Accelerating Coronavirus Testing Solutions (A.C.T.S.) Advisory Panel

Massachusetts understands the gaps that exist in the SARS-CoV-2 testing environment.  To accelerate impact during this critical time, the Center solicited proposals to improve testing solutions and address bottlenecks in the testing supply chain. The A.C.T.S. program leverages Massachusetts’ R&D capabilities and innovation infrastructure to accelerate the development of innovative solutions that hinders our ability to quickly and effectively combat and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of this effort, the MLSC solicited the assistance of outstanding experts across multiple disciplines to serve on the A.C.T.S. Advisory Panel. The panel provides tremendous credibility to our investment portfolio by providing their expertise and talent to help us identify, support, and fund novel innovations and solutions for SARS-CoV-2 testing.

Ramy Arnaout

Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, BIDMC Associate Director, Clinical Microbiology

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Jerry Casey

Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development

UMass Lowell

Christine Coticchia

Principal Scientist

Sherlock Biosciences

Mahdi Garelnabi

Associate Professor, Dept of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences

UMass Lowell

Lee Gehrke

Professor of Health Sciences and Technology (MIT) and Professor of Microbiology and Immunobiology (HMS)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School

James Gomez

Senior Research Scientist, Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program

Broad Institute

Pawan Jolly

Senior Research Scientist

Wyss Institute

Rajnish Kaushik

Director, Licensing and Strategic Alliances, Office of Technology Licensing

Brandeis University

Ben Linville-Engler

Industry & Certificate Director, System Design & Management

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Erin McKenna

Deputy Director and Sr Project Manager, Boston Biomedical Innovation Center

Mass General Brigham

Glenn Miller

Market Sector Leader

Mass General Brigham

Ann Moormann

Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology

UMass Medical School

Mary Ann Picard

Director of Operations

M2D2

Pam Randhawa

Founder and CEO

Empiriko

Satinder Rawat

Senior Licensing Officer

UMass Medical School – Bridge

Peter Reinhart

Director, IALS and Clinical Professor, BMB

UMass Amherst

Daniel Schoener

Innovation Consultant

Thomas Tsai

Surgeon and Health Policy Researcher, Dept. of Surgery (BIDMC) and Assistant Professor, Dept. of Health Policy and Management (HSPH)

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard School of Public Health

Renee Wegrzyn

VP, Business Development

Ginkgo Bioworks

Wesley Wong

Associate Professor, Dept. of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and Pediatrics, HMS Investigator, PCMM, BCH Associate Faculty, Wyss Institute

Harvard Medical School and Wyss Institute

Mark Zeidel

Chairman, Department of Medicine (BIDMC) and Professor of Medicine (HMS)

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School

Biomanufacturing Advisory Panel

Massachusetts recognizes that as new innovative therapeutic modalities are being developed, a biomanufacturing bottleneck exists keeping therapies from patients. As the life science innovation capital of the world, home to hundreds of companies pioneering innovative therapies and treatments, Massachusetts is well poised to lead in developing these critical biomanufacturing innovations. The Building Breakthroughs Capital Call was designed to provide grants for capital projects in Massachusetts by enabling and supporting biomanufacturing innovation.

As part of this effort, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center solicited the assistance of outstanding experts to serve on a Biomanufacturing Advisory Panel. The advisory panel provides tremendous credibility to our investment portfolio. Peer Reviewers provide their experience and talent to help us identify highly promising technologies, companies, and collaborative efforts for investment.

Alfred W. Boyle, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President Technical Operations

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Jie Chen, M.D.

VP of CMC Operation

WuXi Apptec

Rohan Patil, Ph.D.

Principal Scientist, Bioprocess Development

Sanofi Genzyme

Bob Steininger

SVP, CMC

Surface Oncology

Philip G. Vanek, Ph.D.

GM, Cell and Gene Therapy Strategy

GE Healthcare

Data Science Review Panel

Massachusetts recognizes that the role of data sciences in life sciences innovation has evolved rapidly and, if harnessed, has the potential to catalyze innovation at unprecedented rates. The digital transformation is taking place across the globe in various industries. Investment in generating datasets and training data scientists for life science research is required to sustain the Massachusetts global leadership position in life science innovation.

The Bits to Bytes Capital Call was designed to provide grants for capital projects in Massachusetts by enabling and supporting the generation and analysis of large datasets to answer pressing life science questions and to attract and train data scientists in the Commonwealth.

As part of this effort, the MLSC solicited the assistance of outstanding experts to serve on a Data Science Review Panel. The review panel provides tremendous credibility to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s investment portfolio. Peer Reviewers provide their experience and talent to help us identify highly promising technologies, companies, and collaborative efforts for investment.

Gabriela Alexe

Research Associate in Pediatrics

Boston Children’s Hospital

Frederick Schoen

Senior Pathologist

Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Vasileios-Arsenios Lioutas

Neurologist

Beth Israel Deaconess Center

David Feygin

Chief Digital Health

Boston Scientific

Iain McFadyen

Head, Computational Sciences and Next Generation Analytics

Moderna Therapeutics

Sally Trabucco

Senior Scientist

Foundation Medicine

Doyle Ward

Associate Professor, Director of Operations, Center for Microbiome Research

UMass Medical

Caroline Shamu

Scientific Director for Harvard Medical School Research Cores and Technology, Director ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, Assistant Professor of Department of Radiology (MGH) & Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology

Harvard University

John Goodhue

Executive Director

Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center

Soha Hassoun

Professor, Computer Sciences

Tufts University

Helena Deus

Technology Research Director

Elsevier

Dolores Baksh

Innovation Leader for Cell Therapy Technologies

GE Life Sciences

Zhenjun Hu

Research Associate Professor, College of Engineering – Bioinformatics Research Unit

Boston University

Shannan Ho Sui

Senior Research Scientist, Department of Biostatistics

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Massachusetts Next Generation Initiative Executive Coaches

Increasing the number of successful entrepreneurs is in the best interest of the entire life science industry. Gender parity is not only about equal representation. It is about a strong business case that supports a diverse ecosystem. Launched in 2017, the Massachusetts Next Generation Initiative (MassNextGen) is a five year, over $2 million commitment to ensure greater gender parity in the next generation of life science entrepreneurs.

Each year, following a competitive program, women-led early-stage life science companies will be awarded a year-long customized package of support, which includes non-dilutive grant funding and access to a network of seasoned Executive Coaches.

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center has leveraged the region’s substantial network of seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, and life science experts to create an executive coaching network that selects each year’s winners based on a set of criteria including, but not limited to, the level of involvement of women in the conception, strategy and execution of the company, the proposed use of funding and feasibility and promise of the business plan and technology.

Christine Brennan

Partner

MRL Ventures

Nancy Briefs

Co-Founder and CEO

Altrix Bio, Inc.

Jim Coccia

Vice President of Market Access

Deciphera

Marc Cote

Certified Business/Executive Coach

Focal, Point Coaching

Bonnie Fendrock

CEO and Co-Founder

Cyta Therapeutics

Barbara Fox

Serial Entrepreneur

Tilos Therapeutics

Vikas Goyal

Principal

SR One

Ruoxi Hu

Senior Associate

Partners Innovation Fund

Lauren McGuire

Director

Digital Business Development and Licensing

Vinit Nijhawan

Executive Director

UMass MTTC

Mary Ann Picard

Director of Operations

M2D2

Pam Randhawa

Founder and CEO

Empiriko

Veronique Riethuisen

Senior Vice President, Global BD and Alliance Management

Ipsen

Rachel Sha

Digital Business Development & Licensing, Global Business Development & Licensing

Sanofi

Jo Viney

Founder and CSO

Pandion Therapeutics

MLSC Team

Meet the dedicated staff committed to supporting the growth and development of the life sciences through innovative programming and initiatives.

Board of Directors

Meet the Board of Directors responsible for the financial health of the agency and its investment in life sciences economic and workforce development.

Advisory Committees

Meet the Biomanufacturing Advisory Panel, the MassNextGen Executive Coaches, the Data Science Review Panel, and the A.C.T.S. Advisory Panel.