Sandra Coufal, MD

Dr. Sandra Coufal has over 30 years of experience as a physician and serial entrepreneur working with multiple successful companies in medicine, chemistry, biotechnology, material sciences, and digital technology.

• Co-founded and managed Sibling Capital Ventures and Sibling Capital
• Co-founded Ilypsa, Inc. KIKLIN® (bixalomer) (M&A $0.5bn - 2006 & 2007)
• Co-founded Relypsa, Inc. VELTASSA® (patiromer) (NASDAQ: RLYP) and served as Board Observer on the Board of Directors (IPO - 2013, M&A $1.5bn - 2016)
• Founded Relypsa’s and Ilypsa’s Scientific Advisory Boards
• Co-founded and served as Director on the Board of Directors at Tricida, Inc. (NASDAQ: TCDA) (IPO - 2018)

Dr. Coufal served as Biomedical Advisor for the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation for 21 years where she vetted drug development projects and provided senior-level advice.

Currently, Dr. Coufal serves on the Board of Directors of BioAesthetics, Inc. and personally co-led their Series A financing round of $5mm in 2020. Additionally, Dr. Coufal serves on both the Industry Advisory Board of the Harper Cancer Research Institute at the University of Notre Dame and the New Orleans BioFund.

Dr. Coufal received her medical degree from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School at Dallas. Previously, Dr. Coufal was Head of the Division of Internal Medicine at the Torrey Pines site of Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA, where she also sat on the Board of Scripps Green Hospital as the Representative-at-Large. She also completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas under Chairman Dr. Daniel Foster. She received her Bachelor of Science undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and was designated a Notre Dame Scholar.