Our Team
Ned Israelsen, JD Managing Director
Ned is the founder and Managing Director of Ionium. He has been an early stage investor in more than 40 life science companies over the past 30 years. He has been a member of Tech Coast Angels for more than 20 years, and has seen some 1000 investment pitches. Ned has been an officer or company founder in several biotech companies, including Kalyra Pharmaceuticals (Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, ZNTL), Recurium IP Holdings, Actavalon, and CardioCreate.
Prior to his current role as a biopharma founder and investor, Ned was an intellectual property lawyer and San Diego managing partner with the leading IP firm Knobbe Martens, where he handled all aspects of life science and chemistry intellectual property procurement and licensing. He has represented inventors, startups, established biotech companies, VCs, universities, Fortune 100 companies, and the National Institutes of Health. This broad experience required a detailed technical understanding of hundreds of technical areas, which has served him well as a life science investor.
Paul E. Israelsen, MD Venture Associate
Dr. Paul E. Israelsen is a board-certified ophthalmology surgeon with Northwest Eye Surgeons. He specializes in the treatment of standard and complex cataracts, pterygium, glaucoma, iris defects, and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Israelsen was the first ophthalmology resident in the country to implant a trifocal intraocular lens, and is trained in minimally invasive glaucoma surgery. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Paul received a BS in Business Management from BYU, his MD degree from the Keck School of Medicine at USC, and did his residency in ophthalmic surgery at UC Irvine. With a background in both business and medicine, he assists Ionium in evaluating a variety of medicine-related business plans.
Stanford T. Israelsen, MD Venture Associate
Dr. Stanford T. Israelsen is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with expertise treating a broad range of orthopedic conditions including joint replacement of the hip, knee and shoulder, sports medicine including knee and shoulder arthroscopy, hand and upper extremity surgery, and fracture care. Currently Dr. Israelsen is the Managing Partner of Wyoming Orthopedics and Spine, the Medical Director and Board Chairman of the Powder River Surgery Center, and the Department Chairman of Outpatient Surgery at Campbell County Memorial Hospital. Dr. Israelsen received his medical and orthopedic training at Baylor College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and Marshall University. Currently he is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery, board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, and a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the Wyoming Medical Society.
Stan has a deep understanding of the practice and business of medicine, including the perspectives of a practice manager, surgeon, and hospital director. He assists Ionium in evaluating a broad range of technologies, with a focus on surgery, medical devices, and therapeutics.