BioBlast

Ep 21 - A Conversation with Samir Khleif (Georgiamune)

Dr. Samir N. Khleif is a pioneer in the field of immunotherapy. He is a medical oncologist, immunologist, innovator, and entrepreneur, as well as a transformational executive in health care and biomedical research.
Prior to becoming CEO of Georgiamune, Dr. Khleif served in different academic and leadership positions. He was a National Cancer Institute (NCI)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist and Chief of the NCI Cancer Vaccine Section, where he led the development of pioneering immune-oncology and cancer vaccines into clinical trials. As a national and international academic leader, and detailed by the US government, he served as the founding director and CEO of the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan, where he led the development of the largest cancer center in the MENA region. He also served as the director of the Georgia Cancer Center, the state cancer center, at Augusta University. He is currently a biomedical scholar and holds a professorship at Georgetown University Medical School.
Dr. Khleif also served as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner of the FDA, leading the FDA's Critical Path Initiative for Oncology. He is a member of the board of directors of Ayala Pharmaceuticals and Emerald Biopharmaceutics, and served as a member of the scientific advisory board of more than 20 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
Dr. Khleif is an international KOL in immunology and immunotherapy. He has served on many national committees, including the Scientific Advisory Board of the Biden Cancer Initiative, as chair of the Immunotherapy Committee for NRG, and as a member of the NCI Cooperative Group. He currently serves as an advisor for the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Dr. Khleif is an editor of three books, the author of hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific research articles, and a prolific inventor with more than 150 patents issued or pending in the field of immunology and immunotherapy.

Ep 20 - A Conversation with Jeff Galvin (AGT)

Jeff Galvin, CEO and founder of American Gene Technologies® (AGT™) and Addimmune™, is dedicated to curing humanity's most deadly diseases through gene and cell therapy. Addimmune, a spin-off company from AGT, is developing a potential cure for HIV. Building on the success of AGT’s HIV clinical trial, Addimmune is focused on developing and commercializing an effective and lasting cure for HIV using gene and cell therapy.
Galvin has always been fascinated by the healing potential of biotechnology. He views the human cell as a biological computer, with DNA functioning as its software operating system. Similar to man-made computers, a cell's OS can sometimes have glitches or errors that cause it to function abnormally, leading to life-threatening diseases. He believes that the best way to cure these diseases is by fixing the underlying DNA, essentially tweaking the cell’s software code to eliminate the glitch. This vision and the techniques for repairing a cell’s DNA continually drive him, AGT, and Addimmune toward more innovation.
Galvin earned his BA degree in Economics from Harvard in 1981 and has more than 30 years of business and entrepreneurial experience, including founding or holding executive positions at various Silicon Valley startups. Several of his companies have been taken public and/or sold to public companies.

Ep 19 - A Conversation with Chandra Briggman (Activation Capital)

Chandra Briggman is the President and CEO of Activation Capital, leading Virginia's innovation ecosystem development. Since becoming CEO in 2020, she has guided the organization through a strategic pivot, securing over $111M in growth capital in 2022 and raising $43M previously. Her leadership has made Activation Capital leaner, more agile, and focused on transformative technology work.
Before this, Chandra was Director of Venture Café Foundation in Cambridge, MA, expanding its revenue and footprint. She also held innovation roles at the United States Postal Service and multiple startups. Chandra is active in the entrepreneurship and innovation community as a lecturer, coach, speaker, and board member of 14 regional boards. She holds degrees from Columbia International University, Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from MIT.
Her work is dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive ecosystem for science and technology innovation, impacting various community members and fostering high-paying tech jobs and careers.

Ep 18 - A Conversation with Kathie Callahan Brady (FITCI)

Kathie Callahan Brady works with some of highly gifted, emerging Biotech and Technology companies as President and CEO of Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI). Since stepping into her role at the incubator/accelerator in 2016, FITCI has seen their client base grow 276%. Currently they serve 51 companies, and in total have served over 163 companies. She herself is an entrepreneur with more than 30 years of executive-level experience in IT, real estate, and business development. She’s led entrepreneurs and corporations in strategies to achieve high-level success. Kathie has founded and helped grow four successful companies in various industries including real estate, telecommunications, healthy lifestyles, and consulting.
Kathie continues to pursue her passion for real estate and was a partner in Quantum Realty Capital specializing in commercial real estate and financing. She founded future CEO to empower entrepreneurs to start and operate their own businesses and leads with that same passion at FITCI. She served as Executive Director at the National Academy of Sciences & taught for University of Maryland. She is an avid networker & passionate about helping others succeed. Her business model, leadership & innovation strategies have guided clients towards productivity resulting in improved profits. Kathie has helped 100’s Companies raise funding & grow significantly. One client with steady losses over 5 years was turned around to achieve profits of $20m. Her passion is to help owners turned around, increase profits & achieve a better quality life. Kathie practices what she preaches & has been a member of Vistage for the past several years helping to further develop her own leadership while taking her company to $72m.
 
She believes that success is a conscious choice & the role of a leader is to lead change along with drive growth. She feels privileged to work with the top 5% who actually step up, assumes leadership, & makes a tangible difference. To achieve this, leader’s need fresh ideas & feedback from others who have similar experience. She accomplishes this through her work as a CEO Group Chair with Vistage, CEO Space & 212 Business Mastery which was the impetus for the SGAB "Strategic Growth and Advisory Boards" she created at FITCI.

Ep 17 - A Conversation with Carsten Brunn (Cartesian Therapeutics)

Carsten Brunn, Ph.D. serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cartesian Therapeutics. Prior to Cartesian’s merger with Selecta in November 2023, Carsten served in this role at Selecta. Before joining Selecta, he was the President of Pharmaceuticals for the Americas Region at Bayer and a member of the Global Pharmaceutical Executive Committee. Before being appointed to that role in 2017, he was the President of Bayer Pharmaceuticals in Japan, a role he had held since 2013. Carsten also served as the Chairman of the European federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) Japan, an organization representing innovative pharmaceutical companies in Japan.
Over the last 25 years, Carsten has held a number of senior leadership positions in Europe, Asia, and the United States at leading companies such as Eli Lilly, Novartis, Basilea, and Bausch & Lomb. Carsten graduated from the University of Freiburg in Germany with a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. In addition, he studied at the University of Washington under a research scholarship. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Hamburg, Germany, and completed his executive education at London Business School. Carsten serves as a director on the board of Surface Oncology.

Ep 16 - A Conversation with Kelly Schulz (BioHub Maryland)

Kelly Schulz is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working within government administrations. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Government, Team Building, Coalitions, and Proposal Writing.
She is a strong administrative professional with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused in Political Science and Government from Hood College.

Ep 15 - A Conversation with Ruth Cheng, PhD (ATCC)

Ruth Cheng, PhD, is a distinguished leader in healthcare and life science innovation, boasting extensive experience in product development, strategic planning, corporate venturing, mergers and acquisitions, portfolio management, marketing, business operations, and regulatory and clinical affairs. Her technical expertise spans multiple major therapeutic areas, Class II and III medical devices, drug delivery systems, and combination products.
 
Dr. Cheng is renowned for her proven ability to shape and manage high-performing teams, demonstrating exceptional skill in de-risking and accelerating the market introduction of innovative products. Her strategic insights and comprehensive knowledge make her a pivotal figure in advancing medical and technological advancements in the healthcare industry.

Ep 14 - A Conversation with John Mumm (Deka Biosciences)

John Mumm brings over 20 years of experience in academia and the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry, having held positions of increasing responsibility. His primary focus has been on discovery research at the interface between cancer biology and the adaptive immune response. John has significant expertise in understanding what tumors secrete that negatively impacts the immune response and developing therapeutic strategies to overcome these barriers.
 
He has accumulated substantial experience in translational research, particularly in rendering cytokines into therapeutic entities. Recently, John has directed his efforts toward the manufacturing of biologics for Phase 1 and 2 immuno-oncology clinical trials. His specialties include Discovery Research, Biologics Manufacturing, Oncology: Immune Interface, Cytokine Biology, and Translational Research.

Ep 13 - A Conversation with Mustafa Al-Adhami (Astek Diagnostics)

Astek Diagnostics was founded by Mustafa Al-Adhami, PhD, inspired by his grandfather's experience with a urinary tract infection (UTI). Al-Adhami saw the pressing need for a more efficient and accurate diagnostic solution, leading him to create the Jiddu Analyzer, designed to deliver rapid antibiotic sensitivity testing within one hour.
The company began its journey in 2021, when Al-Adhami outlined his vision for a one-hour antibiotic sensitivity test. Over the next year, Astek Diagnostics focused on developing its first prototype, recognizing that the issue was widespread and affected many beyond Al-Adhami’s personal experience. The high incidence of UTIs, especially among vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and post-menopausal individuals, highlighted the urgent necessity for innovation in this field.
www.astekdx.com

Ep 12 - A Conversation with Neal Piper (Luminoah)

Neal Piper is the Founder and CEO of Luminoah, a MedTech company focused on improving the lives of enteral nutrition patients through the development of an innovative hardware and software system.
Prior to starting Luminoah, Neal had a successful career in the healthcare industry, starting at Pfizer's Neuroscience Division and later serving as President of the Global Health Fellows Alumni Business Network. He has also worked as a Global Malaria Advisor for Pfizer's Emerging Markets Division and helped expand the sales and distribution program in 18 countries at Population Services International.
In addition to his work at Luminoah, Neal has founded several other startups, including a home healthcare company and a non-profit organization. He is passionate about using technology to improve healthcare and making a positive impact on communities around the world.