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Speaking Opportunities at BIO

Keynote

Who's Who:

Tom Thornton 
General Manager, Strategic Alliances, Cleveland Clinic

Tom leads the Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between Cleveland Clinic and MedStar Health aimed at bringing medical inventions to market. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, Tom was the first President and CEO of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, the largest state-sponsored bioscience development fund in the nation. Under Tom's leadership, through June 2010, KBA investments have helped generate 1,195 new jobs; $212.6 million in capital expenditures; $86.6 million in new research funding; and $48.3 million in equity investments. KBA investments have yielded a $9.41 return to the state's economy for each $1 invested. Tom led Kansas' successful effort to site the $650 million National Bio and Agro-defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas. In 2010, Business Facilities magazine ranked Kansas as the fifth most vibrant bioscience economy in the nation.

Prior to joining the KBA, Tom was the President and CEO of the Illinois Technology Development Alliance, one of the most highly regarded technology development organizations in the country. As Senior Vice President, he also led Seattle-based Convergent Technology Group's merger and acquisition and investment banking advisory services in the greater Midwest. Earlier, he was Managing Partner of divine interVentures, a publicly-held investment fund focused on building market leading business-to-business e-commerce, Internet infrastructure and Internet-related business services. Tom received his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

Conferences and Events: 

Funding That First $2 Million?

Who's Who:


Dr. William Tucker
Exec. Director, Innovation Alliances and Services, University of California Office of the President

Dr. Tucker was born in the UK and educated in Australia.  He holds a B. Sc. (Hons) and a Ph. D. in Microbiology from the University of Queensland.  He also holds an MBA degree from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California.  Dr. Tucker held post-doctoral research fellowships at Stanford University (with Prof. Stanley Cohen) and at the Research School of Biological Sciences at the Australian National University in Canberra Australia.  He also holds an MBA degree from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California.

Dr. Tucker’s scientific career focused on agricultural biotechnology, first as a research scientist, and then in technology management and business development through a ten year tenure with Advanced Genetic Sciences, and then its successor organization, DNA Plant Technology.  He then joined Applera Corporation (Applied Biosystems in Foster City, CA) where his was part of the team that licensed PCR technology for commercial applications.  With Applera, Dr. Tucker then joined the business development team at agricultural genomics unit of Celera Genomics where he sought out agricultural applications of molecular marker technology, high throughput sequencing, and related genomics platforms.  He continued these activities with Paradigm Genetics (based in North Carolina) when Paradigm acquired the plant-related part of Celera’s agricultural genomics business.

In 2003, Dr. Tucker joined the Office of Technology Transfer at the University of California, Office of the President, in Oakland CA.  In 2004, Dr. Tucker became the Executive Director, Research Administration and Technology Transfer.  In 2010 following a reorganization of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, his office was renamed Innovation Alliances and Services to reflect a broader role in supporting and enhancing interactions with industry to help move technology from the laboratory to the marketplace.

 

Ronald W. Lennox D.PHIL.
Partner, CHL Medical Partners

Ron invests in the biotechnology and molecular diagnostic sectors. He has served on the boards of eighteen companies including General Surgical Innovations, Inc. (acquired by Tyco International Corp.), GeneOhm Sciences, Inc. (acquired by Becton Dickinson), Protometrix, Inc. (acquired by Invitrogen Corp.), and Applied Molecular Evolution Inc. (acquired by Eli Lilly). He was founding CEO of Protometrix, Inc. as well as of CGI Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Prior to the founding of CHL Medical Partners, Ron was a general partner at Hancock Venture Partners (now HarbourVest Partners) where he invested in sixteen healthcare companies, ten of which had successful IPOs.

Ron graduated from the University of Glasgow with a B.Sc. in Molecular Biology, Oxford University where he received a D.Phil. in Cell Biology and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
 

 

 

Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Director, Medical & Scientific Relations, Alzheimer's Association

Dr. Snyder is the Senior Associate Director, Medical and Scientific Relations, at the Alzheimer’s Association. She oversees the Association's International Research Grant Program, the mechanism through which the Association funds research applications. In addition to ensuring the smooth review of applications and distribution of awards to successful applicants, she is responsible for the dissemination of results and ongoing investigations to a wide range of audiences.

Dr. Snyder oversees the Association’s participation in the Everyday Technology in Alzheimer’s Care initiative, which is a joint effort with Intel that brings together technology researchers who are working to improve quality of life for people affected by Alzheimer's and their caregivers.

She also manages a collaborative project with the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health to develop a Common Alzheimer’s Disease Research Ontology (CADRO) to enable the integration and comparative analysis of Alzheimer’s research portfolios from public and private organizations in the U.S. and abroad.

Dr. Snyder received her Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and her B.A. in Biology and Religious Studies from The University of Virginia. Since graduating from Stritch, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Neurobiology Program at Children’s Memorial Research Center, affiliated with Northwestern University, in Chicago. During this time, she received a training fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, published papers related to mechanisms of neuronal toxicity in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer's disease, and presented topics related to areas of research in both national and international venues.
 

Conferences and Events: 

Public –Private Strategic Alliances: An In-Depth Look at the Duke Translational Medicine Institute – Bristol-Squibb Alliance

Who's Who


Janet Embretson
Partner, Schwegman Lundberg Woessner

Janet Embretson is a shareholder at Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner and a patent attorney with over 18 years of experience in drafting and prosecuting patents related to a wide variety of subject matter including biotechnology, natural polymers, diagnostic and therapeutic methods, plants, nano- and micro-particle based technologies, as well as devices that may be used in combination with chemical and biological therapies.  She did her doctoral work in the lab of Nobel Laureate Howard Temin at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by post doctoral work at Tufts University School of Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Minnesota.  During her final post-doc, Janet attended Hamline University School of Law. She has been a member of AIPLA and AUTM.   Throughout her career as a patent attorney, Janet has served University and corporate clients, as well as individual inventors.  She continues to be inspired by scientific advances and to embrace the challenge of turning those advances  into intellectual property rights, taking into consideration the impact of recent decisions in patent law and the implementation of AIA.

 

 

Kevin P. Hurley MS RAC
Director of Strategic Alliances and Assoc. Director of Therapeutic Development, Duke Translational Research Institute

Mr. Hurley is Director of Strategic Alliances at Duke Translational Research Institute within the Duke Translational Medicine Institute. He has over 20 years of experience in technical, clinical and regulatory strategy and operations related to new drug and device development. Mr. Hurley has worked in both industry and academia in executive level technical and regulatory leadership positions in academic/biotech, consulting and CRO businesses, thus brings both perspectives to management of collaborative alliances. At DTRI, he is responsible for guiding the collaborative research relationship between industry partners and Duke Translational Medicine faculty and staff. In this role, he assists Duke in discovering new and more efficient ways to bring the best of Duke and our sponsor collaborators to bear in translating basic discoveries into new therapies. 

 

John Hidalgo
Assoc. Director of Continuous Improvement Metrics, Global Development & Medical Affairs, Bristol-Myers Squibb

John Hidalgo has been an Associate Director in the Global Development and Medical Affairs (GDMA) Continuous Improvement & Metrics group for over two years. In this role, John has worked with GDMA senior leaders across the organization to make the organization more efficient and effective. John is currently serving as the Academic Alliance Director for BMS and is overseeing the relationship with Duke Translational Medical Institute. Responsibilities include fostering collaborative environment between both organizations, take lead on strategic resolution, manage and direct alliance governance activities and drive opportunities for future initiatives

Before joining the Continuous Improvement and Metrics group, John was a manager in the Strategy and Operations service area of Deloitte Consulting LLP. His work focused on Customer and Market Strategy (CMS) projects in the diversified chemicals, consumer products and financial services industries. John received his MBA from New York University Stern School of Business and his BA from Boston University. 

Conferences and Events: 

Welcome and Introductions by BIO’s Technology Transfer Committee Chair

Who's Who


Mark Crowell
Executive Director and Associate Vice President for Innovation Partnerships and Commercialization, University of Virginia

Mark Crowell is the University's first Executive Director of UVa Innovation and Associate Vice President for Research. Crowell joined U.Va. after serving as Vice President for Business Development at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter FL. His responsibilities at Scripps included innovation management and commercialization, new business development, bio-pharmaceutical industry partnerships, and venture capital relations. Mark has extensive experience in technology licensing, start-up company formation, seed capital development, innovation-based economic development initiatives and planning, and research campus planning.

Prior to joining Scripps in late 2008, Mark spent 8-1/2 years as Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Development and Technology Transfer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, after holding similar positions at North Carolina State University (1992-2000) and Duke University (1987-1992). During the past 24 years, the technology transfer programs Mark has directed - UNC, NC State, Duke and Scripps - have helped to launch more than 135 start-up companies and numerous products and services. In North Carolina, Mark served on the Boards of key economic development and entrepreneurial support agencies, including the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the Council for Entrepreneurial Development, the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, and the Orange County Economic Development Commission.

Throughout his career, Mark has been a leader in a number of major strategic initiatives focused on enhancing innovation-based business development and academic-industry collaborations, including the Carolina North research campus at UNC-Chapel Hill and the Centennial Campus research campus at NC State University. Another highlight includes co-founding a US $10 million seed fund at NC State University (in partnership with the NC Technology Development Authority). At U.Va., Mark works closely with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park, and other state, regional and local initiatives focusing on economic development. He is also active nationally and internationally in policy matters related to innovation, and has testified twice in the US Congress on legislations related to innovation and small business during 2010-2011.

Mark was the 2005 President of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) and was the founding President of the recently launched AUTM Foundation. Currently, Mark serves as Co-Chair of BIO's Technology Transfer Committee and as a member of the Board of Directors of Southeast BIO. He has extensive national and international speaking, consulting, and management experience related to technology transfer and innovation-based economic development, and has been instrumental in forging international research and innovation transfer partnerships on behalf of UNC and of Scripps. His consulting and advisory activities have included a number of US and international academic and policy groups and associations, including the National Science Foundation, the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU), the National Academies of Sciences, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and many others. Mark also served on the inaugural Board of the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership, an initiative coordinated through the National Academies of Sciences designed to expand collaborations between university and industry.

Conferences and Events: 

Building Biotech Hubs; Biomanufacturing Attractors and Accelerators

Register

Registration for the 2012 BIO Technology Transfer Symposium is now open.   
 
Registration is free.
 
At this time, pre-registration is closed. However, we invite you to register in-person. Just come to the Twin Peaks Room of the Palace Hotel on October 8th and fill out a short registration form.
 
Questions? Please contact Caroline Boch at (202) 962-9228 or cboch@bio.org.
Conferences and Events: 

Advisory Committee

Mark Crowell
Executive Director and Associate Vice President for Innovation Partnerships and Commercialization, University of Virginia
 
 
 
 
  
Cartier Esham
Senior Director, Emerging Company Health Affairs, BIO
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alicia Löffler
Executive Director and Associate Vice President of Research, Innovation and New Ventures (INVO), Northwestern University
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lita L. Nelsen
Director, Technology Transfer Office, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ida Shum
Business Development Executive, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Conferences and Events: 

Hotel Information

Palace Hotel 
2 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
 
Deadline: September 15, 2012
 
Reservations
To receive the discounted $309.00 single/double occupancy rate please mention that you are attending BIO Investor Forum when securing accommodations.
To make a reservation please use one of the following options:
 
 
    Telephone — Call the hotel directly, using the following toll free number:  1-888-627-7196.  
                Please mention that you are reserving a room for the BIO Investor Forum. 
                A credit card number must be provided or the reservation will not be processed.
 
Confirmations 
Confirmation numbers are received at the time of booking, modification, and/or cancellation. If you do not receive an acknowledgment via e-mail (if booking via online or fax) or at the conclusion of making the reservation (if booking via telephone) please contact the Palace Hotel reservations office at 1-888-627-7196.
 
Deadline/deposits/room rates/taxes 
To take advantage of the special BIO Investor Forum rate, be sure to book your reservation by September 15, 2012. After this date, the hotel may charge significantly higher rates.
 
A deposit equal to one night’s stay is required to hold a reservation and will be charged at the time the reservation is made.
 
All rates are per room, per night and are subject to appropriate state and local taxes in effect at the time of the meeting. Current state and local taxes are 15.58% and subject to change.
 
Modification/Cancellation of Hotel Reservations/Cancellation Fees
The Palace Hotel will enforce a seventy-two (72) hour cancellation policy.
 
Reservations secured by credit card may be made, modified, and/or cancelled without penalty up to 72 hours prior to arrival.
 
Reservations cancelled within 72 hours of arrival will incur a penalty of one night’s room and tax. 
Conferences and Events: 

Program

Monday, October 8, 2012
 
Registration
12:30 pm
The Palace Hotel – Twin Peaks Room
2 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 
 
 
12:45 pm - 1:00 pm
  Mark Crowell, Executive Director and Associate Vice President for Innovation Partnerships and Commercialization, University of Virginia
 
 
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Guest Speaker: Tom Thornton, General Manager, Strategic Alliances, Cleveland Clinic
 
 
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm
Collaborations between big pharma and academic research institutions are nothing new, a detailed look shows that these tie-ups are becoming increasingly important to big pharma’s development model.  This panel takes a deep dive into the inner workings for a decade long collaboration between the Duke Translational Medicine Institute and Bristol-Squibb Company, including highlighting the current alliance structure, and the path for bringing new projects into the collaboration.
 
Moderator:
Janet E. Embretson, Attorney, Schwegman Lundberg Woessner
 
Panelists:
Kevin P. Hurley, Director of Strategic Alliances and Assoc. Director of Therapeutic Development, Duke Translational Research Institute
John Hidalgo, Assoc. Director of Continuous Improvement Metrics, Global Development & Medical Affairs, Bristol-Myers Squibb
 
 
Networking Break
2:45 pm - 3:00 pm         
 
 
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm 
With creative funding schemes picking up steam and nontraditional funders taking an interest in biotech, what can universities and start-ups expect in their right first-round financing structure? This panel will examine various funding sources, the factors that go into investment decisions and typical deal structures, as experienced investors explain the ins and outs of early stage financing deals.
 
Moderator:
William Tucker, Executive Director, Innovation Alliances and Services, University of California Office of the President
 
Panelists:
Ron Lennox, Partner, CHL Medical Partners
Dr. Heather M. Snyder, Senior Associate Director, Medical and Scientific Relations, Alzheimer's Association
 
 
Closing Remarks
4:15 pm - 4:30 pm
 
 
Networking Reception       
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm  
 
 
 
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
 
Registration for the BIO Investor Forum is open
7:00 am
The Palace Hotel 2 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105 
 
Conferences and Events: