Overview
Dr. Darko has a proven track record guiding all steps in pharmaceutical discovery and development in the neurosciences.  He has successfully assembled, led, and mentored simultaneous global teams throughout his career and understands what it takes to succeed internationally.

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Noteworthy

• Dr. Darko has first-hand, hands-on experience in academic, university-based research; in medical research in a large, private research institute; in the solo, private practice of medicine; in a large private medical group practice; in the VA medical care system; in a large public university medical practice group; in a phase I, First-Time-in-Human clinical research unit; in research in a major global pharmaceutical company; and in research a small privately-owned pharmaceutical company

• He has evaluated over 2000 compound opportunities in neuroscience therapeutics areas in the past 15 years

• Has lead many due diligence teams on-site at companies offering compounds for in-licensing.  Has had formal training in pharmaceutical due diligence and has designed and lead due diligence training for compound evaluation teams

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Positions Held

• CEO of NeuroSci R&D Consultancy, LLC

• Senior Director and Head of the Clinical Research Department at
  Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc

• Executive Director in Global Clinical Neuroscience at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals

• Vice President and Medical Director of the Phase I Unit, California
  Clinical Trials

• Head of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute in the Dept. of Neuropharmacology

• Associate Professor at the University of California, San Diego,
  School of Medicine

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Education

• BS in physics, University of Notre Dame

• MD, Indiana University, School of Medicine