Martin Bednar, M.D., Ph.D., FAANS

Dr. Bednar has dedicated nearly four decades to pioneering treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Following graduation from New York Medical College as the first M.D., Ph.D. awardee, he subsequently completed a neurosurgery residency with board certification in Neurological Surgery and is recognized as a Fellow in the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (FAANS). Following a career in a neurosurgery academic medical practice, Dr. Bednar retired from practicing medicine and has spent the last 26 years developing drug therapies for serious neurologic illnesses. Dr. Bednar’s Connecticut physician’s license number is 38788 and his Massachusetts physician’s license number is 281666.

Starting his career as an academic neurosurgeon, Dr. Bednar was appointed as the Head of Surgical Research at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, with dual appointments as an Associate Professor in the department of Surgery and the department of Pharmacology. His research led to several patents for the discovery of a potent anti-inflammatory agent made by white blood cells. Parallel research efforts advanced the understanding of the role of the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) for the treatment of stroke, which was approved by the FDA and many other regulatory agencies world-wide.

Dr. Bednar later transitioned his career to full-time neuroscience drug development at Pfizer Inc. and subsequently at Takeda Pharmaceuticals where he was a vice president within the Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Unit. He continued to embody a mindset of microsurgical precision with scientific rigor, bringing his 'bench-to-bedside' expertise, strategic focus and foresight to drug development. Dr. Bednar led numerous neuroscience clinical programs, including creating and executing the first clinical trial for age-related hearing loss. He also served as the director of the Takeda MGH-Neuroscience Fellowship Program, nurturing the next generation of neuroscience leaders. His mission statement reflects a profound commitment to servant leadership, innovation in medicine, and continuous individual development through education, understanding, and a dual focus on details as well as the big picture that allows for people to feel enabled and empowered.

Dr. Bednar maintains an extensive network of academic and pharma colleagues/collaborators and has published over 90 research articles, book chapters, reviews and scientific opinion pieces. Additional information can be found at Dr. Bednar’s LinkedIn site:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-m-bednar-942129a/

Education

Residency in Neurosurgery

• Medical Center Hospital of Vermont

Board Certification(s)

Professional Memberships

Martin Bednar is a member of the following professional organizations: