Back row, from left to right: Cristian Laria, MSc (Clinical Research Assistant), Ivette Amalfi, MSc (Chief Financial Officer), Alina Ariosa, PhD (Clinical Project Manager), Boris Rodriguez, PhD (Preclinical Development Manager), Horacio Moreno, PhD (Business Development Director), Santiago Figueroa, PhD (Chief Operating Officer), Juan Camacho, PhD (Chief Scientific Officer), Begoña Hernández, PhD (Head of Computational Chemistry), Saúl Saldana, BSc. (Clinical Study Coordinator), Beatrice Jora, PhD (Researcher)

Front row, from left to right: Jenniesley Rojo, MSc (Project Management), Tamara Cordero, MSc (Clinical Trials Manager), Nahomi Castro, PhD (Chief of Clinical Operations), Julio Castro Palomino, PhD (Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Palobiofarma), Alely Gessa, BSc. (Intellectual Property), Miriam Soler, BSc. (Clinical Research Assistant).

Julio Castro, PhD

Julio Castro is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Palobiofarma company, established in 2010. He brings extensive experience in investment strategy and capital raising, with a proven ability to secure funding and drive growth in innovative biotech ventures.

He holds a PhD from the University of Konstanz (Germany) and has built a strong scientific and leadership background in drug discovery. He held senior roles in medicinal chemistry at leading pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer and Almirall, and later served as Director of Research and Development at Oryzon Genomics.

Julio combines deep scientific expertise with strategic vision, having contributed to multiple drug discovery programs and authored several patents across key therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and autoimmune diseases. His experience spans from early-stage research to clinical development, positioning him to effectively translate innovation into high-value assets. He is the founder of several Biotech companies like Oncostellae, Medibiofarma, Origo Biopharma, Medchemfarma and Iteria biopharma.

Santiago Figueroa, PhD

Santiago Figueroa joined the company in 2023 as Chief Operating Officer. He offers broad experience in regulatory affairs and pharmaceutical development, built over a career primarily shaped at Bayer AG.

During his time at Bayer, he held a series of progressively senior roles, starting as Manager of the Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory and advancing to Director-level positions in Regulatory Affairs. In these roles, he was responsible for securing marketing authorizations and maintaining licenses for cardiovascular and hemophilia products across multiple international markets.

In addition to his industry experience, Santiago contributed to academic training in regulatory science for more than 10 years as a lecturer in the master’s program in Drug Regulatory Affairs at the University of Bonn (Germany).

Nahomi Castro, PhD

Nahomi Castro joined Palobiofarma in 2011 as a Preclinical Development Project Manager and has since played a key role in the company’s growth. She currently serves as Chief of Clinical Operations and holds a PhD from the University of Jena (Germany).

She is a biochemist with a strong background in clinical development, having focused from the outset of her career on the design and execution of clinical trials. Prior to joining Palobiofarma, Nahomi held positions at leading research institutions and companies, including the National Coordinating Centre of Clinical Trials (CENCEC, Havana, Cuba), the Center for Biomedical Research in Havana, the George Speyer Haus Institute for Biomedical Research, Advancell, and Salutis Research.

Since advancing to Chief Operating Officer (COO) in 2016, she has overseen multicenter Phase I and II clinical trials.

Juan Camacho, PhD

Juan Camacho serves as Chief Scientific Officer since the company foundation. He holds a PhD from Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany).

Before joining the company, he worked as a research scientist at several prestigious institutes within Friedrich Schiller University Jena, including the Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology, and the Institute for Clinical Physiology. During this time, he authored numerous scientific publications and patents.

With a strong scientific background, Juan plays a key role in leading the company’s research efforts. He heads a team focused on the discovery of small molecules with biological activity, advancing them toward preclinical and clinical development. He is also a co-author of several company patents related to novel adenosine receptor modulators.