Leadership team
A founder-led team integrating clinical development, patient advocacy, and capital strategy to advance rare disease therapies.
Brandon M. Henry, MD
Chief Executive & Medical Officer
Redefining how rare disease therapies are developed and brought to patients
Dr. Henry leads Aurelix’s scientific and clinical strategy, advancing AAV gene therapy programs across neurodevelopmental, neuromuscular, and metabolic diseases. A physician-scientist by training, he brings deep expertise in CNS-directed delivery, immune risk mitigation, and long-term safety.
He has guided programs from early translation through IND and into the clinic across academic, biotech, and nonprofit settings, with a focus on regulatory-aligned development in small, heterogeneous populations.
At Aurelix, he is building an integrated model that combines science, strategy, and execution to accelerate transformative therapies for patients with the highest unmet need.
Amber Freed
Chief Business Officer
Reimagining how therapies are funded, advanced, and delivered to patients
Amber leads business strategy, partnerships, and innovative funding models at Aurelix Bio. She focuses on building integrated ecosystems that accelerate development and unlock new pathways for rare disease therapies.
She brings a unique combination of strategic and lived experience, having driven her own son’s gene therapy from bench to clinic. Since his diagnosis with SLC6A1, she has advanced multiple translational programs and emerged as a leader in patient-led drug development.
Amber is the Founder and CEO of SLC6A1 Connect, where she has mobilized global research, funding, and advocacy to advance treatment development.
Souad Messahel, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Translating scientific complexity into disciplined, scalable execution
Dr. Messahel leads operational strategy and execution across Aurelix’s portfolio of rare disease and gene therapy programs. She builds scalable, disciplined models that enable rigorous science and efficient clinical advancement.
A clinical neuroscientist by training, she brings over two decades of experience spanning translational research, biomarker development, and global clinical development across the U.S. and Europe.
Her work has focused extensively on rare and ultra-rare neurological diseases, where she has led multi-program portfolios and guided teams through complex regulatory and operational milestones.
Effie Parks
Chief Patient Officer
Ensuring every program is grounded in the realities of the patients it serves
Effie Parks leads patient strategy at Aurelix Bio, integrating patient insight across clinical development, partnerships, and program execution. She ensures that patient experience is embedded from early design through clinical translation.
Following her son’s diagnosis with CTNNB1 syndrome, Effie emerged as a leading voice in the rare disease community, transforming her family’s journey into a platform for advocacy, connection, and impact. She is the host of the Once Upon a Gene podcast, recognized for its role in elevating patient stories and advancing engagement across the rare disease ecosystem.
At Aurelix, Effie brings this perspective to shape programs that are not only scientifically rigorous but deeply grounded in the realities of the patients they serve.
Ana Martini, PhD
Head of CMC
Designing scalable, regulator-ready manufacturing strategies that bring therapies from lab to clinic.
Ana Martini, PhD, leads CMC strategy at Aurelix Bio, ensuring that early scientific innovation is translated into robust, manufacturable processes that support clinical development.
She brings over 16 years of experience across cell and gene therapy, biomanufacturing, and CDMO operations.
Her expertise spans viral vector and nucleic acid platforms, including plasmid DNA, AAV, mRNA, and emerging biologics, with experience across both preclinical and cGMP environments. She has led process development, technology transfer, and manufacturing scale-up efforts—bridging the transition from early research to clinical readiness.
At Aurelix, Ana aligns CMC strategy with clinical and regulatory objectives—establishing scalable processes, defining critical controls, and ensuring programs are positioned for successful IND submission and clinical execution.