MISSION

Technology Analyst. Business Strategist. New Product Developer. Public Health Innovator.
For over 25 years I have been driven through my research and industry work to build and advance biotechnology solutions for complex problems impacting health, biosecurity, and the environment.

Previous Companies

• Intrexon | pioneering synthetic biology and genetic engineering company
• Exonhit Therapeutics | microarray molecular diagnostics for chronic disease and genetic variant screening
• Vectrant Technologies | biodefense threat detection systems and infectious disease medical diagnostics
• Nanogen | microarray molecular diagnostics and immunoassays for chronic and infectious diseases
• Gen-Probe | molecular tests for screening US blood supply and clinical diagnostics for infectious diseases

Highlights

• Advanced first-in-class genetic engineering products and new product development programs for health, food, consumer, biosecurity, and environment sectors at pioneering synthetic biology company (Intrexon)

• Provided technology analysis and post-integration support for biotechnology acquisitions exceeding $400M (Intrexon) (see list)
• Developed novel molecular diagnostics and environmental biothreat detection systems with integrated immunoassay and molecular tests for US Intelligence Community (Vectrant)
• Developed several first-in-class molecular diagnostics at leading diagnostics company (Gen-Probe) and have specialized experience developing FDA regulated medical diagnostics (see list)
• Advanced multiple biotechnology new product development programs and initiatives (see list)

I have been advancing biotechnologies and gaining expertise on the frontlines of numerous medical, environmental, and public health interventions throughout my career. My experience working across academia, industry, and the international development community has greatly informed my approach to promoting improved domestic and global public health with technology-based solutions.

Highlights

• Developed current FDA-approved molecular tests for safety screening of US blood supply (HIV, HCV, HBV, West Nile Virus) and multiple medical diagnostics (Gen-Probe) (see list)
• Launched the APTIMA molecular diagnostic platform with the first FDA-cleared combined chlamydia and gonorrhea molecular tests using male/female urine specimens, eliminating previous requirement for male genital swabbing and flattening the curve on transmission of STIs (Gen-Probe)
• Developed mobile dual-use clinical diagnostics and environmental biothreat detection technologies with integrated immunoassay and molecular tests for US intelligence community (Vectrant)
• Advanced medical countermeasures for biosecurity: sensors, diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines (Gen-Probe, Nanogen-Vectrant, Intrexon)
• Supported protocol design and deployment of pioneering HIV/CD4 mobile testing in Sub-Saharan Africa to ensure efficacy of HIV anti-retroviral therapies (ART) in rural low resource settings (St. Gabriel's Hospital Malawi)
• Performed technology analysis and supported government engagements on gene editing, genetic engineering, and cloning technologies used in our food systems (Intrexon)

• Advanced genetically engineered mosquitoes for use in mosquito-borne infectious disease vector control for Zika, dengue, yellow fever, malaria, etc. (Intrexon, Oxitec)
• Pioneered development of gene-edited environmental clean-up systems for emerging contaminants of concern (COCs) [i.e., 1,4-dioxane] (Intrexon)

Volunteer Organizations

• American Lung Association | Supported Healthy Air Campaign and briefings to US Congress on program activities
• St. Gabriel's Hospital, Lilongwe District, Malawi | Performed global health fieldwork and international development with interventions targeting HIV, malaria, and healthy air to reduce burden of chronic diseases

My academic training is in biology, immunology, medical and environmental microbiology, and public health epidemiology.

It is an overarching goal to advance scientific understanding at the intersection of molecular epidemiology and systems biology using advanced biotechnologies. One of my primary objectives is to evaluate technology platforms for utility in environmental and public health interventions and provide recommendations to operationalize and scale interventions where merited.

There is a need to apply epidemiological and technology risk analyses to better understand targets for intervention, resource requirements, and data analysis approaches to inform next steps developing and deploying technologies to environmental and public health interventions.

I believe it is in the pubic interest to bring a more robust data-driven public health voice to industry and technology development.

Current Academic and Research Focus Areas

• Public health epidemiology | environmental and infectious disease epidemiology
• Molecular epidemiology | genetic and epigenetic determinants of disease and correlation of disease to environmental exposures
• Medical microbiology | molecular detection and fingerprinting techniques for outbreak and epidemic intelligence gathering
• Systems biology | tissue specific microenvironment gene-expression analyses of interactions with other organisms, chemicals, and environmental exposures
• Risk analysis | risk analyses and risk management for technology-based public health interventions
• Government regulation | policies surrounding integrated regulatory frameworks for biotechnology and genetic engineering

Former Academic Research Institutions

• George Mason University, Department of Global and Community Health | master of public health graduate studies in epidemiology (pending program completion)
• UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Marine Biology Research Division | independent research: environmental and extremophilic microbiology natural products chemistries for molecular tools, medicines, and bioremediation
• The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Immunology | immunology basic research focused on virology, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease during undergraduate studies
• University of California San Diego, Department of Biology | undergraduate studies in biology

Throughout my career I have leveraged my biomedical and life sciences knowledge to address significant risks to the public health. I was fortunate to gain early basic research experience in immunology and virology in the Neil Cooper Lab at The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Immunology, beginning in 1992 during my undergraduate study in biology at the University California San Diego.

Between 1998 and 2004, I was at Gen-Probe working on HIV blood safety screening and molecular diagnostic tests. I began independent research in 2005 on environmental microbiology and natural product chemistries at the Marine Biology Research Division of the UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

After working on environmental biothreat detection for the US Intelligence Community in 2008 and my subsequent global health fieldwork experiences in Sub-Saharan Africa, I moved to Washington DC in 2010 to focus on biosecurity and begin my graduate education in public health epidemiology in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University.

As a result of my public health graduate studies and experience advancing genetically engineered technologies for public health, I recognized more enhanced risk analysis and risk management studies are required to successfully deploy interventions while building and maintaining government regulatory support and public trust. I look forward to continued learnings on topic and opportunities to share lessons from my experiences.

Big Picture Interests

• Intersecting molecular epidemiology and systems biology approaches to identifying genetic and epigenetic determinants of disease

• Quantitative biomarker testing and medical diagnostics
• Biosecurity and epidemic intelligence programs
• Chemical and biological environmental threat detection systems and sensor technologies
• Quantitative measurements and risk assessments for air and water quality environmental safety testing
• Remediation of environmental contaminants of concern
• Environmental infectious disease vector control
• Emerging technologies in healthcare and environmental biosecurity (e.g. A.I., genetic engineering, gene-editing, biosafety, bioremediation, etc.)

As a biologist and explorer I am supremely inspired by nature and the chemistries that make up the living world. The term 'One Health' is used to describe the interconnectedness between the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems. It points to the potential for zoonotic disease spillover and the now socially obvious need to prepare for pandemic prevention. Likewise, environmental exposures to chemical contaminants of concern (COCs) and infectious disease vectors are increasing and require new mitigation and remediation strategies leveraging varied technologies.

For over two decades, I have been contributing to development of biothreat detection platforms to support national security and pandemic prevention. Securing our environments from chemical and biological threats arising from natural reservoirs or bad actors continues to be a main priority. As part of this effort, I aim to leverage my experience to better understand the impacts of invasive species and infectious disease vector control technologies on the environment. In addition to biosecurity, I am also keen to support development of environmental health and bioremediation technologies for pollution and chemical contaminants of concern. See list below of previously supported environmental health initiatives.

Highlights

• Performed technology analysis and studied environmental interventions addressing contaminants of concern [e.g., 1,4-dioxane, PFAS]
• Developed multiple environmental monitoring and threat detection systems for biosecurity and biodefense (Gen-Probe, Vectrant)
• Pioneered development of gene-edited environmental clean-up systems for emerging contaminants of concern (COCs) [i.e., 1,4-dioxane] (Intrexon)
• Deep expertise with genetically engineered, gene-edited, and cloned organisms serving as first-in-class for EPA and USFWS regulators (Intrexon)
• Engaged government leaders, including acting CDC Director and acting FDA Administrator, to advance mosquito-borne infectious disease vector control interventions aimed at dengue and Zika, and helped gain support of Gates Foundation for pilot program addressing malaria (Intrexon, Oxitec) (see list of federal, state, and local government engagements)
• Briefed US Congress on environmentally friendly aquaculture technologies to lessen burden on wild fisheries with a land-based system that reduces growth time and overall feed input requirements with first FDA approved genetically engineered food animal for human consumption (salmon) (Intrexon)
• Briefed US Secretary of Agriculture on gene-edited food animals (Intrexon)
• Promoted use of genetically engineered non-browning fruits to reduce food waste and improve access to nutrition (Intrexon)
• Supported endangered species conservation programs to achieve population expansion using cloning of archival veterinary specimens to enhance population genetics (Intrexon, ViaGen) [press] black footed ferret - NYTimes.com | Przewalski's horse - CNN.com
• Volunteered with American Lung Association supporting Healthy Air Campaign and briefing US Congress on program activities
• Engaged funders and philanthropic organizations regarding terrestrial and marine biodiversity conservation and natural products discovery programs

In my experience it is critical to gain and maintain public trust in environmental and public health interventions that depend on introduction of new technologies that affect our communities. A hallmark of successful interventions is the implementation of rigorous risk analysis and risk management planning prior to deployment of emerging technologies.

I am keen to systematically address new technology risk management and public opinion considerations, as well as the need to follow the science with stakeholders across industry, government, academia, the financial community, and the general public in order to build the mutual trust and understanding that is required to advance technology-based interventions. I look forward to translating lessons learned developing and deploying highly regulated first-in-class molecular and genetically engineered products to a framework that will benefit the new ventures and technology startups I am supporting in the interest of operationalizing technologies for environmental and public health interventions.