Executive Staff
Donald J. Kyle, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer
Don Kyle, Ph.D., currently serves as CEO of the National Center for Wellness and Recovery (NCWR). He is one of the nation’s leading experts in drug design and development, as well as the neurological mechanisms and circuitry involved in addiction and pain.
He spent more than 30 years as a distinguished research leader in the pharmaceutical industry before taking on his current role. His contributions to science, technology and medicine are reflected in 100 issued U.S. patents and nearly 200 publications.
Kyle brings extensive insight, experience and research leadership to the field of addiction medicine.
“There are neurological adaptations associated with chronic pain and addiction, and new treatment options are needed. I work in these fields because I want to advance our understanding of their complex relationship and I am honored to work with the mission-driven and outstanding team at NCWR who are committed to finding solutions to the pervasive addiction issues facing our nation.”
Don Kyle, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer, National Center for Wellness and Recovery
Ann Kraft, MBA, M.S., Head of Strategic Partnerships
Ann Kraft, MBA, MS, currently serves as head of strategic partnerships for NCWR and brings more than 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. Previously she served as vice president and global head of business development for rare disease and neuroscience at Ipsen Bioscience, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has held various roles in the pharmaceutical industry. Kraft has extensive experience in pharmaceutical and biotech business development activities including strategy development, collaboration, negotiation, licensing, acquisitions, deal structuring and alliance management. She is a member of the board of directors for the Harvard Business School Healthcare Alumni Association (HBSHAA) and the Connecticut chapter of Women in Biotech…
Craig Werner, Ph.D., Senior Director of Neuroscience
Craig Werner, Ph.D., is the senior director of Neuroscience at the National Center for Wellness and Recovery. He has more than 15 years of experience studying substance use disorder neurobiology, including research on synaptic mechanisms, neuroepigenetics and microcircuits, resulting in more than 30 peer-reviewed publications. At NCWR, Werner leads an interdisciplinary research team focused on leveraging innovative approaches to developing novel treatments for substance use disorder and pain.
Neile Jones, Communications Manager
Neile Jones, MA, is the communications manager for the National Center for Wellness and Recovery, where she helps share the organization’s work in addiction research, treatment and education. An Emmy Award-winning professional, she brings more than 20 years of experience in media, public relations and community engagement to her role, creating content for digital platforms, managing media relations and supporting cross-functional communications strategies.
Grants
Medicinal Chemistry
- Balraj Gopula, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator
- Arun Raja, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator
- Tamal Das, Ph.D. – Senior Research Investigator
- Brian Soriano – Research Investigator
Neuroscience
- Craig Werner, Ph.D. – Senior Director of Neuroscience
- Shailesh Khatri, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator
- Amanda Wunsch, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator
- Justin Siemian, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator
- Lauren Mueller, Ph.D. – Senior Research Investigator
- Svetlana Bobkova – Scientist
- Brandon Curry – Scientist
- Josh Yoder – Associate Scientist