Clinical results published. Sports medicine takes notice.
Phase 1/2 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial: no adhesions in 93% of treated patients vs. 41% on placebo (European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology). Dr. Dasa, Dr. Patel, and Dr. Emans join. Dr. Williams becomes co-founder.
2024
Temple OrthoBio launches
Sports Business Journal's Joe Lemire writes a feature article.
2025
Funded and building
Seed round closed. R&D subsidy approved for 55%-70%. Total committed funding reaches approximately US$2 million. Establishes lab in Liège, Belgium.
2026
Scaling up: Series A and a stronger bench
Series A capital raise begins for US$2 million. The company registers the I'm Back!™ trademark. WADA's Dr. Olivier Rabin advises that TX-33 is not considered a prohibited substance. Former ESPN SVP Sean Hanrahan and Melissa Barall, a former NCAA tennis player turned dealmaker and investor relations leader, join the Advisory Board.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Temple OrthoBio team
Short answers about who leads Temple OrthoBio and how the team came together.
Who founded Temple OrthoBio?
Temple OrthoBio has five co-founders: Sanj Singh (CEO), Dr. Riley J. Williams III, Jens Thies (CSO), Samuel Ogunsalu, and Jennifer Raoul. The company was spun off from Temple Therapeutics in 2024.
Who is Dr. Riley J. Williams III?
Dr. Riley J. Williams III is a co-founder of Temple OrthoBio and Chief of the HSS Sports Medicine Institute at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He is team physician for USA Basketball, the Brooklyn Nets, NY Liberty, and NY Red Bulls, and served as Venue Medical Officer for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Who advises Temple OrthoBio?
Four medical and scientific advisors (orthopedic surgeons Dr. Vinod Dasa, Dr. Shaun P. Patel, and Dr. Pieter J. Emans, and neurosurgeon Dr. Raphael Guzman); two athlete performance and recovery advisors (Olympic and World Cup athlete and exercise scientist Emily Renna, and three-time Olympian Neville Wright, Recovery Therapist and Sprint Coach with Canada Soccer); and three business advisors.
Where does the Temple OrthoBio team work?
Temple OrthoBio is headquartered in Liège, Belgium. Its team members are based in five countries: the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
How did the team come together?
Through a series of chance meetings that started in 2011, when Sanj Singh asked neurosurgeon Dr. Raphael Guzman whether a known molecule could reduce fibrosis after surgery. Each co-founder and advisor joined after an unplanned introduction over the following 13 years.
I'm Back!™
Every comeback ends with two words: I'm Back!™
Every person on this team joined because they believe recovery shouldn't be left to chance.