ABOUT OUR TEAM
OUR STORY
A message from our CEO
As a neurologist who has practiced for many decades, I have treated tens of thousands of patients with neurological disease. Through the years, I have come to fully appreciate the number of people who suffer from afflictions for which there are not good treatment options, the so called medically refractory or treatment resistant patients. It is staggering how many people live with untreated anxiety, depression, tremor, epilepsy, pain, sleep disorders, PTSD, ALS, dementia, and traumatic brain injury. These are patients who have failed all available therapies. More recently, I have observed a very large surge in social anxiety in my patient population and in the general population creating what appears to be a very real anxiety epidemic, further complicating neurologic therapy. As a scientist, I have been researching options for treating these refractory symptoms, particularly anxiety which is a significant trigger for exacerbation of many neurologic symptoms. Brain mechanisms of anxiety are linked to sleep, inflammation, pain perception, and depression, all of which significantly alter response to disease. Brain inflammation is linked to cell death in neurodegenerative conditions. There is a promising group of molecules, the NPCs (non-psychoactive cannabinoids) that have a number of key properties making them well suited for treatments of conditions related to pain, inflammation, sleep, and anxiety. Substantial pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data support the use of these NPCs in symptom treatment. Human safety data demonstrates few and only mild side effects, and the FDA classifies them as supplements. There is little financial incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop these therapies because they cannot be patented. From my perspective, if there is a safe therapy that offers the possibility of relief, we have a responsibility to our patients to provide them the options. However, there are significant patient barriers to accessing these therapies. Product purity, rational doses, and supply chain are a few. Other barriers include breaking down the overall negative perception of connecting these molecules with marijuana, and educating physicians and providers on rational use. Our mission here at Sativa Science is to break down these barriers.
Thomas Swanson, MD, FAES
OUR TEAM
Thomas Swanson, MD, FAES
CEO and Chief Science Officer
Dr. Swanson has been a practicing physician for more than 30 years, and has owned and managed several neurology clinics in multiple states, including the Montana Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
His distinguished career includes a residency at the Mayo Clinic and the prestigious Dana Neuroscience Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied small molecule actions in human and animal brains. Dr. Swanson went on to direct an NIH-funded basic science laboratory at the Cleveland Clinic, and has been the leading investigator on several pharmaceutical clinical trials in the epilepsy space. He is a designated “key opinion leader” by several pharmaceutical companies, and has published many original papers and book chapters in neuroscience.
Tom holds a BS in Biology from Eastern Michigan University (1979) and an MD from Wayne State University School of Medicine (1986). He has raised 3 wonderful and successful children. Tom is also a former professional sprint class sled dog racer and a classically trained pianist.
Mark Swanson, BA
Chief Technology Officer
Mark designs and leads all technology-related projects at Sativa Science, including Lumina, our proprietary cannabis standard-of-care software. Previously, he was a developer for the University of Michigan’s Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, designing their patient interface research tools. While at the Wisconsin-based Earthling Interactive, Mark supervised a team of developers working on a variety of privately funded medical software.
Mark holds a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Michigan (2009) and speaks fluent Japanese. Mark is also a former competitive ballroom dancer for the University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Team, and still enjoys dancing and teaching dance. Mark began studying classical piano at an early age at the Cleveland Settlement Music School and later at the Fireland’s Symphony Orchestra Music School, and the Bowling Green State University School of Music. He is an accomplished musician, singer, and songwriter, having performed with other great artists such as Michael Bublé and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. Mark’s music is available on iTunes under his band name “Origami Incident”.
Mark also enjoys raising his wonderful daughter, skiing, building things, and gardening.
ADVISORY BOARD
Jacqueline Bainbridge, PharmD, FCCP, MSCS, FAES
Professional Advisory Board Director
Dr. Bainbridge is Professor in the departments of Clinical Pharmacy and Neurology at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
An experienced clinical pharmacy specialist, Dr. Bainbridge is an expert on brain drug interactions and metabolism. Dr. Bainbridge is at the forefront of cannabinoid pharmacologic development, a national thought leader on cannabinoid drug interactions, an advocate for scientific use of cannabinoids, as well as a frequent speaker at national cannabinoid conventions.
Currently, Dr. Bainbridge’s research involves compounding novel cannabinoid molecule formulations that are tested in FDA approved clinical trials. Most recently she has published on the safety and tolerability of cannabidiol in Parkinson’s disease. She is part of a clinical trial team conducting research in back pain, restless legs syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, fragile X syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder.
Paul Lyons, MD, PhD, FAES, FAAN
Professional Advisory Board Member
Dr. Paul Lyons is the Founder and Director of the Virginia Comprehensive Epilepsy and Neurodevelopment Clinic. As an epileptologist and neuroscientist with decades of experience in treating neurological disorders.
He is currently investigating new technology to improve brain cannabinoid molecule delivery in preclinical studies using a rodent model of Alzheimer’s Disease. He also has extensive experience in designing clinical drug trials and has published articles in numerous scientific journals. Licensed in Virginia, New York and the State of Washington, he is Board Certified in Neurology, Sleep Medicine, Clinical Neurophysiology and Epilepsy.
In addition to his interest in cannabinoid science, he focuses on epilepsy surgery, neuropsychological, psychiatric, and behavioral consequences of epilepsy, biomedical devices, novel class of molecules research for treatment of pharmacologically refractory epilepsy, sleep disturbances, neuroimmunology, and neurophysiology. Dr. Lyons graduated from medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and completed his neurology residency at the University of Virginia.
John Mendelson, MD
Professional Advisory Board Member
Dr. John Mendelson is the Chief Medical Officer and Founder of Ria Health, (formerly DxRx), an alcohol addiction treatment center based in San Francisco. As a Board Certified Internist with over 30 years of research and practice in the field of addiction, Dr. Mendelson brings his commitment to evidence-based treatment to Sativa Science.
Born of his strong conviction that patients should have access to safe, effective and affordable addiction treatment, Dr. Mendelson’s formula for compassionate addiction treatment combines science based methods with new technology, medication, recovery and coaching.
He has worked with patients in his private practice for several decades, and recently served as Medical Director of BAART (Bay Area Addiction Research and Treatment) where he supervised 5 opioid treatment clinics in San Francisco. He believes that success can and should be measured by scientific data and to that end, Dr. Mendelson is a seasoned research professional. He was Medical Director of the Drug Dependence Research Center at UCSF from 1991 to 2007, as well as Founder and Director of the Addiction and Pharmacology Research Laboratory at California Pacific Medical Center from 2004 to 2016. More recently, he has acted as Senior Research Scientist at Friends Research Institute. He also currently serves as Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Hunter Land, PhD, MS
Professional Advisory Board Member
Dr. Hunter Land is a seasoned expert in scientific research and development strategy, with a career spanning two decades and encompassing work across more than 25 therapeutic areas. Over the past 12 years, he has become a leading figure in cannabinoid research, playing a pivotal role in the development of groundbreaking therapies.
Currently serving as CEO of Lupvindol Bioscience, Dr. Land guides a team of world leading professionals in the rapid development of innovative, patent-protected medicines aimed at addressing critical unmet medical needs. His pioneering work and commitment to improving human and animal health continues to shape the future of cannabinoid-based therapeutics.
His previous roles include serving as Senior Scientific Director and Director of Cannabinoid Research at Canopy Growth Corporation, previously the world’s largest cannabis producer, and as GW Pharma’s first full-time R&D employee in the US, where he was instrumental in developing Epidiolex® and Sativex® including co-authorship of protocols for treating refractory epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and pain.
Dr. Land’s contributions to the field are widely recognized. He has presented at over 50 scientific conferences, is a named inventor on nine patent applications, and has authored more than 20 publications. He is a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, and has been featured in Forbes and Entrepreneur as a leading cannabinoid expert.
In addition to his primary roles, Dr. Land holds several prestigious positions:
- Chief Scientific Officer of the National Hockey League Alumni/NEEKA Brain Health
- Scientific Advisory Board Member at Nalu Biosciences, Veterinary Cannabis Society, and the Council for Federal Cannabis Regulation
- Co-founder of the Cannabinoid Education Working Group
- Previous Executive Board Member at Alterola Biotech
Dr. Land’s knowledge in cannabinoid research, drug development, and regulatory processes positions him as an invaluable asset in the advancement of cannabis-based therapeutics
Ann DeWerth, JD
Branding & Communications Lead

Ann DeWerth is a practicing attorney in the legal cannabis industry.
Ann graduated from NYU with a BA in English and French literature. She then studied at Sorbonne in Paris earning a Certificate in French Language, before graduating from Columbia University with a Masters in Journalism.
After college, Ann worked as a journalist and then as a creative, public relations, and marketing executive who represented internationally known brands, athletes, and events, such Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, the Cleveland Grand Prix, and Stars on Ice. Ann then attended Cleveland Marshall College of Law and has been a practicing attorney for over a decade. Ann has been instrumental in developing our brand and formulating our initial marketing efforts.
Laura Perkovic, JD
Professional Advisory Board Member

Laura A. Perkovic is a health care attorney who brings twenty-one years of courtroom experience in criminal and civil cases, including health care fraud and abuse, to Sativa Science. She previously served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney and Deputy Attorney General for a state Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
In private practice, she represented physicians, pharmacists, nurses, clinics, pharmacies, and other health care providers and organizations in regulatory compliance, transactions, and the defense of government investigations and prosecutions. She currently serves as Chief Legal Officer for one of the largest independent medical practices in the country.