2011 Annual Conference Keynote Speakers
Dr. Joe Gray came to OHSU in 2010 and serves as the director for Center for Spatial
Systems Biomedicine as well as chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at OHSU’s School of Medicine. Dr. Gray, a physicist and an engineer, is one of the most highly regarded scientists in the field of cancer research. He is known for breakthroughs that have changed clinical practices for cancer patients including aspects of flow cytometry, a technique for counting and examining microscopic particles, such as cells and chromosomes. He also was a key participant in the development of the widely used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and comparative genomics hybridization (CGH) tests that map the genetic material in breast cancer patients’ cells.
Dr. Gray has held several influential leadership positions throughout his distinguished career including Associate Laboratory Director for Biosciences and Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Professor of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco; and, Cytophysics Section Leader, Biomedical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He currently is Principal Investigator of an NCI Breast Cancer SPORE, an NCI Center for Cancer Systems Biology award, and a DOD Innovator Project on early cancer detection, and Co-Principal Investigator of a Stand Up to Cancer Dream Team.
He has earned numerous awards and honors including the E.O. Lawrence Award from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Curt Stern Award from the American Society for Human Genetics, a Team Science Award from the American Association for Cancer Research and he has been elected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He serves as a member of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors and the National Academy of Sciences Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board.
Brian McKelligon is the vice president for Global Sales and Support at Ion Torrent Systems Inc. . Brian current runs the global commercial efforts for Ion Torrent (acquired by Life Technologies in October of 2010). He joined Ion Torrent in January of 2010 and brings with him nearly 20 years of sales, business development and marketing experience in the life sciences. He has extensive experience in building commercial organizations and introducing new technologies to the life sciences market. Prior to Ion Torrent, Brian served as vice president of Sales and Marketing at SwitchGear Genomics. He has also directed sales and business development for two of the first and industry leading genomics companies, Affymetrix and Incyte Corporation. He received his education from Santa Clara University and now resides in Portland with his wife and three kids.
Dr. Thomas P. Stossel is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He was
educated at Princeton University and Harvard Medical School. He trained in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and in hematology at Boston Children's and Peter Bent Brigham Hospitals. He was head of Hematology and Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1976 until 1991, was Co-Director of the Hematology Division at Brigham & Women's Hospital through 2006, and is currently Director of a new Division of Translational Medicine. From 1976-1980 he was a consultant to the U.S. Department of State, investigating effects of microwaves on U.S. Embassy personnel in Moscow.
Stossel's basic research concerns fundamental mechanisms of cell motility. This research led to discoveries that may reduce critical care complications of major injury and impact platelet transfusion therapy. His policy interests concern physician and researcher interactions with private industry. He was President of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and Editor in Chief of its Journal of Clinical Investigation and served as President of the American Society of Hematology, for which he received its Dameshek and Thomas Awards. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Institute of Medicine. He is Editor in Chief of Current Opinion in Hematology, a member of the Lasker Awards Jury, a member of the Board of Directors of Zymequest Corporation, and a founding scientist of Critical Biologics Corporation. He has been awarded honorary M.D. degrees from the Universities of Linköping (Sweden) and Geneva (Switzerland).
With his wife, Kerry Maguire, D.D.S., M.S.P.H., Stossel has worked in orphanages in Nepal and Zambia and trains service dogs. He plays tennis and piano, and has two children and one grandchild.
Session Speakers
Dr Robert Allen completed his initial training in virology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in Microbiology. He is currently the Associate Director of Antiviral Drug Discovery at SIGA Technologies, administering the antiviral screening program and preclinical development of antivirals toward a catalog of biodefense-related viral pathogens
Ursula Bechert earned a B.S. from Utah State University in 1985, and her D.V.M. from Oregon and Washington State Universities in 1991. After working in private practice and an exotic wildlife park in Oregon for several years, she earned a Ph.D. in Animal Sciences. Her research interests focus on reproductive physiology of endangered species, development of novel diagnostic and population management tools, as well as nutritional and pharmacokinetic studies. She has worked at Oregon State University (OSU) for 13 years and is currently Director of Off-Campus Programs in the College of Science. Ursula administers several Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs on campus and leads a statewide PSM project. She has published over 35 papers in peer-reviewed journals, co-edited a wildlife medical book, and delivered numerous professional lectures at national and international conferences. Ursula has served on or chaired several research review panels for the Science Foundation of Ireland, served on the OSU International Advisory Council, and is Immediate Past President of the National Professional Science Master’s Association.
Michael Bottlang, PhD, is the founder and director of the Legacy Biomechanics Laboratory in Portland Oregon. His research in orthopedic trauma is focused on treatment of bone fractures. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and holds patents on three different fracture stabilization technologies, all of which have been successfully marketed. The Legacy Biomechanics Laboratory serves as a platform for collaboration between orthopedic surgeons and engineering scientist to develop innovative solutions for patient care. The Laboratory has received funding from the US government (NIH, Department of Defense) and has collaborated with leading orthopedic implant manufacturers in the US and Europe. It provides training opportunities for engineers that seek a career in the orthopedic implant industry.
Scott Corbett is Chief Technology Officer and cofounder of Blacktoe Medical, a Portland startup developing an ergonomic, finger-worn ultrasound imaging probe. He has over 28 years experience in the biomedical space as a technologist, executive and founder of several companies. He has held senior engineering/management positions at Precision Interconnect (now Tyco Healthcare), PI Medical (now a division of St. Jude Medical), GE Medical Ultrasound Division, and cofounded two Seattle-based biomedical companies, MicroConnex and Advanced Cochlear Systems. Mr. Corbett’s technical expertise includes acoustics, medical ultrasound, neuroprosthetic systems, implantable materials and systems, sensors, hearing technology, MEMS devices, laser micromachining, electrical/mechanical packaging and interconnect technology. He has served as grant writer, speaker and principal investigator on NIH and DOD grants totaling over several million dollars. His experience includes strategic planning, patent creation and management and technical due- diligence. He has received 23 patents in the medical device, sensor, micromachining and electronic interconnect fields. Mr. Corbett received a BA in Physics from Occidental College in Los Angeles, California and a MS in Acoustics from Penn State University.
Professor Jon Down is Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Pamplin School of Business Administration at the University of Portland. He has been intimately involved in the partnership between the University of Portland and Oregon Health & Science University to develop a graduate level program aimed at commercializing science and technology research. This initiative leverages his teaching, research and consulting interests that blend strategy, finance and entrepreneurship in technology environments. Other recent projects include a study of the State of Entrepreneurship in Portland and an examination of how firms achieve the right balance of strategic flexibility in their planning systems. Prior to joining UP, Jon was founding Director of the Austin Entrepreneurship Program at Oregon State University. His Ph.D. is in Strategic Management from the University of Washington. He has an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State. Past management roles include stints at Westinghouse Electric Company and Precision Castparts Corporation.
Mayor 
Denny Doyle has served as the Mayor of Beaverton, Oregon for the past two years. He is very active within the community and serves in leadership roles at a number of organizations that assist our local and regional businesses, including: The National League of Cities, US Conference of Mayors, Greater Portland Inc., Metro, and the Beaverton Area Chamber of Commerce. The Mayor is also an active participant at numerous national and international events, promoting the City and our region as the best place to do business. Before becoming Mayor, he served as a City Councilor for 14 years, supplying his depth of grassroots community involvement to the benefit of citizens. He also owned and operated his own computer services company for many years and has a keen understanding of business operations. In addition, Mayor Doyle is a strong advocate for young people. Through his leadership, the City has partnered with volunteer groups to improve conditions and opportunities for youth in our community. The Mayor founded the Westside Metros Soccer Club in 1992 and still serves as an active Board Member today. In 1993, the Mayor was elected to the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District where he served a four-year term. Today, he still serves as a Board Member on the Tualatin Hills Park Foundation.
Dr. Bernard A. Fox received his Ph.D. from Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. His postgraduate training was with Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, NCI, NIH. Prior to coming to Portland he was on the faculty at the University of Michigan Medical School. Since 1994 he has been Chief, Laboratory of Molecular and Tumor Immunology, at the Robert W. Franz Cancer Research Center, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center, Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, Oregon. He is an Associate Professor, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University and co-leader of the Tumor Immunology Focus Panel for the Knight Cancer Institute. Dr. Fox’s research efforts are divided between preclinical animal models, the development, performance and monitoring of immunotherapy trials for patients with cancer and the training of the next generation of translational investigators. He is currently involved with translational immunotherapy trials for patients with melanoma, prostate, breast and non-small cell lung cancer. He has served as a member of review committees for the NIH, FDA, philanthropic and governmental organizations in the USA, Europe and Asia, is on the editorial boards of six scientific journals, lectures widely, consults for the biotechnology/pharma sector and is an internationally recognized expert on cancer immunotherapy. A founding member of the Tumor Vaccine and Cell Therapy Working Group, Dr. Fox has coordinated their International meetings for the past 16 years. Dr. Fox is the Immediate Past President of the International Society for Biological Therapy of Cancer / Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (iSBTc / SITC), serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Biological Development Association (Europe); The Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina; the Vaccine Branch, NCI, NIH; and is a co-founder of UbiVac, a biotech with novel cancer vaccine technology.
James C. Greenwood is President and CEO of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) in Washington, D.C., which represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. Since his appointment in January of 2005, he has markedly enhanced the trade association’s capacity – increasing both its staff and budget by nearly fifty percent. BIO is now a world class advocacy organization playing a leading role in shaping public policy on a variety of fronts critical to the success of the biotechnology industry at the state and national levels as well as internationally.
Joe Hammang, Ph.D. is Senior Director of Worldwide Science Policy at Pfizer Corp.
and leads a team of scientific professionals who develop policies and provide scientific expertise on the critical science and technology issues facing the biopharmaceutical industry. The team supports Pfizer’s worldwide business units, the US and global Public Affairs teams and the R&D division. In addition, his staff also helps manage Pfizer’s relationships with external constituents and key thought leaders in science and medicine to help develop industry-leading policy positions.
Prior to joining Pfizer’s Science Policy and Public Affairs group in 2002, Joe served as Vice President for Science, Technology and Business Development at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and as Head of Science and Technology at the Rhode Island Economic Policy Council. In 1999, he was appointed Governor Lincoln Almond’s Advisor for Science and Technology.
Joe started his scientific career as a postdoctoral fellow and then as a Research Investigator in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience at Bristol Myers-Squibb in Wallingford, Connecticut where he was involved in Alzheimer’s disease research. Following Bristol Myers-Squibb, he served as Director of Cell and Molecular Neuroscience and Director of the Ophthalmology and stem cell R&D programs at CytoTherapeutics in Providence, Rhode Island.
Throughout his career, Joe has authored more than 60 scientific articles and invited book chapters, and invented or co-invented 35 U.S. patents. He completed his graduate work at the University of Wisconsin in 1990, and holds a Ph.D. in the area of Neuroscience.
Jack Isselmann leads Tonkon Torp's state and local government relations and public policy practice.
He is the former Deputy Director for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, and he served as the governor’s appointed chair of the Economic and Community Development Commission. He later acted as a senior advisor to Governor Kulongoski's 2006 re-election campaign.
In 2007-2008 Jack served as an adviser to the campaign of U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR).
Previously he practiced business law serving as in-house counsel for two Washington County technology companies, including Intel Corporation. He began his career as an associate for a Portland-based law firm.
Jack graduated with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law. He earned his undergraduate degree cum laude at the University of Southern California, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.
Jack has been recognized in the area of Government Relations Law in The Best Lawyers in America from 2009 to 2011. He serves on the board of the Portland Schools Foundation.
David C. Johnson is the Rosaria Haugland Foundation Chair in Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Oregon. He is the creator and Director of the Graduate Internship program, the creator and Director of the Center for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon (CAMCOR) – the state’s ‘high tech’ extension service, and the director of ONAMI’s Nanoarchitectures for Enhanced Performance Center. Johnson is also the associate director of the Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry, an NSF Chemical Innovation Center. Johnson’s research is at the interface of chemistry and physics focused on controlling materials properties using structure. His non-traditional approach to chemical synthesis has led to many new materials with unprecedented physical properties. A recent example is the discovery of a new class of materials material with the lowest thermal conductivity ever reported for a fully dense solid. Johnson, who received his Ph.D. from Cornell and worked as a research chemist for DuPont before coming to Oregon in 1986, received the Oregon Academy of Science’s Outstanding Scientist Award in 2006. He has served as a Board Member for the International Thermoelectric Society since 2006 and is a founding academic member of the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnology Institute.- ONAMI.
Craig Miller is CEO of Preciva, which is developing an electronic cervical screening device to replace the Pap test. Previously, as an Executive Vice-President for Polartechnics Limited, he managed a team of scientists, engineers, and clinicians to develop and bring to market an electro-optical medical device for cervical cancer screening. He has also managed a skin cancer screening project, operated a 3 shift metal manufacturing plant, and in the early 1990s, started a company that sold GPS software and development services to Rockwell Interna¬tional and built the first GPS system with voice directions. In regulatory matters, he has managed design, development, manufacturing, verification and validation for a Class II medical device; he has managed the CE marking process required for sales of a Class IIa medical device in Europe which led to commercial sales in Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has a graduate degree in physics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Peter B. Murray, VP Operations West, Welch Allyn
Mr. Murray has over 25 years experience with high technology companies and over the past 18 years in the Medical Device industry. He has been associated with Oregon Bio for the past 8 years and is currently the Chair Elect. Prior to joining Welch Allyn, Mr. Murray held positions in engineering and operations management for Analog Devices and Applied Magnetics. Mr. Murray holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California Santa Barbara, and holds Master’s Degrees in Manufacturing Engineering and Business Administration from Boston University.
Josephine Pino has worked as a community college bioscience educator for over 15 years.
She currently serves as Chair of Bioscience Technology and faculty member in Biology at Portland Community College. From 2003-2008 she held the position of Assistant Professor of Biology and Coordinator of the Biotechnology Program at the Community College of Rhode Island where she developed, taught, and promoted the first technical program of its type in Rhode Island. During this time, she also served as Co-PI on two regional NSF-funded collaborative projects: “Northeast Regional Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative” (NBC2), and “RI-EPSCoR”. Prior to her work on the East Coast, she held the position of Professor of Biotechnology/Biology/Marine Science at Shoreline Community College in Seattle, Washington, where she developed curriculum, co-coordinated a biotechnology program and taught a variety of courses. Throughout her career in biotechnology education, Josephine has worked closely with diverse faculty and industry collaborators to match industry needs to the education of students who seek employment in the field. In addition to teaching diverse courses at the college level, she has also taught high school chemistry and has done research in molecular/cell biology and marine science. She has an M.S. in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography-UCSD, an M.S. in Biology/Cell Biology from the University of Utah, and a B.A. in Biochemistry from the University of New Mexico.
Dr. Samuel Scheinberg is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and co-founder and CEO of SAM Medical Products. He served as a MASH surgeon in the Vietnam War which inspired the creation of the SAM Splint, his company’s first product, as a result of inadequate splints of the period. This creation began a mission of developing and manufacturing emergency medical products that are improvements to current technologies. Dr. Scheinberg is a published author, holds several patents, and has received numerous industry honors. His company, SAM Medical Products, just celebrated its 25th anniversary and continues to introduce innovative products for the EMS, Military, and Wound Care markets. Dr. Scheinberg graduated from medical school at the University of Tennessee and conducted his residency training at Louisville University. He also received a National Arthritis Grant and studied at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Sandra Shotwell, Ph.D. is co-founder and Chief Operations Officer at DesignMedix, Inc.a drug development firm focused on the large medical need caused by the rapid rise in drug resistance in multiple diseases. Sandra has over 25 years experience in early stage technology commercialization. She has done biotech and pharmaceutical licensing deals for Stanford University, Oregon Health Sciences University, and the National Institutes of Health, where she founded and led the technology licensing program. Sandra most recently has been a Managing Partner of Alta Biomedical Group, a consulting firm that handles projects in the commercialization of innovative technology. She also is nationally recognized as an authority on the role of intellectual property in the development of neglected diseases. Sandra did her undergraduate work at Princeton University, earned a Ph.D. in Biology from the California Institute of Technology, and did postdoctoral research at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Dan Snyder has more than 15 years of experience in the life science research and diagnostic fields supporting the market development of high value products and services to both pharmaceutical and academia clients. Mr. Snyder has worked extensively in supporting new product introductions and rapid market adoption for novel proteomic and genomic technologies. Most recently, Mr. Snyder has been performing as President, COO for MolecularMD, overseeing a 40% increase in revenue and an expansion of its management team and facilities to support a broader range of capabilities within cancer based personalized medicine.
Jennifer Stoll of Allergan Inc. has held various roles and responsibilities spanning across the country during the 18 years of her career in the bioscience and insurance industries. After graduating from the University of Connecticut, she began her career in the health insurance industry with Aetna US Healthcare in a sales and marketing capacity partnering with employers in Connecticut to provide employee health benefits.
Jennifer left the health insurance industry in 1996 when she transitioned into the pharmaceutical industry, selecting a position at Forest Laboratories in Connecticut in a pharmaceutical sales role. She was promoted to Forest’s corporate office in New York City to take a marketing and analytics position before relocating to Los Angeles for her next assignment in sales management.
In 2001, Jennifer then began work for Sepracor Inc. where she held several positions including sales management and corporate account management. While at Sepracor, she helped create the Government Affairs function, subsequently becoming the Western State Director in 2005. Jennifer left Sepracor in 2009 to pursue the opportunity with Allergan as the Western Region Director for State Government Affairs. She currently is responsible for all state government affairs activity for Allergan covering the states from Texas to Alaska.
Jennifer resides in Portland, Oregon since 2005 with her husband, Martin and her two daughters, Katarina and Juliana.
Lena Ulvi is the senior Human Resources leader for Welch Allyn’s Beaverton, Oregon facility and Asia Pacific region. Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, NY, Welch Allyn is a privately held global provider of medical diagnostic equipment and a complete range of digital and connected solutions. Prior to working for Welch Allyn, Lena worked for Honeywell International in several divisions and locations. Lena earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University and her Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management. She has lived in Portland since 2008 with her husband and two daughters, and has enjoyed becoming involved in the community, including a former role on the Executive Board for the Oregon Bioscience Association.