Next generation targeted protein therapeutics
Mike Gresser, PhD
Chief Scientific Consultant and SAB Member
Mike Gresser received his Ph.D in Biochemistry in 1976 from Brandeis University. He did postdoctoral studies at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA under the supervision of Paul D. Boyer. In 1980 Mike joined the Department of Chemistry at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, and progressed to Professor of Chemistry. While there Mike received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and did research on the biochemistry of Vanadium V, and on the mitochondrial ATPase. In 1988 Mike Joined the Merck Frosst Center for Therapeutic Research in Kirkland, Quebec as Director of Biochemistry. Over the next twelve years Mike progressed through the ranks of Senior Director, then Executive Director of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Mike’s team worked on a variety of small molecule drug discovery programs, resulting in the introduction of numerous molecules into clinical trials. Two of these molecules, Singulair and Vioxx, became products. In 2000 Mike joined Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks, California, as Vice President of Research for Inflammation, where he remained until April, 2006. For two years Mike served as Head of Neuroscience Research as well as Inflammation Research. Mike’s team at Amgen worked on taking many molecular targets, introducing numerous small molecules, human antibodies and other proteins into development. Currently Mike is a Visiting Scholar at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA, and works as a consultant with Clarity Therapeutics Consulting.
Sherie Morrison, PhD
Distinguished Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA
Dr. Morrison has an extensive background in academia and business. She is a full professor at UCLA and has been a world-renowned pioneer on recombinant antibody technology. Her accomplishments include developing techniques for the creation of chimeric antibodies and novel expression systems including polymeric antibodies and antibody fusion proteins.
Richard A. Flavell, PhD, FRS
Chairman, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology,
Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Flavell is Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine. He received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry from the University of Hull, England, and performed postdoctoral work in Amsterdam and Zurich. Before accepting his current position, Dr. Flavell was first Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam; then Head of the Laboratory of Gene Structure and Expression at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London; and subsequently President and Chief Scientific Officer of Biogen Research Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Flavell is a fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He was recently elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He has published over 800 papers and is recipient of many awards including Invitrogen Meritorious Career Award from the American Association of Immunologists.
Lieping Chen, MD, PhD
Director of Cancer Immunology,
The Yale Cancer Center,
Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Lieping Chen is a Director of Cancer Immunology at the Yale Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. From 1997 to 2010, he served as a Professor of Dermatology and Oncology and Director of Dermatology Research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Chen worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. in Seattle as an research scientist, and as a Professor in the Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Chen's laboratory was the first to use costimulation to enhance tumor immunity in 1992 and has identified and characterized a series of molecules in the B7 and the TNF receptor/ligand superfamilies. Dr. Chen has published more than 200 scientific papers, review articles and book chapters, and edited two books. He has delivered more than 150 seminars, lecturer and speeches and served in many committees and advisory boards for US federal government and private organizations.
Dennis Fenton, PhD
Dennis Fenton was granted a PhD in Microbiology from Rutgers University. He joined Pfizer Central research, working in New Product Development from 1977 – 1981. He joined Amgen at its inception in 1982 as a Research Scientist. During his 26 year career, he held positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Research, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Senior Vice President of Operations. He was Amgen’s first Executive Vice President. He holds 5 US patents in microbiology and published over 50 papers and abstracts. He retired from Amgen in 2008 and is currently an independent consultant and a member of the boards of Amira, Kythera, CytomX, Xenoport ,Rugters University, the Keck graduate Institute and the Biotechnology Institute.
Chief Scientific Consultant and SAB Member
Mike Gresser received his Ph.D in Biochemistry in 1976 from Brandeis University. He did postdoctoral studies at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA under the supervision of Paul D. Boyer. In 1980 Mike joined the Department of Chemistry at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, and progressed to Professor of Chemistry. While there Mike received the Excellence in Teaching Award, and did research on the biochemistry of Vanadium V, and on the mitochondrial ATPase. In 1988 Mike Joined the Merck Frosst Center for Therapeutic Research in Kirkland, Quebec as Director of Biochemistry. Over the next twelve years Mike progressed through the ranks of Senior Director, then Executive Director of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Mike’s team worked on a variety of small molecule drug discovery programs, resulting in the introduction of numerous molecules into clinical trials. Two of these molecules, Singulair and Vioxx, became products. In 2000 Mike joined Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks, California, as Vice President of Research for Inflammation, where he remained until April, 2006. For two years Mike served as Head of Neuroscience Research as well as Inflammation Research. Mike’s team at Amgen worked on taking many molecular targets, introducing numerous small molecules, human antibodies and other proteins into development. Currently Mike is a Visiting Scholar at the Molecular Biology Institute at UCLA, and works as a consultant with Clarity Therapeutics Consulting.
Sherie Morrison, PhD
Distinguished Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UCLA
Dr. Morrison has an extensive background in academia and business. She is a full professor at UCLA and has been a world-renowned pioneer on recombinant antibody technology. Her accomplishments include developing techniques for the creation of chimeric antibodies and novel expression systems including polymeric antibodies and antibody fusion proteins.
Richard A. Flavell, PhD, FRS
Chairman, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology,
Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Flavell is Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine. He received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry from the University of Hull, England, and performed postdoctoral work in Amsterdam and Zurich. Before accepting his current position, Dr. Flavell was first Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam; then Head of the Laboratory of Gene Structure and Expression at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London; and subsequently President and Chief Scientific Officer of Biogen Research Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Flavell is a fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He was recently elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He has published over 800 papers and is recipient of many awards including Invitrogen Meritorious Career Award from the American Association of Immunologists.
Lieping Chen, MD, PhD
Director of Cancer Immunology,
The Yale Cancer Center,
Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Lieping Chen is a Director of Cancer Immunology at the Yale Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. From 1997 to 2010, he served as a Professor of Dermatology and Oncology and Director of Dermatology Research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Previously, Dr. Chen worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. in Seattle as an research scientist, and as a Professor in the Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Chen's laboratory was the first to use costimulation to enhance tumor immunity in 1992 and has identified and characterized a series of molecules in the B7 and the TNF receptor/ligand superfamilies. Dr. Chen has published more than 200 scientific papers, review articles and book chapters, and edited two books. He has delivered more than 150 seminars, lecturer and speeches and served in many committees and advisory boards for US federal government and private organizations.
Dennis Fenton, PhD
Dennis Fenton was granted a PhD in Microbiology from Rutgers University. He joined Pfizer Central research, working in New Product Development from 1977 – 1981. He joined Amgen at its inception in 1982 as a Research Scientist. During his 26 year career, he held positions of increasing responsibility, including Vice President of Research, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Senior Vice President of Operations. He was Amgen’s first Executive Vice President. He holds 5 US patents in microbiology and published over 50 papers and abstracts. He retired from Amgen in 2008 and is currently an independent consultant and a member of the boards of Amira, Kythera, CytomX, Xenoport ,Rugters University, the Keck graduate Institute and the Biotechnology Institute.