Dawood Sayed
About Dawood Sayed
Dr. Dawood Sayed, age 46, joined Milestone Scientific’s board in 2025 and is classified as an independent director under NYSE American rules . He is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, serving as Division Chief of Pain Medicine, Director of Interventional Spine Services, and Director of the Center for Neuromodulation; his background spans minimally invasive pain therapies, neuromodulation, clinical trials, and health system innovation . He is Vice Chairman and Co‑Founder of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN), has authored 100+ peer‑reviewed publications, contributed to national guidelines, and received the 2025 Presidential Award from the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kansas Medical Center | Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine; Division Chief of Pain Medicine | Not disclosed (current) | Leads interventional spine services and neuromodulation program; multiple clinical trials leadership |
| Center for Neuromodulation (U Kansas) | Director | Not disclosed (current) | Program leadership; advancing minimally invasive therapies |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) | Vice Chairman; Co‑Founder | Not disclosed (current) | Works with payers, regulators, and device manufacturers to advance access; policy engagement |
| NANS (North American Neuromodulation Society) | Presidential Award recipient | 2025 | Recognition for leadership in neuromodulation |
| AMA CPT and NANS committees | Participant | Not disclosed (current) | Advocacy/standards participation |
| Medtech innovators (several) | Medical advisor | Not disclosed (current) | Advisory roles; potential industry interlocks not specified |
Board Governance
- Independence: The Board determined Dr. Sayed is independent alongside Benedetta Casamento, Neal Goldman, and Shanth Thiyagalingam .
- Director since: 2025 .
- Committee assignments: The proxy describes standing Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Corporate Governance committees but does not disclose Dr. Sayed’s specific committee memberships in 2025 . Audit Committee financial expert designation is held by Benedetta Casamento .
- Attendance: For fiscal 2024, all board members (serving that year) attended at least 75% of board and applicable committee meetings; Dr. Sayed joined in 2025, so his attendance rate is not disclosed .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual retainer (non‑executive director) | $100,000, paid in stock awards | Program designed to build ownership; no cash retainer |
| Chair of the Board retainer | $120,000, paid in stock awards | Applies to Chair role |
| Committee chair fee | +$10,000 per committee (Audit, Compensation, Nominating), paid in stock | Additional equity awards |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed; not listed in plan | — |
| Benefits eligibility | Independent directors excluded from employee benefit plans | — |
Note: The 2025 proxy reports director compensation for FY2024, entirely as stock awards for listed directors; Dr. Sayed was not a director in 2024, and his individual compensation details for 2025 are not disclosed .
Performance Compensation
| Performance Metric | Plan Linkage | Disclosure |
|---|---|---|
| Director‑level performance metrics (TSR, revenue, EBITDA, ESG) | None for non‑executive directors | No performance‑based metrics disclosed for director pay; director compensation is structured as equity retainers and chair fees |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company/Organization | Role | Public Company? | Potential Interlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASPN | Vice Chairman; Co‑Founder | No (professional society) | Policy and industry engagement; no MLSS transaction disclosed |
| Medtech innovators (unspecified) | Medical advisor | Not disclosed | Advisory ties to device companies; specific issuers and relationships with MLSS not disclosed |
No other public company directorships are disclosed for Dr. Sayed in MLSS filings .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Clinical leadership in neuromodulation and interventional pain; extensive publications and guideline contributions .
- Active in reimbursement/policy through ASPN and AMA CPT/NANS committees, relevant to MLSS’s medical device commercialization and payer engagement .
- Recognition: NANS Presidential Award (2025) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding | Date/Record Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawood Sayed, M.D. | — (no shares reported) | <1% | As of Nov 4, 2025 (record date for proxy) |
- Hedging/Pledging: Company policy prohibits short sales, holding in margin accounts, or pledging company securities for loans, enhancing alignment safeguards .
- Ownership approach: Director retainers are paid in stock to build ownership; explicit minimum ownership guidelines (e.g., salary multiples) are not disclosed .
Insider Trades
| Insider | Date Range Searched | Form 4 Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawood Sayed | 2024‑01‑01 to 2025‑12‑31 | None found (no filings) | Insider‑trades skill search returned no transactions in the period (Form 4) |
Source: insider-trades skill query for “Sayed” on MLSS from 2024‑01‑01 to 2025‑12‑31; no records returned.
Governance Assessment
- Positives: Independent status and deep clinical/policy expertise directly relevant to MLSS’s medical device strategy and payer/access pathways, which can strengthen board oversight of commercialization and reimbursement .
- Watchpoints:
- Committee clarity: 2025 proxy does not specify Dr. Sayed’s committee assignments—lack of disclosure limits visibility into his direct oversight roles (Audit/Comp/Nominating) .
- Ownership alignment: As of the 2025 record date, no reported beneficial ownership; equity‑paid retainers should increase alignment over time, but current stake is not evident .
- Potential external conflicts: Advisory roles to “several leading medtech innovators” could pose conflicts if any are current suppliers/customers/competitors to MLSS; no related‑party transactions disclosed involving Dr. Sayed, but monitoring is warranted .
- Company‑level related party context: Purchases by an entity led by fellow director Dr. Demesmin ($21,000 in 2024), and director financing via convertible notes to Goldman, Casamento, and Demesmin in April 2025 (min conversion price $0.50) highlight broader board‑level related party and creditor relationships—none involve Dr. Sayed per current disclosures, but they inform governance risk oversight .
RED FLAGS to monitor
- Absent disclosure of Dr. Sayed’s committee assignments and attendance for 2025 may reduce transparency on board effectiveness .
- External advisory ties to medtech companies—ensure ongoing audit committee oversight if any counterparties intersect with MLSS’s value chain (no transactions disclosed to date) .