Advisory Panel

The Innovation Support Center Advisory Panel provides industry "know-how" to translate drug discovery projects to commercial drug approvals. Our panel includes capabilities in the following areas:

• Preclinical and Clinical Planning
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Pharmacology/Toxicology
• Regulatory Strategy and Planning
• Discovery and Development Specialty Areas
• Business Development

Preclinical and Clinical Planning

Panel members with expertise in selecting and developing assays, animal models, structural models and clinical trials are assets to the successful and efficient discovery and development of therapeutics for clinical advancement.

Perry Molinoff, MD

A neuropharmacologist with more than 30 years’ experience in both the academic and industrial sectors.

Chair, Innovation Support Center, Harrington Discovery Institute
Member, Scientific Advisory Board, BioMotiv
Professor, Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania
Former VP, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Lawrence Olanoff, MD, PhD

An expert in preclinical and clinical planning and strategy with more than 30 years’ combined experience in clinical pharmacology and pharmaceutical development.

Special Advisor to the President for Corporate Relations, MUSC
Former President and COO, Forest Laboratories, Inc.

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Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal chemistry experts with decades of experience in the synthesis and alteration of organic compounds contribute to the discovery and optimization of lead compounds and series without claiming rights to any intellectual property. These industry veterans know how to help our scholars identify compounds with a high likelihood of becoming therapeutic agents.

Peter Bernstein, PhD

A consultant in medicinal chemistry with more than 30 years’ experience in drug development and discovery at ICI Pharmaceuticals through its spin-off as Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and subsequent merger with Astra Pharmaceuticals to form AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Former Senior Principal Scientist, Chemistry, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals

William Greenlee, PhD

A consultant in medicinal chemistry with more than 25 years’ experience in drug discovery and development.

Former VP, Schering-Plough
Former Senior Director, Merck

William Murray, PhD

A medicinal chemist with a long track record of producing new molecular entities (NMEs) that advanced into human clinical trials. He has deep experience in drug discovery in multiple therapeutic areas and additional breadth of knowledge that includes drug development and operations.

Former VP of Chemistry at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical R&D
Advisory Board Member for The Institute for Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery SUNY at Stony Brook
Scientific Advisory Committee member, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Chemistry
Scientific Advisory Committee member, Rutgers University, Department of Chemistry

John Piwinski, PhD

Has extensive expertise in small molecule drug discovery with over 30 years of experience in medicinal chemistry.

Former VP, Schering-Plough
Former Senior Scientist, Revlon Health Care

George Trainor, PhD

A consultant with 30 years’ experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Has expertise in drug discovery strategy development and execution, medicinal chemistry and the application of transformative technologies.

Former VP, Oncology and Early Discovery Chemistry, Bristol Myers Squibb

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Pharmacology/Toxicology

Panel members with a strong background in pharmacology advise scholars on safety, toxicology, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, providing an expert eye to evaluate experimental results and suggest strategic next steps.

Martin Graham, PhD

A consultant in pharmacology with more than 25 years’ research and development experience in small molecule and protein therapeutics from IND to NDA/BLA.

Former VP, Development, TetraLogic Pharmaceuticals
Former Director of Pharmacokinetics, Centocor – Johnson and Johnson

Frank Richardson, DVM, PhD, DABT

Logged over 25 years in both large pharmaceutical and biotechnology drug development activities including: toxicologic assessment of drug candidates, biomarker development, and animal care and use. He has conducted of all aspects of preclinical toxicology and biomarker development from discovery to product registration with emphasis on oncology and antiviral compounds.

Formerly Principal Toxicologist with Affigility Solutions
Former Principal Research Fellow in Toxicology & Molecular Markers for OSI Pharmaceuticals
Former Director, Toxicology Safety Assessment and Animal Facility for Gilead Pharmaceuticals

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Regulatory Strategy and Planning

With an eye to the clinic, panel members with years of experience in regulatory strategy and planning offer an important perspective in guiding early discoveries toward investigational and marketing success.

Kaushik Dave, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Experienced pharmaceutical and biotechnology executive with over 25 years at both Big Pharma (Merck and Schering-Plough) and small entrepreneurial start-ups.

Former CEO of Actinium Pharmaceuticals
Former VP of Product Development at Antares Pharma Inc.
Former Executive Director at Transave Inc.
Former Chief Development Officer at Apollo Bioscience Inc.
Former VP of Product Development at Palatin Technologies

Thomas Hohman, PhD

A specialist in retinal research and development with extensive experience in the identification and assessment of licensing opportunities across multiple therapeutic areas.

Former VP, Retina Translation Medicine, Allergan and Alcon
Former Ophthalmology & Clinical Head, Novartis

Alex Micu, PhD, MBA

A consultant with extensive expertise in strategic product development in the areas of Psychiatry, Neurology, Ophthalmology and Oncology. He is well versed in the use of portfolio management tools such as MS Project as well as other commercial and open source project planning tools.

Former Program Director at Alkermes for multiple indication therapies
Former Director, Neuroscience Program Management, Wyeth

Paul Williamson, MD

A regulatory strategy expert with over 30 years of clinical and industry experience.

Former Senior Director, The Stem Cell Organization, formerly of Johnson & Johnson

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Discovery and Development Specialty Areas

Advisors with specialty skills in key scientific and/or therapeutic areas lend a deep understanding to complex drug discovery projects.

Michael Ahlijanian, PhD

A drug discovery professional and talented leader with more than 25 years in the pharma/biotech industry with expertise in Neuroscience. He has had success in preclinical candidate delivery and translating preclinical data sets to the clinic, as well as developing therapeutics and translational data sets for Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy.

Former Vice President of Research, EnVivo Pharmaceuticals
Former Director, Neuroscience/Genetically Defined Diseases Biology and Head, Clinical Biomarkers GDD, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Former Executive Director, CNS Discovery Operations, Pfizer

Stephen L. Brenner, PhD

A consultant with more than 40 years’ experience in the academic, government, and industrial sectors applying innovative chemical and protein technology to drug discovery.

Former VP of Chemical and Protein Technologies, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Former Senior Director of Physical Sciences, DuPont Pharmaceutical Company

Siew Ho, PhD

A consultant with extensive experience in nucleic acids (NA) research and drug discovery. She has deep expertise with in vitro screening and identification of potent molecules for in vivo studies, as well as for cellular and molecular experiments.

Formerly Head of Nucleic Acid Research Group at Bristol-Myers Squibb; Collaborated with Ionis Pharmaceuticals in discovery of nucleic acid PCSK9 clinical candidate

Robert Lipper, PhD

Over 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical development with an emphasis on formulation, CMC, and chemistry related IND components.

Former VP, Biopharmaceutics Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Patricia Weber, PhD

An industry and start-up consultant with broad experience in the utilization of structure-based drug design and biophysical approaches for the discovery of both small molecule drugs and protein biologics.

Former Senior Director, Structural Chemistry, Schering-Plough Research Institute

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Business Development

With significant pharmaceutical business development, investment, and startup experience, these advisors work with researchers and technology transfer offices to develop commercialization strategies, support company creation, and identify and introduce potential investors and partners.

Rahul Aras, PhD

Biotechnology CEO with 15 years of experience specifically in advancing early-stage life science technologies through product proof-of-concept and value creation.

Former President & CEO, SironRX Therapeutics
Former Director, Life Science Commercialization, Cleveland Clinic Innovations

George Arida, MBA

Venture capitalist with 20 years of experience and a focus on early-stage opportunities in biotechnology and medical devices.

Former Managing Director, Venture Investors LLC
Founding Director, Mid-America Healthcare Investors Network

Bernard Cambou, PhD

Biotechnology executive with broad corporate international experience in research and development, business development, venture capital, and company founding and/or CEO positions.

Former CEO, Cytomics Pharmaceuticals
Former Partner, Life Sciences Investments, Birchmere Ventures
Former Senior Director, New Business Opportunities, Biotechnology, Aventis (now Sanofi)

Paul Resnick, MD, MBA

Executive with broad leadership experience and entrepreneurial spirit spanning large pharmaceutical companies and start-up biotechnology companies encompassing corporate strategy, product development, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and collaboration.

Former Chief Business Officer, MabVax Therapeutics
Former VP, Business Development, Intellikine Inc. (acquired by Takeda)
Former Senior Director, World-wide Business Development, Pfizer

Jan Rosenbaum, PhD

Experienced drug development professional with a current focus on commercialization strategy and more than 25 years of technical management expertise.

Former Chief Scientific Officer, Airway Therapeutics
Former Director of Life Sciences, CincyTechUSA
Former Principal Scientist, Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals

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