Advisory Board

Dr. Denis is the Associate Vice President of Technology Transfer at The Rockefeller University, a premier biomedical research institution located in New York City. She is a past President of the Licensing Executives Society USA/Canada (LES), and has served on the Board of Directors of the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association. She is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), a former Chair of the Board of Governors of Certified Licensing Professionals, Inc. and a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP). Currently Dr. Denis serves on the boards of the AUTM Foundation and Entrepreneurship Lab NYC.

Specializing in the management of intellectual assets in the life sciences, Dr. Denis worked with academic institutions and industry clients to manage intellectual property portfolios, evaluate new technologies, market and license technologies and start new technology-based businesses. Dr. Denis is active in numerous professional organizations and speaks frequently about early stage technology evaluation, formation of start-up companies, conflict of interest and other issues of academic technology transfer.

Dr. Denis holds a Ph.D. in immunology from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in Human Genetics from University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and an undergraduate degree in genetics from Cornell University.

Iain has more than 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical research, drug discovery, scientific and technology licensing, start-up company leadership, as well as consulting for numerous biotech and venture capital organizations. Most recently Iain was a Senior Vice President, Business Development & Licensing Merck where he oversaw all licensing deals for Merck Research Laboratories, including external research, out-licensing, regional deals and academic alliances. Before joining Merck, he served as vice president of External Research and Development at Amgen. He has also held positions as president and CEO of Essentialis Therapeutics, as Vice President, Scientific and Technology Licensing at GlaxoSmithKline, and as Venture Partner for OrbiMed. Iain received his D.Phil. degree from the University of Oxford where he also received a B.A. in Jurisprudence.

Tony Ford-Hutchinson has more than 30 years of experience in pharmaceuticals, drug and vaccines discovery, research and development, business development, emerging markets and scientific strategy from his time working with Merck in increasing roles of global responsibility in R&D. Prior to being recruited to Merck, he worked at King's College Hospital Medical School, in London, for nearly 10 years in the field of inflammation and arachidonic acid metabolism where he made some fundamental discoveries on leukotrienes, work that was put into practice at Merck Frosst, Canada, which eventually leading to Singulair® (leukotriene D4 receptor antagonist) and the Cox-2 inhibitors (Vioxx® and Arcoxia®). Subsequent career highlights at Merck relating to infectious disease include the development of HIV integrase inhibitor Isentress® and development & licensing of therapies to tackle drug-resistant bacterial infections. Tony's most recent responsibility at Merck as head of Vaccine R&D led to commercialization of 4 vaccines; Gardasil®, Zostavax®, Proquad® and Rotateq®. After retiring from Merck Tony has been either an Independent Board Member, Scientific Advisory Board member or Chief Scientific Officer for a number of biotechs and non-profit organizations.

Glen N. Gaulton, Ph.D. is Vice Dean and Director of the Center for Global Health, and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. In this role, Dr. Gaulton oversees the full scope of global health activities in the school with a mission to improve health equity worldwide through improved awareness and access to care, discovery and outcomes-based research, and comprehensive educational programs grounded in partnership. Penn’s global health efforts reach 75 countries worldwide with major centers in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and southeast Asia. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Gaulton served for 16 years as the lead scientific officer of the Perelman School. In this capacity, he supervised all aspects of the School's research and research training enterprise and was responsible for both stimulating new research endeavors and providing the optimal intellectual and administrative support for ongoing research and education programs.

Dr. Gaulton received his Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He conducted postgraduate research in immunology at the School of Public Health and School of Medicine at Harvard University. Dr. Gaulton has published over 100 manuscripts and texts, is an editor and/or reviewer for nine scholarly journals and has been chair of four NIH study sections. As a teacher and researcher, Dr. Gaulton has received numerous awards including the Dean's Award for Basic Science Teaching, the Berwick Memorial Teaching Award, the Lindback Award, the Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Leukemia Society Scholar Award.

Mr. Hatfield brings deep industry knowledge and decades of biopharmaceutical business experience. Most recently he served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Vitae Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Vitae”) from March 2004 to October 25, 2016, and now serves as a Director. He has also served as a Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Venture Partner, and Advisor at Atlas Venture LP.

Mr. Hatfield spent nearly twenty years with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, and served in various management roles including as Senior Vice President of Bristol-Myers's virology and immunology division, President and General Manager of BMS-Canada, Vice President of US Managed Health care, and a variety of marketing and sales management positions. At BMS, he was directly associated with several product successes, including Pravachol®, Plavix®, Avapro®, Abilify®, Reyataz®, and Atripla®.

Over his career Mr. Hatfield has served on numerous boards including Miragen Therapeutics, aTyr Pharma, InVivo Therapeutics Holding Corp, the Biotechnology Industry Group (BIO), and Ambit Biosciences Corporation. He served as an Adjunct Professor at Purdue University and is on faculty at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.

Mr. Hatfield received his Bachelors of Science in Pharmacy from Purdue University's School of Pharmacy and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Holveck was appointed President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of Endo Pharmaceuticals in 2008 and retired as of March 2013. Mr. Holveck brought over 40 years of pharmaceutical industry expertise to Endo, and was responsible for driving the strategic growth for the corporation and identifying opportunities for domestic and international expansion. Endo grew from a $1.3 billion business in 2008, to a diversified $3.0 billion healthcare solutions company in 2012.

Prior to joining Endo, Mr. Holveck was President of Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC) and Vice President, Corporate Development of Johnson & Johnson since 2004. While at JJDC, Holveck was accountable for equity investments made on behalf of the enterprise and tasked with increasing strategic effectiveness of the company’s key investments. During his tenure, Holveck’s work helped chart a global approach to long term growth initiatives, and build a management and investment team with competencies aligned with the new JJDC vision. Mr. Holveck joined J&J as a company Group Chairman in 1999 following the acquisition of Centocor, Inc., by J&J. Holveck was Chief Executive Officer of Centocor, Inc. at the time of the acquisition and was instrumental in the smooth transition of Centocor into the J&J corporate culture.

Mr. Holveck joined Centocor in 1983 and progressed through various executive positions. In 1992, he assumed the role of President and Chief Operating Officer and later that year was named President and Chief Executive Officer. While in this role, Holveck solidified confidence of key shareholders in the organization, restructured the company’s financial underpinnings to increase profitability, and established partnering relationships with leading pharmaceutical companies for the development of various medicines.

Mr. Holveck launched his career in the pharmaceutical industry after ending his service with the U.S. Navy after an honorable discharge. Prior to his military service, Holveck received his B.A. in Education from West Chester University.