Dean, Chemical and Life Sciences
University of Maryland, College Park
Dr. Allewell leads and oversees the academic, administrative and financial activity of the University of Maryland’s College of Life Sciences, which has approximately 120 faculty members, 630 graduate students, 135 postdoctoral fellows and 2,100 undergraduates. Before she became dean of the College of Life Sciences in 2000, Dr. Allewell was Associate Vice President for Sponsored Programs and Technology Transfer at Harvard University. Dr. Allewell received a B.Sc. (Hon.) degree in Biochemistry from McMaster University (Hamilton, Ont., Canada) and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics from Yale University. She resides in Rockville and was nominated by Chancellor Kirwan to be the University System of Maryland’s representative.
Deputy Director for Extramural Research
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Dr. Norka Ruiz Bravo began her tenure as NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Research in 2003. She oversees NIH’s external grants and awards program, a portfolio totaling approximately 83% of the NIH budget. A biologist by training, Dr. Ruiz Bravo earned her Ph.D. degree in 1983 from Yale University. Her postdoctoral tour included a fellowship that began at Johns Hopkins University and ended at the University Of Texas Anderson Cancer Research Center in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology. She then held faculty positions at the University Of Texas and the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Ruiz Bravo has also served NIH in the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where she was Deputy Director and then Acting Director for the Division of Cancer Biology. She resides in Takoma Park.
VP of Policy and Government Affairs
PharmAthene, Inc.
Ms. Cook joined PharmAthene, Inc. in October 2003 and has held various executive positions with a broad background in health care policy and reimbursement. PharmAthene is an Annapolis biotechnology company developing therapeutics to address biological pathogens and chemicals that may be used as weapons of bioterror. Prior to joining PharmAthene, Ms. Cook served as Vice President of Policy and Reimbursement Services for Guilford Pharmaceuticals and also as a health care consulting executive. Additionally, she has worked in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Cook received a B.A. in Biology from Mount Holyoke College and a M.P.H. from Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Public Health. She lives in Silver Spring.
Director, Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dr. Desiderio serves many positions at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is a Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics as well as the Director of both the Institute of Basic Biomedical Sciences and the Institute for Cell Engineering. A well-published and invited speaker, Dr. Desiderio has been affiliated with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine his entire career with the exception of his postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Cancer Research. He has also served concurrently as an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Desiderio received a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and his joint M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He resides in Baltimore City and was nominated by President Brody to be the Johns Hopkins’ representative.
Mid-Atlantic Senior Vice President
Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Mr. Diamond has been employed with Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. since 1998 and operates their Maryland regional office in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Alexandria is a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that specializes in developing and operating life science, laboratory, and office facilities on a national basis. Alexandria’s Vision Statement is to be the “Landlord of Choice to the Life Science Industry providing World Class Space for World Class Science.” Since 1997, Alexandria has constructed, developed or redeveloped nearly 2.9 million square feet of space for life science companies, many in Maryland. Prior to Alexandria, Mr. Diamond was Senior Director of Facility Services for Manor Care Health Services and vice president of a regional property management firm. He has expertise in all phases of asset management, property management, leasing, construction, engineering, development, and accounting. He received his Bachelor of Science from Frostburg University and resides in Friendship.
Secretary
Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development
Secretary Edgerley oversees a number of DBED programs designed to assist the Maryland life sciences industry. He has extensive background in expanding Maryland's high-technology industry in partnership with critical stakeholders such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and leading technology companies. Secretary Edgerley is the former director of economic development for both Montgomery County and Allegany County. He received a B.A. from Frostburg State University, a Graduate Certificate in Management from Shenandoah College, and an M.B.A. from Mt. Saint Mary's. He resides in Germantown.
Director
Department of Economic Development, Baltimore County
Mr. Iannucci is in charge of Baltimore County's economic development agency and is responsible for promotion, marketing, and development of that jurisdiction's life science industry. He is the former Secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and was also the Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Parris Glendening. Mr. Iannucci has also served as the Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs with Prudential Health Care. He is a graduate of the University Of Maryland School Of Law and the University of Maryland, College Park. He resides in Bowie.
BD Diagnostic Systems is one of Maryland's largest bioscience employers with 1700 workers in the Baltimore area. BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, headquartered in New Jersey, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Mr. Jacon is responsible for the strategic, operational, and financial performance of BD's microbiology business with annual sales of $600 million. He has worked in the life sciences industry for 18 years. Previously, Mr. Jacon served as the Vice President and General Manager for the BD Medical Diabetes Care in Europe, as well as in other executive positions for the company in the United States, Canada, and Europe. A microbiologist engineer by training, he has a Sciences Masters Degree from the University de Bretagne Occidentale. Mr. Jacon has also been instrumental in helping the Greater Baltimore Committee set up its support and network activities for the bioscience industry. He resides in Bethesda.
Commander
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)
Since 2005, Colonel Korch has been the Commander of the Defense Department's USAMRIID, located at Fort Detrick, Maryland. USAMRIID is the lead medical research laboratory for the U.S. Biological Defense Research Program and plays a key role in national defense and in infectious disease research. Colonel Korch attended Boston University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in biology in 1974, followed by post-graduate study in mammalian ecology at the University of Kansas from 1975-1978. He earned his Ph.D. in immunology and infectious diseases from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1985, followed by post-doctoral experience at Johns Hopkins from 1985-1986. For the past 15 years, he has also engaged in research and program management for medical defense against biological pathogens used in terrorism and warfare and has authored numerous scientific publications and served as co-editor of the biodefense textbook, Biological Weapons Defense: Infectious Disease and Counterbioterrorism. He resides in Columbia.
Dr. Lamba heads up CCL Biomedical, Inc., a small life sciences company based in Havre de Grace. The company is commercializing a unique family of active agents or polymers that have been shown to be biocidal, non-leaching, and do not require regeneration or refreshment to maintain their activity. These active agents can be bonded to the surface of cotton and manmade fibers, such as polyester and nylon, and applied as a spray to provide a protective coating. They can also be blended with fibers and yarns for end uses in disposable apparel and barrier fabrics, filters, sportswear, wipes, sporting goods, outdoor tents and awnings, as well as a variety of medical and healthcare products. Dr. Lamba received her B.Sc. in Applied Chemistry in 1991 from Aston University in Birmingham, UK, and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering in 1994 from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK. She resides in Joppa.
Vice President and Provost
Montgomery College- Germantown
Montgomery College is the largest and most endowed community college in Maryland and Dr. Pinkney is the point person to construct a one million square foot Life Sciences and Technology Park, a technology incubator, and a Bioscience Center on the Montgomery College-Germantown campus. This innovative project in collaboration with the State of Maryland, Montgomery County, the University of Maryland College Park, business leaders, and others, will help ensure that the local biotechnology industry continues to grow and creates the next generation of scientists and laboratory researchers. Dr. Pinkney was named 2003 Educator of the Year by the African American Chamber of Commerce. He earned his B.S. degree in Biology from Claflin College, where he graduated Cum Laude, and his Masters degree in Education from South Carolina State College, both in Orangeburg, SC. He also holds a Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) in Educational Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA. He resides in Silver Spring
In 1994, Dr. Ramsay became the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which includes the schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, public health, law, and social work. The campus is also closely associated with the University of Maryland Medical System and Dr. Ramsay sits on its board of directors. Dr. Ramsay was educated at Oxford University in England, where he received his baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and medical degrees. He later joined the faculty at Oxford and served for more than a decade as senior vice chancellor of academic affairs at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Ramsay is a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, past chair of the Association of Academic Health Centers, and serves on the boards of the Greater Baltimore Committee and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. He has led the efforts in the development of the UMB BioPark, which promotes Maryland bioscience innovation and collaborative research opportunities. Dr. Ramsay resides in Severna Park.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (HGS)
Mr. Watkins joined HGS as Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the Company in November 2004. He was named President in December 2005. Mr. Watkins came to HGS with nearly twenty years of experience at Abbott Laboratories and its affiliates in the United States and Asia. HGS was founded in 1992 and is based in Rockville, Maryland, with approximately 880 employees. The HGS clinical development pipeline includes drugs to treat hepatitis C, lupus, anthrax disease, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and HIV/AIDS. The company's primary focus is rapid progress toward the commercialization of two lead products, Albuferon for hepatitis C and LymphoStat-B for lupus. Mr. Watkins holds a bachelor's degree from the College of William and Mary, and a master's degree in business administration from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business. He lives in Bethesda and is also a member of the Board of Directors of Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Rockville, Maryland.
Executive Director
Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO)
Ms. Winsky has 22 years of professional experience in the management of nonprofit and government-related institutions. She was appointed the TEDCO Executive Director in 2007 after serving as Interim Executive Director. In support of its programs, TEDCO has attracted $12 million in grants from numerous federal and national organizations. TEDCO also administers the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund and works directly with the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission. In her capacity, Winsky can provide input regarding TEDCO's programs with life sciences companies as well as TEDCO's work with the Stem Cell Commission and Fund. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and resides in Davidsonville.
Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Dr. Woodcock is a prominent FDA scientist and executive, having received several national awards and recognitions. As Chief Medical Officer, she plays an important role in cross-cutting regulatory and scientific processes at FDA as well as advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable. Since joining FDA in 1986, Dr. Woodcock has been the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, the Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Director of the Office of Therapeutics Research and Review, and the Acting Deputy Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. She received her M.D. from Northwestern Medical School, and completed further training and held teaching appointments at the Pennsylvania State University and the University of California in San Francisco. She lives in Brookeville and was nominated by was nominated by Commissioner von Eschenbach to be the FDA representative.
