Seed Health Appoints Microbiome Pioneer Zain Kassam, M.D., M.P.H., as Chief Medical Officer

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Apr 24, 2024, 08:15 ET

Dr. Kassam will lead Seed Health's clinical research and medical affairs, driving the
development and validation of the company's microbiome health innovations and enhancing practitioner engagement

BOSTON, April 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seed Health, a microbiome science company, today announced the appointment of Zain Kassam, M.D., M.P.H., as Chief Medical Officer. An award-winning physician-scientist, Dr. Kassam has played a pivotal role in the advancement of microbiome science for over a decade. His extensive body of work includes over 200 peer-reviewed publications and abstracts, including in The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, and Gastroenterology, and co-authoring international clinical practice guidelines. He has championed more than 30 Phase I-III clinical trials with top-tier academic institutions across multiple therapeutic areas. As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kassam will collaborate with Chief Scientific Officer, Dirk Gevers, Ph.D., to oversee Seed Health's R&D portfolio. He will expand the company's gut microbiome program and guide upcoming launches in the vaginal and skin microbiome sectors, as well as in brain health, metabolic health, and longevity.

"I am inspired by Seed Health's unwavering commitment to scientific excellence for everyday health and its pioneering platform for microbiome innovation," said Dr. Kassam. "The convergence of Seed's comprehensive microbiome insights with robust clinical validation offers a unique opportunity to advance the next generation of microbiome interventions and make a true impact on human lives."

Dr. Kassam will oversee Seed Health's clinical strategy, guiding the trajectory from discovery through go-to-market. Collaborating with Seed Health's scientific and clinical advisory boards, as well as healthcare practitioners, he will ensure the company's interventions meet the highest standards of clinical efficacy and directly address both practitioner and patient needs. Furthermore, Dr. Kassam will manage medical affairs, stewarding awareness of the microbiome's impact on health and enhancing the understanding of Seed's clinically validated products throughout the healthcare ecosystem.

Before joining Seed Health, Dr. Kassam co-founded and was Chief Medical Officer at two foundational microbiome therapeutics companies, OpenBiome and Finch Therapeutics. At OpenBiome, he was instrumental in creating the first public stool bank, setting a new standard for safe fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and pioneering clinical research in the microbiome. His tenure at Finch Therapeutics was marked by remarkable growth, as he led two landmark positive Phase II trials, and led the company through its NASDAQ IPO. Dr. Kassam has served as a Scientific Advisory Board member for the American Gastroenterological Association Center for Gut Microbiome Research & Education, and Co-Chair of the Chief Medical Officer 360^o Summit, where he facilitated knowledge translation to clinicians.

"Dr. Kassam's work seamlessly bridges the gap between clinical practice and microbiome science, transforming scientific discovery into real-world applications," said Raja Dhir, Co-Founder of Seed Health. "With the leadership of Dr. Kassam, we will significantly expand the impact of our work, introducing innovations essential to the ecology of care and redefining excellence in microbial innovation."

Dr. Kassam is the latest high-profile addition to Seed Health's scientific leadership team, joining Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Gevers, formerly of the Janssen Human Microbiome Institute. He will also collaborate closely with esteemed partner scientists such as immunologist Dr. Cezmi Akdis, pioneering vaginal microbiome scientist Dr. Jacques Ravel, computational biologist Dr. Eran Segal, and microbiome researcher Dr. Sarkis Mazmanian, known for his work on the gut-brain axis. This dynamic team reflects Seed Health's commitment to stewarding microbiome applications for human and planetary health.

"Dr. Kassam's expertise in microbiome science will be instrumental in fully realizing the potential of our advanced platform," said Dr. Gevers. "His distinguished track record in clinical development and foundational research ensures that we can transform cutting-edge microbiome insights into practical, effective health solutions."

Dr. Kassam holds an M.P.H. from Harvard University and has completed postdoctoral training at MIT. He was awarded his M.D. from Western University in London, Canada. Dr. Kassam completed his Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology training at McMaster University. Dr. Kassam has received numerous awards, including the 2020 Public Health Innovator Award from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, among the most prestigious awards for Alumni.

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About Seed Health
Seed Health is a microbiome science company pioneering innovations in probiotics and living medicines to impact human and planetary health. Founded to realize the potential of the microbiome, our platform enables the translation of breakthrough science across a portfolio targeting health outcomes from infancy to aging. Our consumer innovations are commercialized under Seed^®—an award-winning, science-first brand known for clinically validated innovations in probiotics. Our pipeline encompasses both indication-specific and preventive applications for gastrointestinal and digestive health, women's health, skin, pediatrics, mental health, metabolic function, and nutrition. Our environmental research is conducted under SeedLabs, which was founded to advance novel bacterial interventions to enhance biodiversity and restore ecosystems impacted by human activity.

SOURCE Seed Health