Keynote Speaker:
Paul C. Mugge
Professor of Innovation
Executive Director
Center for Innovation Management Studies (CIMS)
North Carolina State University
At IBM, Mr. Mugge was part of a team that developed the industry’s first capability to simulate, test and manufacture VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) circuit, and also served on the design team that pioneered IBM’s first self-diagnosing, self-healing computing system. Additionally, he led the IBM task force that conceived the beloved IBM ThinkPad. Mr. Mugge received the IBM Innovation Achievement Award for the overall design and program management of the company’s first rack-mounted, “supermini-mainframe,” the IBM 9370 and was also awarded IBM Chairman’s Award for leading re-engineering of its hardware and software businesses.
Rodolphe Barrangou, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences
North Carolina State University,
For more than 10 years, Dr. Barrangou has focused on CRISPR-Cas systems, and their use for bacterial genotyping, building prokaryotic immunity, and Cas9-mediated genome editing in industrial bacteria. He is a co-founder of Intellia Therapeutics.
Dr. Barrangou earned a BS in Biological Sciences, a MS in Biological Engineering, a MS in Food Science from NC State University, a PhD in Genomics from NC State University and a MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After 9 years in R&D and M&A at Danisco and DuPont, he joined the Faculty at NC State University in 2013.
Rosalina Bray, MS, CAEP
Director of Research Project Teams
National Society of Black Engineers Public Policy SIG
Bryan R. Cullen, Ph.D.
James B. Duke Professor of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Director, Duke Center for Virology
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina
Bryan R. Cullen obtained a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from Warwick University in the UK and a M.Sc. in Virology from the University of Birmingham before moving to the USA, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Rutgers University. In 1987, he was recruited to Duke University Medical Center as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. He currently holds a James B. Duke Professorship in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and serves as Director of the Center for Virology at Duke. Dr. Cullen’s current research interests include the biogenesis and function of microRNAs, in particular viral microRNAs as well as the use of CRISPR/Cas for the specific editing of viral DNA genomes. Dr. Cullen has published over 300 research papers and is on the editorial board of 11 prominent journals.
Deborah Dougherty, Ph.D.
Professor and Vice-Chair,
CEO Network for Innovation Expertise Development
Management & Global Business
Rutgers University
Deborah Dougherty received her Ph.D. in Management from M.I.T, and taught at Wharton and McGill University before joining Rutgers. Her scholarship concerns organizing for sustained product and service innovation in complex organizations; managing exploratory and science-based innovation; rethinking organization of work, knowledge, and relations to support innovation; comprehension of unfamiliar markets and technologies. Current work focuses on innovation in bio-pharmaceuticals, and on reformulating established innovation management understandings to encompass this science-based innovation process. She teaches innovation management and organizing at the BS, MBA, and PhD levels, was elected chair of the Technology and Innovation Management Division at Academy of Management, served for more than six years as a senior editor for Organization Science, and has served on five other journal editorial boards. She has published 50 articles in journals and book chapters on innovation and its management, and 12 essays.
Dr. Hawazin Faruki, Ph.D.
Vice President for Clinical Development
GeneCentric
Dr. Faruki has over 15 years experience in transitioning novel molecular diagnostic testing from the research setting to the clinic. She served as Vice President of Clinical Development, and previously as Vice President of Operations, at Laboratory Corporation of America’s Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology guiding the successful introduction of numerous molecular diagnostic assays, including infectious disease, oncology, and genomic applications.
Dr. Faruki has authored several peer-reviewed publications on factors impacting adoption of new molecular and genomic diagnostics and has extensive experience in clinical study design, securing CPT coding and fair reimbursement, and educating physicians regarding new test applications. Since her departure from LabCorp, she has managed a successful consulting business, Clinical Diagnostic Strategies, LLC, focused on assisting biotech companies with the introduction of personalized medicine diagnostics. Dr. Faruki received her doctorate in Public Health Laboratory Practice from the University of North Carolina School of Public Health and completed a fellowship in clinical microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
Charles A. Gersbach. Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopaedic Surgery
Director, Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering
Investigator, Center for Genomic and Computational Biology
Duke University
Dr. Charles A. Gersbach is an Associate Professor at Duke University in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopaedic Surgery, an Investigator in the Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, and Director of the Duke Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering. He received his PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology and completed postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute. His research interests are in genome and epigenome editing, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, biomolecular and cellular engineering, synthetic biology, optogenetics, and genomics. Dr. Gersbach’s laboratory at Duke University is focused on applying molecular and cellular engineering to develop new methods to genetically modify genome sequences and cellular gene networks in a precise and targeted manner. Dr. Gersbach’s work has been recognized through awards including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the Outstanding New Investigator Award from the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.
Gabi Hanna, M.D.
Executive Director, Duke Preclinical Translational Research Unit.
Associate Director. Duke Cancer Institute, Surgical Facility.
Chairman of NC Society of Physician Entrepreneurs.
Vice President, American Remote Health.
Dr. Hanna is the co-founder and executive director for Duke Preclinical Translational Research Unit, which leads a comprehensive systemic approach to accelerate translational research to the bed side. In this role he connects Duke resources and innovation to industry to maximize beneficial outcomes.
He is also a President, Chairman of North Carolina Society of Physician Entrepreneurs to help advance healthcare innovation based on market pull rather than technology push. Dr. Hanna recently founded 2 companies; American Remote Health for remote telemedicine consulting focuses on chronic disease, and Preclinical Pathfinder Solution, a lean and innovative preclinical CRO solution.
Frances S. Ligler, D.Phil., D.Sc.
Lampe Distinguished Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University
Frances S. Ligler is the Lampe Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at NC State and UNC Chapel Hill and a member and Councillor of the National Academy of Engineering. She earned a B.S. from Furman University and both a D.Phil. and a D.Sc. from Oxford University. She has 400 full-length publications and patents, which have led to eleven commercial biosensor products and over 13,000 citations. Elected a Fellow of SPIE in 2000, of AIMBE in 2011, and of AAAS in 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Rank of Distinguished Senior Professional by President Bush (2003) and the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Senior Professional by President Obama (2012). In 2014, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece.
Jay P. Madan
President and Founder
Innovate Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Mr. Madan has 25+ years in biotech, life sciences, and IT as a leader in project development, driving emerging market technology development, tech transfer, M&A, and cross-licensing. Mr. Madan has founded more than a dozen companies, including 2 biotech startups. His experience in working with multiple teams at Reliance Life Sciences, Millipore, Baxter, Dade Behring, and Goodwin has allowed him to develop a very high quality global network of industry professionals in various aspects of healthcare. Mr. Madan is president and founder of Innovate Biopharmaceuticals, NexGen Biosciences, and iBiotech, and manages Healthcare Sherpa and iCool Technologies. He was the VP of Business Development at Reliance Biopharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. part of Reliance Industries Ltd., India’s largest conglomerate. Mr. Madan holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from University of Mumbai and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Washington State University.
Mary U. Musacchia, JD
Chair, Board of Directors
First Flight Venture Center, Inc.
Mary U. Musacchia is the Board Chair and an Executive in Residence at First Flight Venture Center, the RTP’s oldest incubator, as well as a practicing attorney. For the last decade Mary has focused on emerging growth companies providing advice on negotiation strategies, business operations and relationships with strategic partners. She is a past Board Chair of the Council for Entrepreneurial Development.
Mary has years of executive level experience with large multinationals including Sr. V.P. at Affiliated Computer Systems and 17 years with SAS Institute where she served as Director of Global Government Affairs and General Counsel.
Mary is a frequent speaker on board governance and is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors and Women Corporate Directors.
In 2013 Mary was recognized by the NC Women’s Forum for her years of service on public boards and commissions and in 2001 received the Triangle Business Journal’s ‘Women in Business Award’.
MaryBeth Panagos
Director, Business Development
Kymanox
Currently serving as Director of Business Development at Kymanox, MaryBeth Panagos is a business development professional with 12 years of business relations and sales experience in the biotech, high tech and pharma industries. MaryBeth is passionate about facilitating biotech industry access to underserved communities through music and outreach projects.
Christy Shaffer, Ph.D.
General Partner
Hatteras Venture Partners
Seasoned entrepreneur and biotech executive, Christy Shaffer, Ph.D. has over 25 years of experience in the life science industry. Following her career as a clinical scientist, international project leader and Associate Director of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Burroughs Wellcome Co., she joined Inspire Pharmaceuticals in 1995 as the first, full-time employee. She was responsible for raising over $300m for the company, including taking the company public in 2000. As President and CEO, Christy grew the company from 20 scientists to nearly 250 employees with revenues of over $100 million. Under her leadership, Inspire was named as “Best Place to Work for Scientists” by the Scientist magazine, and “Best Place to Work in North Carolina.” Christy retired from Inspire in 2010 and the company was acquired by Merck in 2011.
Christy serves as a board member of five Hatteras portfolio companies and chairs three of them: G1 Therapeutics, Spyryx, Clearside (Chair), KinoDyn (Chair), and GrayBug (Executive Chair). Christy is a receptor pharmacologist by training, earning her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis TN in 1985. She received her post-doctoral training at The Chicago Medical School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Wanona Satcher
CEO & Founder
iDrive Change
Wanona is an urban designer, landscape architect designer, and city planner. She is a graduate of Auburn University (College of Architecture, Design, & Construction) and moved to North Carolina to work in professional design firms in Research Triangle Park and Durham. In 2008, she started her first urban design, economic development, and leadership startup, CDDG. Through her second startup, iDrive Change, LLC, Wanona combines landscape architecture, systems design, community development, and innovative economic models to facilitate equitable revitalization programs through various collaborations and partnerships. Ms. Satcher has written for the Huffington Post, participated in the Aspen Institute, Bloomberg Philanthropies National Innovation Program, and was a Vanguard Top 40 Under 40 Vanguard through Next City.
Todd Talarico, Ph.D.
Vice President of Process Development and Clinical Manufacturing
Medicago, USA, Inc.
Todd was responsible for Medicago’s completion of an aggressive design-build, government funded project resulting in rapid construction and deployment of a NC facility designed to produce more than 10 million pandemic influenza vaccine doses in 30 days. This vaccine is produced in and purified from tobacco plants. Todd just completed leading a second government-funded project to produce anti-Ebola monoclonal antibodies in the same plants. He has also been involved in the Research Triangle Park operations for development of biopharmaceuticals for Apex Bioscience and AlphaVax in the past. Todd received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Penn State and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from NC State.
Paul B. Watkins, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Public Health
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
Director, Hamner – UNC Institute for Drug Safety Sciences
Dr. Paul B. Watkins is director of the Hamner-University of North Carolina Institute for Drug Safety Sciences. He is also Professor of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Public Health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Watkins is a trained clinical hepatologist and also an accomplished basic and translational investigator in the fields of drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity. He serves as the chair of both the Steering and Genetics Committees for the U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) (U01DK065201). He also directs the DILIsim Initiative, which is a public-private partnership involving scientists from 13 major pharmaceutical companies and the FDA. Dr. Watkins is one of the most frequently cited authors in the field of pharmacology according to www.ISIhighlycited.com. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the 2009 Therapeutic Frontiers Award from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, the 2013 Agilent Therapeutic Frontiers Award, and the 2015 Rawls-Palmer Award for Progress in Medicine from the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
