Distinguished Plenary Speakers Biographical Sketches

Neil Gibson, Ph.D. Chief Scientific Officer, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Neil Gibson, Ph.D., was appointed Chief Scientific Officer of OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in September 2005. Prior to this, Neil was Vice President of Research from October 2002 to September 2005. Prior to this, Dr. Gibson served as our Vice President of U.S. Research from August 2001 to October 2002, and as Senior Director of Cancer Discovery from January 2001 to August 2001. Prior to joining OSI, Dr. Gibson served as Director of Cancer Research at Bayer Corporation in West Haven, Connecticut from May 1997 until January 2001. Prior to May 1997, Dr. Gibson served as a Senior Research Investigator in Pfizer Inc.'s cancer discovery group. Dr. Gibson enjoyed a successful academic career in cancer research, holding various positions at the University of Southern California, the AMC Cancer Research Center in Denver, Colorado, Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr. Gibson has served on the National Cancer Institute's Experimental Therapeutics Study Section and has been actively involved with the American Association of Cancer Research. Dr. Gibson received his Ph.D. in cancer pharmacology from the University of Aston in Birmingham, U.K

Bill Fair, Managing Director -Healthcare and Biosciences. New York City Economic Development Corporation
Bill is the head of the healthcare and bioscience desk at the New York City Economic Development Corporation and is responsible for attracting and retaining bioscience companies in New York City. In his role Bill has reached out to over 300 companies across the globe to tell them about NYC’s many assets and programs that support growth of the bioscience industry.

Prior to joining NYCEDC, Bill was the founder and president of Hælth (pronounced “health”), the first-of-its-kind freestanding complementary medical center model, which provided safe and effective therapies in exercise, nutritional counseling, medical massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga for both well and chronically ill clients. Bill’s company was featured in the documentary film “Super Size Me”

Prior to founding Hælth, Bill was a senior consultant for CSC Incorporated focusing on strategy development and operational redesign for leading hospitals and medical schools nationwide.

Bill received his Masters in Management degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University and his undergraduate degree in Classics with Honors in Humanities from Stanford University.

Jack Linehan, Ph.D. Executive Faculty, Program in Biodesign, Stanford University. Former Vice President, The Whitaker Foundation
Dr. Linehan is a Consulting Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University and a member of the Executive Faculty of the Program in Biodesign. He is also the Executive Editor of bmesource.org, an information portal for those interested in biomedical technology.

He was Vice President of The Whitaker Foundation from 1998 until 2005. Prior to joining the foundation, he was the Bagozzi professor of biomedical engineering and the founding chairman of the department of biomedical engineering at Marquette University. He also was adjunct professor of physiology and medicine (pulmonary and critical care) at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Linehan was President (1999-2000) and a Founding Fellow (1993) of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering; President (1992-93) and Fellow (2005) of the Biomedical Engineering Society and named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (1991). He received a Distinguished Service Award from the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1996) and, in 1999, was the Distinguished Lecturer of the Biomedical Engineering Society.


Jan Vilcek, Ph.D., Remicade Co-Inventor and Professor of Microbology, NYU School of Medicine
Dr. Jan T. Vilcek, Professor of Microbiology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City, was born in Bratislava, Slovakia (then Czechoslovakia), where he also received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Dr. Vilcek joined the faculty of NYU School of Medicine upon immigrating to the United States in 1965.

Dr. Vilcek has devoted his entire career to the study of cytokines – hormone-like proteins produced in the body that control defenses against infections and tumors. He is among the earliest researchers of interferon, the first-identified immune system protein. Subsequently, Dr. Vilcek has turned his interest to another cytokine, tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF plays a role in the body’s defense against infections but, when produced in excess, it can be harmful, especially during chronic inflammatory processes and autoimmune disorders.

In the 1980s, jointly with his NYU colleague Junming Le, Dr. Vilcek generated a monoclonal antibody that inactivates TNF. In collaboration with the biotechnology company Centocor (now a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) they used this antibody to develop a drug that has become known as infliximab (Remicade®). Following extensive laboratory and clinical testing, the Food and Drug Administration approved infliximab in 1998 for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, and later for rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and ulcerative colitis. To date, over 600,000 patients have been treated with Remicade® in the US and abroad. The success of anti-TNF therapy exemplifies how basic research in a university setting can lead to important therapeutic advances.

Dr. Vilcek has published 345 papers in scholarly journals and served on editorial boards of numerous professional publications. He holds 16 US patents, has served on many national and international committees and has received numerous honors.

Recently, Dr. Vilcek has donated an estimated $105 million to NYU School of Medicine - the largest gift ever made to the School and believed to be the largest philanthropic gift from an active faculty member to an academic medical center. The source of Dr. Vilcek’s gift is royalties from the sales of infliximab. In May 2005 NYU awarded Dr. Vilcek the Albert Gallatin Medal, the University’s highest honor, for outstanding contributions to society.

Panelist Biographical Sketches

Jason Alter, Ph.D., Vice President Marketing & Services, Turboworx
Dr. Alter graduated from Alfred University with a B.A. in Biology and History. Subsequently he earned a M.S. degree in Microbiology from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Binghamton University. Dr. Alter did a postdoctoral fellowship at Schering Plough Pharmaceuticals examining the cellular location of fibronectin and collagen α1(IV) messenger RNAs during intimal lesion development in a balloon angioplasty model of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Dr. Alter has worked for the Pall Corporation in a series of marketing positions where he progressed to Vice President of Marketing for the Specialty Materials Division selling into the diagnostics, molecular biology and medical device marketplaces. He has also worked for the Packard BioScience Corporation as a Director of Business Development focusing on corporate acquisitions and technology licensing.

When IBM initiated the Life Sciences Division, Dr. Alter joined as a Marketing Manager and was responsible for many of the initial outbound marketing activities of the business unit. He progressed to Manager of Program Marketing and his team was responsible for outbound marketing for the IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences industry.

In March 2005, Dr. Alter joined TurboWorx, a software company specializing in computational workflows and distributed computing for Life Science applications. He is Vice President of Marketing and Professional Services.

Randall Barbour, Ph. D. Chief Executive Officer, NIRx Medical Technologies
Dr. Barbour is the originator of the field of diffuse optical tomography and co-founder of the company. He has an extensive background in a broad range of medical, scientific and technical fields.

His formal biomedical training includes a Ph. D. degree in biochemistry from Syracuse University and a post-doctoral fellowship in Laboratory Medicine from SUNY Buffalo.Dr. Barbour is currently Professor of Pathology at SUNY Downstate, and Research Professor of Electrical Engineering at Polytechnic University. Dr. Barbour is also active in a number of professional societies and related organizations.

Dr. Barbour has an extensive research and publication record. He has been awarded more than $7 million in peer reviewed grants from NIH and other government agencies, and he has published more than 150 peer review and conference papers; he is co-editor on three books, and he holds four patents. His publications cover a broad range of subject matter.

Philip Braginsky, Counsel, Sills Cummis Epstein & Gross P.C.
Philip Y. Braginsky is of Counsel with Sills Cummis Epstein & Gross P.C. and is resident in the New York office. His professional focus is as a counselor in the fields of patent procurement, litigation, interferences, and value creation through IP in the life science, nanotechnology, and financial industries.

A friend and strategic business advisor to academic and business leaders, he has been responsible for the creation and success of numerous technologies and business ventures. Mr. Braginsky has founded several technology companies, sits on the boards of various for-profit and not-for-profit ventures, and is actively engaged in formulating intellectual asset strategies for many public and private technology focused companies.

Prior to joining Sills Cummis, Mr. Braginsky was Counsel at Scully Scott Murphy and Presser, and had started and managed the intellectual property practice of a New York general practice firm. Mr. Braginsky also founded and served as President of Flow Science, Inc., a technology transfer company, and co-founded and is presently a Director of the DD Venture Fund. He is an Associate Director of the North Shore/LIJ Institute for Medical Research and is on the Advisory Council for the Lymphatic Research Foundation.

Mr. Braginsky is frequently invited to speak on medical device, sensor, and nanotechnology-related topics and has written numerous articles in the areas of intellectual property and private equity.

Marom Bikson, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York
Dr. Marom Bikson received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (Electrical Engineering Concentration) from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Bikson earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering (Neural Engineering) from Case Western Reserve University where he was a Whitaker and NIH fellow. Dr. Bikson conducted post-doctoral research in neurophysiology at the University of Birmingham U.K. Dr Bikson is currently faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the City College of New York of the City University of New York and faculty of the Graduate School of the City University of New York. Dr. Bikson’s current research in the areas of Neural Engineering and bioelectricity includes: 1) studying hazards associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields; 2) understanding and improving protocols for clinical Deep Brain Stimulation therapies, including therapies for epilepsy; 3) improving electrical stimulation protocols to enhance drug delivery, including anti-cancer agents. Dr. Bikson’s also develops research and clinical instrumentation for all these areas.

Roly Boyon, Senior Recruiter, Forest Laboratories, Inc

Lee Chen, Director, Operations and Marketing, Vitatex, Inc.
Lee Chen is the Director of Operations and Marketing at Vitatex, where he applies his expertise in startup operations and marketing to the growth of this exciting new cancer diagnostics company. Previously, he was involved in building several information technology companies including Teligent and Critical Dynamics. He was responsible for growing the IT network from supporting 10 employees to over 2000 employees world-wide at Teligent. He founded Critical Dynamics, a boutique Internet Infrastructure consulting firm that specialized in taking "brick and mortar" companies online in the late 1990s.

Chau Cheng, Ph.D., Director, Investor Relations, Immunomedics
Dr. Chau Cheng is the Associate Director of Investor Relations and Business Analysis at Immunomedics, Inc. From 1997 to 2004, Dr. Cheng was a financial advisor with the private client group at Wachovia Securities (formerly Prudential Securities). Prior to Wall Street, Dr. Cheng spent more than ten years as a laboratory scientist in academia, government and the pharmaceutical industry. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry and received a MBA in finance and international business from New York University.

Jack Chirkjian, Ph.D., Professor and Head, Georgetown University MA Program in Biotechnology
Jack Chirikjian, Ph.D is a Professor and Director of the Georgetown Medical School Biotechnology Masters Degree Program (http://nrr.georgetown.edu:591/BMB/biotech.htm) that he created in the mid 1990s. Jack has been actively involved in biotechnology education and career development for the past 20 years. He is a leading expert on biotechnology curriculum and program development and has provided over 300 students with career development ideas and solutions. In addition to his academic and educational pursuits, Jack is a serial entrepreneur who has started five biotechnology companies in the areas of oncology, diagnostics, and biotechnology education.

Dr. Chirikjian received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University and performed his post-doctoral studies at Princeton University. He has spent the past 30 years of his career at Georgetown University Medical School in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Sadhana Chitale, Ph.D., Business Development Analyst, NYU School of Medicine
Dr. Sadhana Chitale has a Ph.D from the University of Bombay and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. She has done a post-doctoral fellowship at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Her research was focused on the proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  Prior to joining New York University's Office of Industrial Liaison, Dr. Chitale was a Licensing Manager at the Office of Technology Development at Weill Medical College.

Ron Cohen, MD, CEO, Acorda Therapeutics
Ron Cohen, M.D. is President, CEO, and founder of Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. a biotechnology company developing therapies for spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and other disorders of the central nervous system. Dr. Cohen previously was a principal in the startup of Advanced Tissue Sciences, Inc., a biotechnology company engaged in the growth of human organ tissues for transplantation uses. Dr. Cohen received his B.A. degree with honors in Psychology from Princeton University, and his M.D. from the Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia Medical Center, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Cohen serves on the Board of Directors of Zymenex A/S and of the Emerging Company Section of the Board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). He is Chairman Emeritus and a Director of the Board of the New York Biotechnology Association and also serves as on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Daniel Heumann Fund and as a member of the Columbia-Presbyterian Health Sciences Advisory Council.

Patrick T. Connor, Ph.D.,Associate Director, SLS, Pall Corp.
Patrick Connor is currently an Associate Director at Pall Corporation, involved in quality assurance and environmental management issues, and personnel development initiatives, for the technical support departments at Pall's Port Washington, NY, facility.  Pat also is involved in technology services business development at Pall, as well as knowledge management and resource development initiatives supporting all of Pall's technology divisions.  Pat has been at Pall for 16 years.  Pat earned all of his degrees in Chemical Engineering, with a B.E. from Cooper Union (New York, NY), a M.Ch.E. from the University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. from Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ).  He has served for the past two years as course director for the Corporate Culture module of the SUNY Stony Brook Center for Biotechnology Fundamentals of the Biosciences Industry certificate program.

Jim Denn, Director of Operations of the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR).
Jim Denn is the Director of Operations of the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR). In this capacity, he works with the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director in implementing programs that provide financial awards to institutions of higher education and not-for-profit organizations for the purposes of promoting university/industry relationships and promoting, attracting and stimulating the development and expansion of science and technology-oriented economic activity.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Denn had been Director of Communications for NYSTAR responsible for directing and managing marketing, media and corporate relations and the information technology requirements of the agency.

Mr. Denn is the former executive editor of two nationally distributed industry trade magazines, as well as an award-winning business reporter for the Albany Times Union . He holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University College at Oneonta and a master’s degree from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.

Joanne Deyo, CFM, Senior Director, Facilities, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Currently Sr. Director of Facilities for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. located in Tarrytown, NY, Joanne Deyo’s roots are in science. Joanne studied biology and biomedical science at both the undergraduate and graduate level, with her graduate work being done through CUNY. She spent many years at the bench performing and managing scientific research at such prestigious institutions as the Medical College of Wisconsin, SUNY-Stony Brook, and Mt Sinai Medical Center.

Between her positions in research and facilities management, Joanne also succeeded in a career in scientific sales, with research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies as her customers. Joanne also pursued business education and recently earned an MS in Technology Management through Polytechnic University. Through the International Facilities Management Association, she has also been bestowed the Certified Facility Manager designation.

Melding science, facilities & operations management, and administration, Joanne is responsible for 236,000 sq. ft. of biotechnology laboratory and office space occupied by over 350 employees. In addition to managing the facility itself, she also has responsibility for strategic real estate planning, construction & renovation, laboratory operations, lab & office design, tenant/landlord relations, lease negotiations, security, environmental health and safety, telecommunications, and shipping & receiving.

Anil Dhundale, Ph.D. Director for Scientific Affairs, Center for Biotechnology
Anil Dhundale is Director, Scientific Affairs at the New York State-designated Center for Advanced Technology in Medical Biotechnology also know as the Center for Biotechnology. The Center is located on the campus of Stony Brook University and has a mission to capitalize upon the intellectual and physical resources of the university to catalyze, accelerate, and enhance commercial opportunities that will fuel the growth of New York’s life sciences industry.

After receiving his B.S. in Chemistry from Queens College of CUNY, Anil spent 12 years at North Shore University Hospital as Medical Technologist and later as Supervisor of Automated Clinical Chemistry. He has a master’s degree in Clinical Chemistry from C.W. Post of LIU and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Stony Brook University in 1987. Over an 11 year period Dr. Dhundale developed diagnostic and research products, and was a scientist/manager for multiple aspects of drug discovery and technology development at what is now OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In 1998, he joined the Center for Biotechnology with responsibility for identification of commercially promising research, providing guidance in the development of technology toward commercial goals, and to the facilitation of research collaborations between academic scientists and the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical devices industries in New York State. The Center has multiple mechanisms for translation of academic science into commercially promising technology including its Innovative Technology Development (ITD) Program that offers company-matched seed grants for translational research, its Applied Bioscience Laboratory that performs translational research, investments in infrastructure that support industry growth, and education and training specific to the life sciences industries. Dr. Dhundale is also faculty in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Stony Brook University.

Y. Emre Erdi, D.Sc., DABR, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Erdi received his B.Sc in Electrical engineering from Istanbul Technical University and his Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Bogazici University, both in Istanbul, Turkey. He received his D.Sc. in Medical Engineering and Physics from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. an Associate Attending in the Department of Medical Physics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Dr. Erdi has been with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City since 1995 and is currently Associate Attending in the Department of Medical Physics. Please click here to view his entire CV.

Robert Feeney, Associate Director of Corporate Planning and Communication, Eisai, Inc.
Bob Feeney is Associate Director of Corporate Planning and Communications for Eisai Inc., the North American commercial subsidiary of Tokyo-based Eisai Co. Ltd. In the fiscal year just ended, Eisai realized global revenues of 533.4 billion Yen (approximately US $5 billion) of which Eisai Inc. contributed approximately $2 billion.

Mr. Feeney is responsible for strategic planning as well as process and organizational design for the company’s North American businesses. He is the company’s investor relations contact in the United States and sits on the National Pharmaceutical Council and the Steering Committee of Healthcare Institute of New Jersey (HINJ).

During his tenure of six years, revenues in the U.S. have grown from $500 million to the above-referenced $2 billion. Profitability has also been enhanced during this same period to where Eisai Inc. now contributes 48.5% of global operating profit. In reflection of the ascendancy of Eisai in the Western markets, ownership of the company has increased dramatically among ex-Japanese investors who now control roughly 40% of the common stock.

He holds a BA in Economics from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY and an MBA in Finance, Strategy and Accounting from Columbia University in New York, NY.

Victor Frankel, M.D., Ph.D. Professor / President, Departments of Hospital for Joint Diseases and Orthopedic Surgery
Dr. Frankel received his BA at Swarhmore College, Ph.D. at University of Upsala (Sweden) and attended
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His research is focused on Orthopaedic Biomechanics. He is the
Co-founder and Vice Chairman of the Board-Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, the Medical Director-Juvent Corporation and a Knight Commander of the Order of the North Star (Sweden).

Jonathan Garen, MBA, Director, Business Development, Forest Laboratories, Inc.

John Ghrayeb, Ph.D., Vice President Vice President, Licensing and New Business Development, Centocor, Inc. / Johnson & Johnson
John Ghrayeb holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and has spent his entire career with Centocor Inc., a leading Biopharmaceutical company in the field of biologic- based immunotherapy. During his 20 years at Centocor, Dr. Ghrayeb has held positions of increasing responsibility in Discovery and Preclinical Development. Dr. Ghrayeb has authored over 70 publications and is a co-inventor on several issued patents. Throughout his career, Dr. Ghrayeb has been involved extensively in Technology and Product Licensing and collaborations with both academia and industry.

Maria Gotsch, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of the New York City Investment Fund
Maria G. Gotsch is Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of the New York City Investment Fund. The Fund, which has raised over $100 million, has built a network of top experts from the investment and corporate communities who help identify and support New York City's most promising entrepreneurs in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. Ms. Gotsch focuses the Fund’s investments in the health care, education and not-for-profit sectors.

Prior to joining the Fund in 1999, Ms. Gotsch was a Managing Director at BT Wolfensohn (now part of Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown), providing strategic and financial advice related to mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and the development of business strategies. Before starting with Wolfensohn, Ms. Gotsch was an Associate at LaSalle Partners where she directed and managed commercial office relocation projects for corporations in the New York area. She also served as an Associate for Merrill Lynch Capital Markets in New York and London and directed the execution of a wide range of equity and debt Euro-financings.

Ms. Gotsch is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and holds a B.A.degree in political science and French from Wellesley College. She was also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to study international relations at the Institut Universitaire de Hautes Etudes Internationales in Geneva, Switzerland. She serves on the board of Reach Out and Read New York.

Lorrence Green, Ph.D., President, Westbury Diagnostics Inc
Dr. Lorrence H. Green earned a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Indiana University. He followed this with three years of recombinant DNA and genetic research at Harvard University. Dr. Green joined Analytab Products, a major manufacturer of in vitro diagnostic test kits, in 1981. During the next twelve years he invented and manufactured over 40 diagnostic test kits, and rose to become the Director of New Product Development and Product Support. In 1993, Dr. Green founded Westbury Diagnostics, Inc., a contract research and development laboratory, and is currently its President.

Ron Guido, Director, Worldwide Regulatory Strategy, Global Regulatory Leader. Pfizer, Inc
Ron Guido has been employed in pharmaceutical development since 1980 in the areas of Preclinical Screening, Clinical Research, Regulatory Affairs, Product Development and Quality Systems. He has enjoyed broad international and domestic regulatory and product development experience encompassing Drugs, Devices, Biologics, and Nutritionals. Collateral experience includes merger and acquisition, divestiture, product support and shareholder communication activities.

Specific, past project responsibilities encompassed transfer of international medical products through the U.S. regulatory process, to market, and the development and implementation of novel regulatory and development strategies to reduce lead-time to market. This included an assessment of international manufacturing sites, and development of CMC and manufacturing data packages in support of U.S. regulatory actions. Support of marketed products included coordination of advisory committees, application strategy for label enhancement and line extension, and development and support of advertising, promotion and labeling for new and marketed products.

Prior to recently joining Pfizer as Director & Global Regulatory Lead, he was employed by V.I. Technologies/ Precision Pharma Services, as Vice-President, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs. He has held positions with Whitehall-Robins Healthcare, Fresenius Pharma USA, Ayerst Laboratories, Inc., and Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York.

His undergraduate education is in Biology and Psychology, and he holds an M.S. in Technical Communications from the Polytechnic University, New York.

Jeffrey W. Holmes, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University
Dr. Jeffrey Holmes obtained his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University and his M.D. and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego. Following postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Freiburg, Germany (Cardiology) and the University of South Carolina (Developmental Biology and Anatomy), he joined the Biomedical Engineering faculty at Columbia University in 1999. Dr. Holmes' research specialty is cardiac biomechanics, the application of ideas from solid mechanics and mechanical engineering to the study of heart function, growth and remodeling, and disease. He teaches courses at Columbia in Fluid Biomechanics, Cardiac Mechanics, and Ethics for Biomedical Engineers.

Sandra Holtzman, President, Holtzman Communications
Holtzman is the co-chair of the NY Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society; marketing columnist for Lab to Wall Street, an e-zine focusing on biotechnology with C-level international readership www.labtowallstreet.com ; wrote “Websites that Click” in the January 2005 issue of Pharmaceutical Executive; authored a chapter on marketing in the revised edition of “A Comprehensive Guide to Business Incubation”, the top-selling book published by the National Business Incubation Association; lectures about the need for marketing to the start-up and venture communities with a presentation called “The Top 10 Lies Start-Ups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing” which is being turned into a book, and also lectures on “The Top 10 Tips for Creating A Successful Website”. Samples of her work, including recent award-winning work (for instance, NexGenix corporate identity), can be found on her company’s website www.holtzmancom.com. Additionally, she recently won a Gold Rx Club Award in the Interactive category for the following website: www.duacgel.com.

Industry Recognition: Who’s Who in Advertising and Who’s Who in Media and Communications; Gold, Silver and Awards of Excellence from: AWNY (Advertising Women of New York); In Awe (Medical Marketing Association); International Advertising Festival of New York; New York Art Directors Club; New Jersey Art Directors Club; Rx Club Show (including Gold for the DTC Duac Gel website in 2004 and Gold for Best Written Ad of the ‘80s).

Ms. Holtzman received her B.A. from Lehman College, CUNY, Cum Laude and her M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University. She also attended Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College and the Bronx High School of Science.

Julie Huang, Sr. VP, Life Sciences. Financial Dynamics Business Communications
Julie is a senior communications strategist. She has developed and executed financial communications and media relations strategies for over fifty companies in the health care and life science industry. Before joining Financial Dynamics, Julie was the group director/architect of the Bio360? practice at Cohn & Wolfe. Prior to Cohn & Wolfe, she was a vice president in the Financial Communications practice at Edelman Public Relations. She was a 2005 Iron Sabre Award Finalist for her article on pharma-biotech alliances published in the April 2004 issue of Pharmaceutical Executive. Her programs for clients received the Public Relations Society of American Silver Anvil Award for Best Investor Relations Program of the Year in 2001 and 2005.

Julie is also one of the contributors to the 4th edition of Peter Kolchinsky’s The Entrepreneur's Guide to a Biotech Startup. Julie is frequently invited to speak on biotech and financial communications. She has been invited to speak at Columbia Business School, Yale University, Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, and American Public Health Association.

Before her career in communications, Julie worked in the healthcare investment banking group at Warburg Dillon Reed, now UBS, and started her Wall Street career as a summer associate at Credit Suisse First Boston. She holds an MPH and an MBA from Yale University and a BA in sociology from Brooklyn College. She is a founder of the Yale Life Science Alumni Association and the past president of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals.

Cynthia Isaac, Ph.D., Vice President Ogilvy PR Worldwide
Cynthia has eleven years of experience in the healthcare field, the last five focused on life science communications. She has provided counsel to senior management of companies that are leaders in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and diagnostics sectors.

Cynthia has extensive experience in developing and implementing communications programs, and in issues management. She has developed strategy and plans to meet client business goals including: clinical trial recruitment and results reporting; licensing agreements; mergers and acquisitions; product launches; corporate restructurings; corporate brand re-positioning; investor relations; financings; branding; development of corporate identity; and company name-change. She has applied a strong understanding of the healthcare industry’s competitive landscape to support these efforts and to effectively position clients against their peers and competitors.

With her scientific background, Cynthia is skilled in explaining complex scientific data and business strategies to investor, physician, media and other audiences. In collaboration with client senior management and senior scientists, she has developed product and technology backgrounders, fact sheets, corporate presentations, scientific press releases and by-lined articles. Her experience includes outreach to top-tier business and trade media. She has been involved in media training of management and senior scientists.

Prior to Ogilvy PR, Cynthia was a vice president at The Ruth Group, a boutique agency, where she managed the Biotechnology Public Relations Group. Earlier in her career, Cynthia supported programs at Noonan Russo (now called Euro RSCG Life NRP).

Cynthia obtained her Ph.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, in cell and molecular biology. She has six years of laboratory experience researching protein complexes involved in nucleocytoplasmic transport, RNA modification and their role in disease. She is the author of several papers in reputed peer-reviewed publications and has presented at various scientific conferences.

Alfreda James, Internship Manager, Stony Brook University Career Center
Alfreda S. James is the Internship Manager at Stony Brook University. Ms. James oversees an academic internship program that serves over 100 students each year.

John Jarres, Laboratory Manager, SLS, Pall Corp.

Lata Jayaraman, Ph.D., Senior Research Investigator, Oncology Drug Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute
Dr. Lata Jayaraman received her M. Phil (1995) and Ph.D (1997) in Molecular Biology from the Dept. of Biological Sciences at Columbia University in New York. The focus of her graduate research was the regulation of the DNA binding function of the tumor suppressor protein p53. At the end of her graduate study she was the recipient of the “most promising graduate student of the year” award. Prior to that, Dr. Jayaraman received her Bachelors in Zoology (1989) and Masters Degree in Genetics (1991) from the University of Madras, India. In 1991 she received the University of Madras gold medal for securing the first position in her Masters class.

Following her Ph.D., Dr. Jayaraman was a post-doctoral Research Fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York from 1997-1998. Following that, she was a Research Fellow at MSKCC from 1998-2001. During this period she was the recipient of a three year fellowship award from the Irvington Institute for Immunological Research, NY. She was also selected by the pharmaceutical company Merck and Co. as the Irvington Fellow whose research was sponsored by them. The focus of her research during this time was the signaling cascade mediated by the Smad proteins in the TGF-? pathway.

Currently Dr. Jayaraman is a senior investigator in the Dept. of Endocrine Oncology and Transcriptional Regulation (EOTR) within the Oncology Drug Discovery program at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Her research interests include the transcriptional regulation of genes that are implicated in critical signal transduction pathways crucial in cancer. Her expertise within the drug discovery process is target identification and validation of novel drug targets for cancer.

Angeline Judex
Assistant Director for Communications and Programs, Center for BiotechnologyAngeline Judex is the Assistant Director for Communications and Programs at the Center for Biotechnology, A New York State Center for Advanced Technology in Medical Biotechnology. She holds key responsibility for the strategic planning, development and execution of the Center's Workforce Development Initiative statewide that effectively and efficiently address the needs of New York State’s bioscience industry. She serves as the Director for the Fundamentals of the Bioscience Industry program.

Angeline Judex is also responsible for the overall planning and execution of the Center's internal and external communication activities and serves as the Center's liaison with the bioscience industry, legislative, academic and funding community. She works closely with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) to direct the James D. Watson Helix Award, the bioscience industry’s sole award for outstanding corporate achievement, created by the Center to recognize biotechnology companies that have distinguished themselves from its peers world over by setting a singular standard of corporate leadership. She played a strategic role in the development of the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative (LILSI) and continues to provide guidance to LILSI on marketing strategies and regional workforce development initiatives.

Prior to joining the Center, Angeline Judex worked in corporate advertising on major national accounts in Canada and has more than a decade of experience in account management, marketing and event planning. She holds a BA in Sociology (Honors), professional accreditation as a Certified Advertising Agency Professional ( C.A.A.P) and is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration. She lives in Port Jefferson, New York with her husband, Stefan Judex, Ph.D, Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Stony Brook University.

Shama M. Kajiji, Ph.D. MBA, Director, Global Project Management & Head, Attrition Analysis Office, Pfizer Global Research and Development
With over 18 years experience at Pfizer, Shama brings a strong mix of scientific credentials, in-depth knowledge of drug discovery & development, and a keen understanding of business needs of the pharmaceutical industry. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Bombay, a Masters in Immunology, and a Doctorate in Biochemical Pharmacology and Experimental Pathology from Brown University. Her focus was Cancer Research with an emphasis on human pancreatic cancer. She continued this work as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at Scripps Research Clinic and Foundation in La Jolla, CA. under a grant from the NIH and Lilly, to identify novel antigens for inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer. This resulted in her discovery of the 4 integrin.

Since joining Pfizer in 1987, Shama has held leadership positions on many oncology projects including Multidrug Resistance, Ras signaling, Apoptosis, and inhibition of c-Met tyrosine kinase. Shama’s drug discovery and development experience encompasses small molecules and human antibodies, some of which successfully progressed to Phase 3 studies. She is listed as a co-inventor on 10 patents and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. In order to better integrate the business and scientific objectives of the company, she completed an Executive MBA from the University of Rhode Island in 1998. This business training plus her Discovery - Development experience with in-house candidates and external licensing opportunities prepared her for taking on the newly created role of leading the Attrition Analysis Office at Pfizer.

In its current role, the Attrition Analysis Office provides decision support to Pfizer’s R&D leadership for designing strategic and operational imperatives to decrease candidate attrition. These analytics drive risk management strategies for portfolio prioritization and the identification of new initiatives/technologies to continually improve drug discovery-development paradigm(s) for realizing our productivity goals.

Tamara Kaplan, M.S., Ventana Medical Systems (VMSI)

Sameer Karnic, M.S., Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals
Sameer received his Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Mumbai, India, and his Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from Stony Brook University, NY in 2004. A summer internship during the pursuit of his Master’s degree  with Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has turned into a  full time position. He is working with  Cornerstone developing anti-cancer drugs.

Ellyn Kerr, Managing Editor, Industrial Biotechnology
Ellyn Kerr has been an editor at Genetic Engineering News, the world-leading biotechnology trade publication, since 1999. This year, Ms. Kerr created and launched Industrial Biotechnology, a new peer-review and industry trade news journal (sister publication to Genetic Engineering News) that focuses on biotechnology for sustainable eco-efficient industrial, consumer goods, and environmental applications, including bioenergy, nanotechnology, and biodefense.

Ms. Kerr believes that her duties as a bioindustry trade publications editor include active fostering of communication among industry, academia, and institute researchers, policy makers, and such other bioindustry representatives as lawyers, public relations managers, venture capitalists, analysts and consultants. In her current role as editor of Industrial Biotechnology, she is an enthusiastic advocate for the establishment of a global bio-economy, creating new channels for dialogue among international stakeholders and decision-makers, to advance the policy, science and business developments that will build sustainable industry.

Ms. Kerr holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism (Print and Broadcast) from Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) and both a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Biology from McGill University (Montreal).

Lorence Kim, MD, Vice President, Head of Global Biotechnology Practice, Goldman Sachs

Sandra P. Kim, Ph.D., Senior Specialist, NY Patent Department, Pfizer, Inc.
Sandra Kim, Ph.D. is currently a Senior Specialist for Pfizer Inc. in the NY Patent Department. Sandra received a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from SUNY Stony Brook in 1999, and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2005. Admission to the New York State and Connecticut State Bars is pending.

Prior to that, Sandra was a Sr. Licensing Associate in the Office of Technology Licensing at SUNY Stony Brook. There she was responsible for evaluating the commercial potential of select University life science technologies, for formulating licensing strategies, and for drafting, negotiating, and implementing various agreements.

Mary Kuskin, Director, Worldwide Regulatory Strategy, Pfize,r inc.
Mary Kuskin is Director and Team Leader for Regulatory Affairs at Pfizer Inc and has been with the company for 11 years. She began her career at Pfizer coordinating the review of product labeling in New York Headquarters for internationally marketed products. She managed the development of the Labeling document management system applications and the European training and roll-out for these applications. In 1998 she moved into the Regulatory Affairs department where she provided strategic support on worldwide and domestic regulatory affairs matters for Zoloft. This includes the successful filing, Advisory Committee support and approval of the S-NDA for Zoloft in the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. She has participated in the promotional review process for Pfizer products as well as monitoring competitor promotional activities. From 2001 to 2004 she moved to the Pfizer European Regulatory office. Here she provided management of regulatory activities and provided leadership and development of the regulatory team. In 2004 Ms. Kuskin returned to Pfizer New York HQ as Team Leader providing management of a team of regulatory strategy colleagues who are accountable for creating, defining and implementing global regulatory strategies for the Psychiatry and Neurology therapeutic area.

Ms. Kuskin is a registered pharmacist. She received her degree at Creighton University, Omaha NE. She completed a Residency in Hospital Pharmacy at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Francisco, California and has worked as a clinical pharmacist at Stanford University Hospital, Stanford California and Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York City.

John Lepore, Ph.D., Senior Director, Chemical Engineering R&D, Merck Research Laboratories
Currently a Sr. Director in Chemical Engineering R&D, John leads API process development for Merck synthetic compounds. In this role, he is responsible for process definition/optimization, manufacture of API used in clinical trials, and technical transfer of process knowledge to Merck Manufacturing. During his 15 year career with Merck, John has led the API launch of five products, operation of pilot plant facilities at Rahway, and the compliance function, including the safety, environmental, and Good Manufacturing Procedure areas. With an in-depth knowledge of drug development and process and product economics, Dr. Lepore is a regular instructor for training of FDA staff (ORA), and a guest lecturer at both the University of Michigan (Pharmaceutical Engineering Program), and Rutgers University (Lerner Center for Pharmaceutical Management Studies).

John received his Ph.D (1990), M. Phil. (1988), and MS (1987) in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, specializing in separations and application of chemical engineering principles to hazardous waste sites. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering (1985) from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Treena Livingston Arinzeh, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, NJIT
Treena Livingston Arinzeh, PhD received her B.S. from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ in Mechanical Engineering in 1992, her M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1994, and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999. Upon completion of her graduate studies, she worked for several years as a project manager at a stem cell technology company, Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., based in Baltimore, MD, where she developed stem cell based therapies for orthopaedic applications. She is currently at then New Jersey Institute of Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, as an assistant professor. Her research focuses on tissue engineering and applied biomaterials, specializing in the design of biomaterials for stem cell based tissue repair. She was recently awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for her research on the systematic study of biomaterial surface properties for stem cell differentiation and subsequently, received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), which is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers.

Franklin Madison, Jr., Technology Program Director, ITAC
ITAC is an economic development organization that provides business management services, technical assistance, and programs to manufacturing and technology firms in New York City to help them become more profitable & competitive. ITAC’s mission is to strengthen the economy of NYC by improving performance of small to mid-size firms that create or produce technical or manufactured products. They seek to improve the economy of NYC through the positive impact we have on our client’s businesses.

ITAC is a not-for-profit economic development organization that receives significant financial support from the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR), New York’s high-technology economic development agency, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). ITAC serves as NYSTAR’s designated Regional Technology Development Center for New York City and one of nearly 350 MEP locations across the country and works directly with regional companies to increase their competitiveness and profitability. Mr. Madison is currently Technology Program Director at ITAC.

Alan McEmber, Director, Worldwide Regulatory Strategy, Pfizer
Alan has worked in pharmaceutical development since 1984 in Regulatory Affairs. He has experience in US and international regulatory affairs and has product development experience with biologics, devices, and drugs.

Responsibilities have included providing regulatory strategy throughout the product life-cycle, beginning in research and development phases, moving into clinical trials, and following through premarket approvals, manufacturing, labeling and advertising, and post-market surveillance.

Prior to recently joining Pfizer as Director & Global Regulatory Lead, Alan was employed by Alexion Pharmaceuticals, as Director, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs. He has held regulatory positions with Boehringer-Ingelheim, Parke-Davis, and 3M Pharmaceuticals.

He has a B.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Michigan and holds an M.S. in Environmental Health from the University of Minnesota.

Cliff Mintz, Ph.D., CEO, BioInsights
Clifford S. Mintz, Ph.D. is the Founder and President of BioInsights, Inc. (www.bioinsights.com) a company that focuses on career development strategies and training for individuals seeking employment in the bioscience industry. Dr. Mintz spent seven years as a faculty member in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University Of Miami School Of Medicine, Miami, FL. After leaving academia, Dr. Mintz spent two years at Transcell Technologies, a biopharmaceutical company in Monmouth Junction, NJ where he was lead scientist and project manger of an antibacterial drug discovery program. From 1996 to 1998, Dr. Mintz was Chairman of Biology at Middlesex County College, where he helped to craft a bioscience technician training program. For the past eight years, Dr. Mintz has been a biotechnology management consultant and a professional recruiter.

Cliff holds a Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and performed postdoctoral studies at Oregon Health Sciences University and the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.

MaryEllen Norvich, Director, Worldwide Regulatory Strategy, Pfizer
Mary Ellen has been employed in pharmaceutical development since 1986 in the areas of Basic Research, Clinical Research, and Regulatory Affairs. She has broad international and domestic regulatory affairs and product development experience encompassing Drugs and Biologics, and multiple therapeutic areas. Collateral experience includes merger and acquisition, divestiture, and alliance management.

Specific, past project regulatory responsibilities have encompassed the development and implementation of regulatory strategies which have efficiently: progressed product candidates from first-in-man through Phase III clinical development, attained and maintained global product registrations, provided labeling enhancements and line extensions (e.g., new clinical indications and formulations), extended product exclusivity and maintained promotional and continuing medical educational materials compliance.

Prior to recently joining Pfizer as Director / Team Leader in Worldwide Regulatory Strategy, she was employed by Watson Pharma Inc., as Director, Regulatory Liaison, Life Cycle Management Proprietary Products. She has held positions with Bristol-Myers Squibb as Director, Cardiovascular Products, FDA Liaison & Global Strategy Unit; and at Schering-Plough as Manager, Regulatory Affairs Administration, International Regulatory Affairs; and, at American Cyanamid as Clinical Team Leader, Clinical Research--Oncology.

Mary Ellen holds a B.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Pathobiology, both from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She completed post-doctoral training in Molecular Biology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Iesha O'Deneal, Manager, Diversity Programs, New York Academy of Sciences.
Iesha O’Deneal is the recently appointed Manager of Diversity Programs at the New York Academy of Sciences. Iesha joins the Academy from Pfizer Inc where she led the Diversity organization for Pfizer’s Global Research and Development division in New London, CT. During her tenure with Pfizer, Iesha held various positions in Employment Compliance, Global Manufacturing and Research and Development (PGRD). In 2003 Iesha was appointed to lead Diversity at PGRD managing various employee networking groups, and was directly responsible for the development, deployment and implementation of PGRD’s Diversity strategy across the US, Europe and Japan.

As the manager of diversity programs, Iesha has now taken the reign of both the network for Minority Investigators (NMI) and the Women Investigators Network (WIN). She is already hard at work organizing a one-day conference entitled “Establishing a Career in the Private Sector: A Practical Primer for Emerging Minority and Women Investigators.” This conference is intended to provide graduate students and post-docs with an interactive informational and skill building experience to shape an effective transition into the private sector.

She is a sought after speaker on Diversity and Affirmative Action issues and has served as guest panelist and presenter at the 2005 Bennett College Chief Diversity Officers Forum, 2004 Cornell University MBA Conference and Electronic Recruiting Exchange Conference. Iesha received her BA in Psychology from Tougaloo College-Tougaloo, Mississippi and a Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, Minnesota. During her spare time Ms. O’Deneal is an active mentor with at-risk youth.

Sandra Panem, Ph.D., Partner, Cross Atlantic Partners

Richard Purcell, President, Clinpro, Inc.

Jay Ramachandran, M.S. GAC International. Corporate Product Development

Clinton T. Rubin, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Stony Brook University and Director, Center for Biotechnology
Clinton Rubin is Leading Professor and Director of the Center for Biotechnology, which is a New York State Center for Advanced Technology in Medical Biotechnology, and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Dr. Rubin’s work is targeted towards understanding the cellular mechanisms responsible for the growth, healing, and homeostasis of bone. More specifically, this work focuses on how biophysical stimuli (i.e., mechanical, electrical, temperature, magnetic, pressure) mediate these responses. The clinical significance of this work is applicable to the inhibition of osteopenia, the promotion of bony ingrowth, and the acceleration of fracture healing. These goals are approached via interdisciplinary studies at the biochemical, molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, computational (e.g., FEM) and clinical levels. Using low-level mechanical signals, recent studies have been completed on reversing osteoporosis in children with cerebral palsy, as well as preventing osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.

Dr. Rubin is a fellow of the American Institute of Biological and Medical Engineers, and a recipient of the Presidential Young Investigator Award from the National Science Foundation, two Kappa Delta Awards from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the John Charnley Award from the Hip Society, the Fuller Albright Award from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, and the Giovanni Borelli Award from the American Society of Biomechanics.

Dr. Rubin’s is currently funded by National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Whitaker Foundation, private industry and the New York Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research. Dr. Rubin holds twelve patents, with three pending, in the area of wound repair and treatment of bone disease. Finally, Dr. Rubin is a founder of Exogen, Inc., now a subsidiary of Smith + Nephew, Inc, and Juvent, Inc., a start-up focusing on osteoporosis treatment.

Charles Ryan, JD, PhD, Vice President, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, Forest Research Institute, Inc.
Charles S. Ryan, J.D., Ph.D. is Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, Forest Research Institute, Inc. Dr. Ryan has over 13 years experience in providing intellectual property development, managing intellectual property procurement and enforcement strategies as well as providing due diligence investigations for business development and licensing departments, in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Dr. Ryan now serves on the Board of Directors for Forest Laboratories Holdings, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Forest Laboratories Inc. Dr. Ryan formerly served as Vice President, Technology Management and General Counsel for The Collaborative Group, Ltd., a research and manufacturing company that served the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and personal care industries. In addition to managing the company’s intellectual property portfolio, and general legal matters, he was also responsible for developing strategies to successfully acquire and sell various assets of the company. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Ryan was an associate at Darby & Darby a law firm in New York City specializing in intellectual property law. Dr. Ryan has presented and published numerous legal and scientific papers during his career. He is an Adjunct Professor with SUNY at Stony Brook University and Columbia University. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Western New England and Chairs the Leadership Counsel for the College of Wooster’s New York City Alumni Board and Stony Brook University Hospital and Health Sciences center. While in law school, Dr. Ryan was a judicial intern for the Hon. Peter C. Dorsey in the U.S. District Court for Connecticut. He received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Chemistry from the College of Wooster in 1986, and a doctorate in Biology and Pathology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1990. In 1993, Dr. Ryan received a law degree from Western New England College School of Law.

Monique Salazar, Assistant Vice President for Bioscience, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
Monique Salazar is currently Assistant Vice President for Bioscience for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). At the NYCEDC, Monique works with the various bioscience stakeholders to build the commercial bioscience industry in New York City. Her position involves identifying and pursuing business development efforts, as well as heading up the City’s marketing and public relations efforts for bioscience. She was also part of the team that selected Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. to develop the East River Science Park, an 872,000 square foot bioscience park that will be built in the heart of the East Side Medical Corridor in Manhattan.

Prior to joining the NYCEDC, Monique worked for Tympany, a medical device company in the hearing health area. She also has several years of experience as an attorney practicing in the areas of First Amendment and employment litigation. Finally, she is the co-author of a full length feature film, The Cry, which will have its world premiere at the Hamptons Film Festival on October 21 and 22nd, 2005.

Monique has her BA from Duke University, her JD from the University of New Mexico, and her MBA from the University of Texas-Austin

Mark Savage, Director Engineering Co-Op & Career Services,Cornell University
Mark Savage is director of Cooperative Education and Career Services for the College of Engineering at Cornell University. He joined Cornell University in 1984 after holding previous roles as assistant dean for Student Development at Salem College (now Salem International University) and area residential complex director at Ohio University. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English and Psychology from Ball State University and the Master of Science Degree in Counseling & Psychological Services from SUNY - Oswego. Mr. Savage has chaired several committees and served on the Board of Directors for the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE). He is also a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the Cooperative Education and Internship Association, and the World Association of Cooperative Education, and meets regularly with employers and university career directors on a national scale throughout the year.

Marianna Savoca, Director, Stony Brook University Career Center

Joseph Scaduto, MS. Executive Director, Long Island Life Sciences Initiative
Joseph Scaduto was initially recruited to the position of Executive Director of the Long Island Life Sciences Initiative (LILSI) when the organization was formally established in January 2002. Since that time, Mr. Scaduto has worked to cultivate a visionary and proactive Board of Directors, and has pursued various fundraising activities to grow the initiative.

Mr. Scaduto maintains business development responsibilities at the Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) in Medical Biotechnology at Stony Brook University where he performs technology development, business development and strategic planning activities to facilitate the commercialization of early-stage technologies. Mr. Scaduto previously participated in a variety of laboratory research and technology management positions at Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Binghamton University, BioLife Solutions, Inc., Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biological Sciences, the Collaborative Group, Ltd., Northwestern University and AcousticScan, Inc.

Mr. Scaduto received a Master of Science Degree in Biotechnology from Northwestern University (2000) and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Binghamton University (1999).

Ann-Marie Scheidt, Ph.D., Director, Economic Development, Stony Brook University
Director of Economic Development and Adjunct Assistant Professor of History, Stony Brook University. Serves as the university’s institutional representative in the regional business and public and private sector economic development communities and provides central point of contact for management and tenants of the campus’ three incubator facilities, the Long Island High Technology Incubator (LIHTI), the Stony Brook Software Incubator and the Calverton Incubator, for access to campus facilities and regional resources. Chairs the University’s Tenant Selection and Review Committee, which assesses all new tenant applications and reviews all current tenants for continuation; leads periodic effort to survey “graduates” regarding tenant support and incubator programming. Off-campus activities include chairing the Long Island Regional Incubator Council and the Business and Economic Development Committee of the Long Island Women’s Agenda and co-chairing the Business Development Committee of the Hauppauge Industrial Association, where she also serves on the Leadership Council — the Association represents one of the largest industrial parks on the East Coast — and the program committee for Women Economic Developers of Long Island. Dr. Scheidt also serves on the board of directors as secretary of the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, the region’s largest not-for-profit affordable housing and community development agency, and as an officer of related entities; she iis the first female member of the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency, the vehicle for industrial revenue bond funding in Long Island’s largest town. She has taught courses in technology entrepreneurship and technology development at the University. Dr. Scheidt received a Ph.D. in American history from Stony Brook, an A.B. from Brown University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.A.T. from Yale.

Janine Schwedes, MBA, Manager, Scientific Affairs, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Janine Schwedes, Manager, Scientific Affairs, Corporate Development is a long time employee of OSI Pharmaceuticals having been there for 17 of its 23 years. In her current position she works to support company objectives by finding, evaluating and licensing products and technologies that originate in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and universities. Prior to joining Corporate Development in December of 2001, Janine worked in a variety of scientific positions including, most recently, Program Manager, Lead Discovery at OSI. In that position, Janine was responsible for the day-to-day management of OSI’s Lead Discovery Operations, an operation that includes Compound Management, Assay Development and Robotics groups. She has extensive experience in developing, optimizing and running assays for high throughput drug discovery. Prior to joining OSI in 1988, Janine worked as a Protein Biochemist for the Northport VA Hospital, working to elucidate the role of Matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cancer invasion and metastasis. Janine has a BA in Biochemistry from Rice University in Houston, Texas, an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix and is working on a J.D. from St. John’s University.

Gary Shangold, MD, CEO, NovaDel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Gary Shangold is the President & CEO of NovaDel Pharma Inc, a specialty pharmaceutical company based in Flemington, New Jersey, which has a proprietary technology for delivering drugs via lingual spray for rapid absorption from the oral mucosal membranes. Dr. Shangold received a B.A. cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in his major field of Social Behavior. He graduated from Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons with a Doctor of Medicine degree. He then completed his residency training in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Miami (Jackson Memorial Hospital) and a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of Southern California (Los Angeles County Medical Center). He is board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology and subspecialty-boarded in Reproductive Endocrinology.
Following the completion of his training, Dr. Shangold held the positions of Assistant Professor and then Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. In 1991, he moved from academia into the pharmaceutical industry as the Medical Director for Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility at Serono Laboratories. He subsequently moved to Johnson & Johnson as Senior Director of Gynecologic & Reproductive Clinical Research, and then becoming the Contraception Global Product Team Leader, at the R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute. Later he was promoted to the position of Vice President and Regulatory Head of Drug Development at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, LLC.

From 1991 through 2003, Dr. Shangold was affiliated with the Harvard University School of Medicine as Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology and as a Clinical Associate in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is currently the President of the American Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians/Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians & Investigators (AAPP/APPI). Dr. Shangold also serves on the board of Pepgen Corporation.

Ashutosh Sharma, Ph.D., Vice President, Product and Process Development, Vyteris
Ashutosh Sharma, PhD, is Vice President of Product and Process Development at Vyteris. Vyteris is a public company based in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, that is developing active transdermal drug delivery systems based on patented platform technology. Dr. Sharma is responsible for applying Vyteris' technology to new therapeutic areas and developing products that improve the medication experience, allowing patients to lead more productive and comfortable lifestyles. Prior to joining Vyteris, Dr. Sharma worked at Becton Dickinson (BD) during which he held positions of Program Manager for integrated drug delivery and diagnostic system and Manager, Intelligent Systems Development for BD's Consumer Healthcare Business. Dr. Sharma is a member of the Institutional Review Board at new Jersey Institute of Technology and sits on the Industrial Advisory Board of the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials. Dr. Sharma holds a B. Tech. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, India. He is also a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute holding M.S. degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Computer & Systems Engineering and a Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering.

Kira S. Sheinerman, Ph.D., VP Investment Banking, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC
Dr. Kira Sheinerman is a Vice President, Investment Banking at Rodman & Renshaw, LLC. Kira has received a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from Mount Sinai School of Medicine for her work on molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease. Kira also holds MBA from the Honors program at Baruch College/CUNY. During her doctoral and MBA studies, Kira has been a recipient of Bi-national (Italy/USA) Research fellowship in Alzheimer’s disease, Nash Scholarship, and Marvin Schwartz Distinguished Service Award.

Prior to her current position at Rodman & Renshaw, Kira worked as an associate at The Arcus Group, specializing on analysis of market opportunities for early to late stage biotech products and of investment and acquisition opportunities in the fields of oncology, CNS and critical care; she also served as a business development consultant for a number of early stage biotech companies. Kira and her husband live in New York City and have one daughter.

Gillian M. Small, Ph.D.
University Dean for Research, City University of New York (CUNY).

Dr. Gillian Small is the University Dean for Research at the City University of New York (CUNY). Prior to joining the CUNY Office of Academic Affairs in June 2001, she was on the faculty of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, where she directed a research laboratory in cellular and molecular biology as well as directing an interdisciplinary graduate program in the biosciences.

Dr. Small received her Ph.D. in Cell Biology at the University of Wolverhampton in England. She came to the US in 1985 to take a position as Post-Doctoral Associate at the Rockefeller University in New York. From 1988 to 1991 she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Florida.

Dr. Small continues an active research program as Professor of Biology at The City College of CUNY. As Dean she oversees research initiatives across the University.

Ramana Sonty, Ph.D. Senior Director/Team Leader, Global Project Management NY, Pfizer, Inc
Ramana Sonty, MBBS, PhD, is currently Senior Director/Team Leader, Global Project Management, NY and Site Leader for GPM Operations NY, at Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals, New York. He has worked with senior management to lead several large, cross-functional initiatives to increase alignment and improve performance across Worldwide Development. Additionally, his Group supports WW Medical portfolio information and analysis, project management systems, tools and reporting, partners with the Pharmaceutical Sciences in managing the supply chain and drives the WW Medical Independent Grants process.

Prior to its acquisition, Ramana was part of Pharmacia’s R&D Strategy Group, where he worked in customer and therapeutic area strategy development, on initiatives to increase cross-functional business alignment and on portfolio analysis. He has led global, cross-functional teams in developing strategy in the areas of neurology, psychiatry, migraine and pain. Additionally, he has provided guidance for R&D therapeutic area reviews and served on the core platform strategy group at Pharmacia. He received the 2002 Bravo Award for exceptional teamwork at Pharmacia.

Eric Staeva-Vieira, PhD, Associate biotechnology analyst at Rodman & Renshaw LLC
Eric Staeva-Vieira, PhD is an associate biotechnology analyst at Rodman & Renshaw LLC, a private investment bank specializing in health technologies. Prior to his work on Wall Street, Eric was the program manager of the New York Academy of Sciences’ Science Alliance, a career and professional development program for scientists. At the Academy, Eric was instrumental in building an entrepreneurship program, which provides scientists with the fundamentals of business development. In 2003, he received his doctorate in developmental genetics from New York University, where his research focused on the link between genome stability and development in Drosophila. Prior to his graduate studies, he worked in biotechnology and at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Andrew Tsourkas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, Assistant Professor of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania
Andrew Tsourkas has recently joined the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania from the Center for Molecular Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. He also holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Radiology at Penn and is a member of the Institute of Medicine and Engineering. Dr. Tsourkas is the co-founder and scientific advisory board member of the start-up company Vivonetics. His research interests are focused on developing novel molecular probes that allow for the real-time imaging of vital intracellular processes such as gene regulation, mRNA localization, and protein expression. In particular, his expertise lies in the design and the development of molecular probes for optical and magnetic resonance imaging platforms. Applications range from studying complex intracellular dynamics of individual cells to the early detection of disease in a clinical setting.

Charla Triplett, National Director, BME AII
Ms. Triplett has over 12 years of experience working with scientists and engineers in the biomedical field, holds a B.S. in Microbiology and a M.S. in Bioengineering. She has an established reputation in the career development area of Biomedical Engineering with strong ties to academic institutions and professional societies. In addition, she has extensive connections within the medical device and biotechnology industry. Her background includes building several Biomedical Engineering Internship Programs and consulting with The Biomedical Engineering Society. Charla currently serves as The National Director for The Biomedical Engineering Alliance for Industrial Internships.

Santhosh Vadivelu, Ph.D. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Santhosh holds a M.Sc in Biotechnology and has a Ph.D in Biochemistry from IMP, Vienna University, Austria. Presently involved in his Post-Doctoral research in Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), NY, USA. Prior to coming to CSHL, Santhosh worked for his doctoral thesis in Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna specializing in cancer molecular biology research where he published his basic findings in EMBO journal, MCB and Stem Cell. Santhosh’s technical expertise includes cancer molecular biology, mouse and human genetics, micro-array technology, bioinformatics, genomics, stem cell technology, neuro-muscular diseases, gene therapy, anti-tumor agents. Santhosh participated in the Fundamentals of the Bioscience Industry program 2005, Stony Brook, NY and is currently functioning as a legal intern in Forest Laboratories, NY.

Carlos N. Valez, Erie Hudson Life Science Consulting
Carlos N. Velez is the founder of Erie Hudson Life Science Consulting. His practice is focused on assisting emerging life science companies on issues such as business planning and development, fund raising, and corporate strategy. Prior to that, he was a Senior Associate with The Frankel Group, a New York City-based life science consulting and venture capital firm. The Frankel Group also operated as the US office for equity4Life, a $100 MM Zurich-based fund focused on the life sciences. Dr. Velez was the Senior Associate for equity4Life in New York, conducting numerous market opportunity and investment analyses for the fund. Previous to that, Dr. Velez was a member of the New Business Development Group at Genencor International in Rochester, NY, where his work focused on leveraging corporate assets into the life sciences. Dr. Velez holds a BS degree in Pharmacy from the Albany College of Pharmacy, a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MBA in Technology Management and Finance from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Keith Ward, Ph.D, Vice President, Global Pre-clinical Research, Bausch & Lomb
Keith W. Ward is the Vice-President of Global Preclinical Development for Bausch & Lomb, based in Rochester, NY, where he leads three departments: Preclinical Pharmacology, Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics, and Nonclinical Safety. Prior to joining Bausch & Lomb, Dr. Ward held positions of increasing responsibility within GlaxoSmithKline, most recently as Director of Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics. Dr. Ward has extensively published in the field of preclinical pharmacokinetics, particularly the refinement of interspecies extrapolation techniques and the use of in vivo preclinical DMPK data to drive lead optimization and candidate selection in drug discovery.

Dr. Ward obtained a BS in Toxicology from Northeast Louisiana University and a PhD in Toxicology with an emphasis on Pharmacokinetics from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under the direction of Dr. Gary Pollack. In addition, Dr. Ward completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the US Environmental Protection Agency, under the direction of Dr. E. Sidney Hunter prior to joining SmithKline Beecham, now GlaxoSmithKline.

Grace Wong, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Actokine Therapeutics.
Dr. Grace Wong is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Actokine Therapeutics (www.actokinde.com) a Boston-based, privately held company that focuses on drug discovery and development in the area of oncology and viral diseases. Prior to founding Actokine Therapeutics, Dr. Wong worked for Genentech, Millennium, AstraZeneca and Serono in various scientific and management level positions. Grace has published over 85 papers filed 27 patent applications and is frequently is an invited speaker at international biotechnology and pharmaceutical conference. In addition to her scientific activities, Grace founded Student Vision (www.studentvision.org), an organization dedicated to helping students become better prepared for careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Dr. Wong received her PhD from The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia and did her post doctoral work Dr. David Goeddel at Genentech.

Matthew Wotiz, Associate Director, US Business Development and Licensing. Lundbeck, Inc.
Matt Wotiz is Associate Director with Lundbeck, Inc., the USA subsidiary of the Copenhagen, Denmark based specialty pharmaceutical group H. Lundbeck A/S. He has been with Lundbeck, Inc., since its inception in 2001. During this time, he has participated in the growth of the US subsidiary from a core group of three professionals to its present state of close to 200. He is responsible for multiple corporate and strategic development functions, including the establishment of a commercial infrastructure and the identification and execution of high-level growth opportunities, as well as product and technology licensing functions. Additionally, he is directly involved in the management of the H. Lundbeck A/S strategic private equity portfolio.

Matt is also a co-founder of LabToWallStreet, a suite of media and connectivity solutions designed to unite the stakeholders of the Tri-State life sciences industries while simultaneously communicating the value of the Tri-State cluster to the global community. In 2.5 years, LabToWallStreet has evolved from a grassroots-oriented local publication to an internationally recognized online publication.

In addition, Matt contributes strategic and financial consulting efforts to a number of NYC-based non-profit organizations and startups, serves as a Trustee to the Children's Museum of the Arts, and is involved in a number of industry-related professional societies and organizations. Matthew holds a MS in Biotechnology from the J.L. Kellogg Center for Biotech at Northwestern University, and a BS in Biology from Washington and Lee University.

Jeff Yablon, Principal, Yablon Management Consulting, former CEO at Icon Laboratories
Jeffrey S. Yablon is President of Yablon Management Consulting a biopharmaceutical clinical development organization representing best in class companies to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Yablon is also President of PharmaScan Clinical Trials LLC. a contract research organization specializing in medical imaging. Yablon also advises private equity firms on acquisitions in the life science market.

Previously Yablon held executive management positions with a number of life science organizations to include Icon Plc, Olsten Health Services, Digene, Abbott Laboratories, and TAP Pharmaceuticals. Yablon received his MBA from the executive program at Fairleigh Dickenson University and is a Certified Healthcare Executive (CHE) awarded by the American College of Healthcare Executives. Yablon was honorably discharged from the US Army and held the rank of 1 st lieutenant.

Yongzhi (Mimi) Yang, Associate, Intellectual Property Law, Scully Scott Murphy and Presser, PC
Yongzhi (Mimi) Yang is an associate in the Intellectual Property law firm of Scully, Scott Murphy & Presser, P.C. Mimi received her B.S. Analytical Chemistry from Hunan Advanced College of Building Material in
China in 1995. She is expecting to receive her MS in Bioinformatics from North Carolina State University in December 2005. Ms. Yang received her JD from Texas Tech University School of Law in May 2000. Ms. Yang is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Ms. Yang was a patent attorney at Intellectual Property/Technology Law from 2000-2005. She worked at the Washington Legal Foundation in the Litigation Division in 1999 conducting legal research re environmental and constitutional law issues. From 1993-1995 she worked in the Environment Protection Agency of Hengyang Municiplality in Hengyang City, Hunan Province, China as an Assistant Analyst. Ms. Yang is a member of the American Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association, the American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association and the National Association of Asian American Professionals-NC Chapter.

Ms. Yang is an experienced patent attorney specialized in the chemical and biotechnology fields. Ms. Yang's practice is concentrated in the areas of patent procurement and patent portfolio management. She has prepared, filed and prosecuted numerous patent applications in various technology fields, including chemistry, biotechnology, advanced materials, semiconductor manufacturing, and microelectronics. Ms. Yang
has also conducted patentability, freedom-to-operate, validity, and infringement analyses and counseled clients on various issues relating to IP acquisition, licensing, technology transfer, and patent litigation. Ms. Yang is a coauthor of Patenting Bioinformatics Inventions: Emerging Trends in the United States, Nature Biotech., vol. 20, No. 7, pp. 743-744 (July 2002)

Alex Zisson, Venture Partner, Thomas, McNerney & Partners

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