Leadership
Our leadership has years of specialized expertise spanning pharmaceutical drug development, biotech research and medical care.
Management Team
Par Nijhawan, MD, FRCPC, AGAF
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Nijhawan is the CEO and Secretary of Edesa, positions he has held since forming the company in 2015. Dr. Nijhawan is a seasoned pharmaceutical entrepreneur with 19 years of experience in cross-functional roles including finance, marketing and business development. Prior to Edesa, Dr. Nijhawan was the founder and CEO of Medical Futures Inc which was sold to Tribute Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Nijhawan founded and led Digestive Health Clinic into becoming Canada’s largest provider of private endoscopy services. He is also the founder of Exzell Pharma, which was sold to BioLab Pharma in 2022. Dr. Nijhawan was Inducted into the CHLA BD Hall of fame in 2018 and Awarded Business Development Deal of the Year 2017. Dr. Nijhawan received his MD (University of Ottawa), Internship (Yale), Residency IM (Mayo), Fellowship GI (Mayo).
Michael Brooks, PhD, MBA
President
Dr. Brooks was appointed President of Edesa in January 2019. He initially joined Edesa in September 2015 as Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy. Prior to joining Edesa, Dr. Brooks held positions of increasing responsibility at Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc from 2010 to 2015 and served most recently as Director of Business Development. Prior to joining Cipher, Dr. Brooks was a Post-Doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. Dr. Brooks holds a Hons B.Sc. degree in Microbiology and a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto. Dr. Brooks also holds a Master of Business Administration, degree from the Rotman School of Management where he was a Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Science to Business Scholar.
Peter J. Weiler
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Weiler was appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective May 1, 2025. He is a veteran of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries with extensive experience in finance and corporate strategy. Since August 2018, Mr. Weiler served as President of Exzell Pharma, Inc., a privately held, commercial-stage pharmaceutical company. From August 2017 to August 2018, Mr. Weiler served as Vice President of Business Development at Biosyent Inc. Prior to that, he served in various roles at Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc., including Vice President of Business Development from January 2015 to June 2017, Senior Director from January 2012 to January 2014, and Director from December 2008 to December 2011. Prior to Cipher, he served as Senior Director of Investment Analysis at DRI Capital Inc. and held research and financial positions at Eli Lilly Canada Inc. Mr. Weiler holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario, a Masters of Science in Biology from the University of Western Ontario, and a Bachelor of Science (Honors Biology) degree and Diploma in Accounting from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Blair Gordon, PhD
Vice President, Research and Development
Dr. Gordon is responsible for the design, management, and execution of Edesa’s clinical programs. He completed his PhD studies at the University of Toronto in the Department of Molecular Genetics where he was an NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Fellow. His previous roles include Business Development at Cipher Pharmaceuticals and Medical Affairs at ArcticDX. Dr. Gordon is excited to be commercializing scientific discoveries at Edesa.
Gary Koppenjan
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Mr. Koppenjan has more than 20 years of experience in corporate communications, marketing, and investor relations. Most recently, he led investor relations for a public life science company that was acquired by a large conglomerate. Previously, he held various marketing and communications positions at a global crop science company. During his career, Koppenjan has received multiple advertising and public relations awards for product introduction campaigns and stakeholder outreach. He is a past member of the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s communications committee and the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Technical Advisory Committee. Koppenjan is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles.