Board of Directors

  • Mathew L. Evins, Chairman & Treasurer, GVN Board; Chairman and CEO of Evins, Ltd.
    Mr. Evins has served as Chairman and CEO of Evins, Ltd., a leading branding, marketing, communications and public relations firm since 1987. Mr. Evins previously served as CEO of Pain Therapeutics Corporation, which was engaged in developing innovative methods for the diagnosis, treatment, and abatement of chronic pain, and copublished “The Talisman Report,” the world’s leading investment advisory newsletter for the three years of its publication. For more than ten years, Mr. Evins served on the staff of Cornell Medical Center, initially as a Surgical Research Associate in the Cardiovascular Research Laboratory and, subsequently, as Associate Director of The Rogosin Organ Retrieval & Preservation Laboratory. Mr. Evins is a member of the Board of Directors of Hommage Inc., as well as a founding member, Treasurer and a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of directors of the Global Virus Network.
     
  • David I. Scheer, Vice Chairman & Secretary, GVN Board; President, Scheer & Company, Inc
    Since 1981, President of Scheer & Company, Inc., a company that has had a highly successful track record of building companies, along with providing corporate strategic and transactional advisory services in the life sciences industry. Much of his company-building activity emerged from a nearly 10- year affiliation with Oak Investment Partners, as part of their Health Care Investing Team. He was a co-founder, and for 21 years, served as a member of the Board of Directors of Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a New Haven-based, publicly held, biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of small molecule therapeutics for complement-related diseases, which was acquired by Alexion in February, 2020.. From 2010 through the end of 2018, he served as the Company’s Chairman of the Board. He is also currently Chairman of the Board of the privately-held company, BiologicsMD, Inc. He was involved in the founding and has been on the boards of a series of privately- and publicly-held companies, including Viropharma, Inc. (acquired by Shire), OraPharma (acquired by JNJ, now a unit of Valeant), and the original Esperion Therapeutics (served as Chairman, acquired by Pfizer). Mr. Scheer also served as a co-founder and Chairman of the Boards of Directors of Aegerion (now a part of Amryt), Optherion, Axerion (now ReNetx), ArRETT Neuroscience, and several others. He currently leads the CT BioScience Coronavirus Task Force, and has been a Member of the Reopen CT Advisory Group. Mr. Scheer holds an A.B. degree cum laude in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard College and an M.S. degree in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology from Yale University.

  • Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD, President, Global Virus Network
    Christian Bréchot, MD, PhD has served as President of the Global Virus Network, a network of 65 Centers and 11 Affiliates headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland since 2017. He joined the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine part time as Senior Associate Dean for Research in Global Affairs, Associate Vice President for International Partnerships and Innovation, and Professor in the Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine in 2018. Before serving as president of the Pasteur Institute from 2013 to 2017, Dr. Bréchot was vice president of medical and scientific affairs at Institut-Merieux, a company that develops new approaches to fight infectious diseases and cancers.  He also served as the general director of Inserm, the French national agency for biomedical research from 2002 to 2007. As professor of hepatology and cell biology at Necker School of Medicine, Paris Descartes University, he led the clinical department of liver diseases at Necker-Enfants Maldes Hospital from 1997 to 2001. Authoring more than 400 articles in medical and scientific journals, Dr. Bréchot was ranked by the Institute for Scientific Information as the 4th most cited author on the topic of hepatitis C. He has been recognized as an inventor on 18 patents, and helped create three biotechnology companies: Rarecells, ALFACT Innovation, and The Healthy Aging Company. Dr. Bréchot’s research activities have focused on viral hepatitis: hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV), particularly with regard to their role in liver cancer (Hepatocellular carcinoma: HCC) and to the molecular mechanisms that drive liver regeneration and cancer (in particular, cell cycle deregulation and the impact of oxidative stress). Additionally, Dr. Bréchot’s research interests include microbiomes, particularly in microbiomes and viral infections.  In this respect, he is a co-founder of the Microbiome, Immunology and Infection Control (MIIM) Hub in the USF Pandemic Response Research Network (PRRN).  This research hub focuses on enabling and connecting an interdisciplinary network of scientists at USF and globally. The hub’s goals are to develop precision therapies and interventions that target the human microbiome to maintain and restore human health against COVID-19 and future such pandemics.  Dr. Brechot is also the head of the USF Institute on Microbiomes.   He has also been the member of numerous scientific committees and societies and has received prestigious awards.
  • Timothy Moynahan, Esq., Chairman Emeritus; CEO, The Moynahan Law Firm.
    Timothy C. Moynahan is the CEO and owner of Moynahan Partners. He founded the Moynahan Law Firm, Waterbury, Connecticut, and is a sought after and successful trial lawyer, earning the Super Lawyer of New England and Connecticut awards from 2009 to 2012 and Best Criminal Defense Attorney accolade in 2013. Mr. Moynahan seeks to improve his community through social, health, and education works. He founded and chairs the Global Virus Network (GVN). He is also a member of the Advisory Board and Executive Committee of the Institute of Human Virology, Vice President/Partner of Paula Moynahan M.D. Skin Care, member of the Post University MBA Advisory Council, and Attorney Emeritus for the Let’s Think Kids Foundation. He was a member of the Dean’s Council, School of Law, Quinnipiac University, and was a discussant on global business practice in Cyprus for the Southern Connecticut State University. Prior to this, Mr. Moynahan founded and chaired The Palace Theatre to preserve the cultural icon. Mr. Moynahan is President of the Ireland Chamber of Commerce in Connecticut. He has served as an advisor for the NBA Retired Players Association as Board member for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and chaired events for the Ataxia Telangiectasia Foundation, and the Order of the Sons of Italy. Post University inducted Mr. Moynahan into its Hall of Fame, named The Timothy C. Moynahan Law Library in his honor and awarded him a Doctor of Letters degree.
     
  • Jason Bernhard, Head of North American Healthcare Investment Banking and, Chief Operating Officer – North American Financial Advisory of Lazard
    Jason Bernhard is a Managing Director at Lazard and serves as Head of Healthcare, North America as well as Chief Operating Officer of North American Investment Banking. He has served in a wide range of senior management roles while at Lazard including Global Co-Head of Healthcare Investment Banking, Director of Lazard Canada, Ltd. and co-founded Lazard’s biotechnology and later its healthcare services practices. Jason is a member of the firm’s Investment Banking Committee and Global Executive Committee.Since joining Lazard in 1997, Jason has been involved in many of the firm’s most complex healthcare advisory assignments. He brings a unique perspective to Lazard’s advisory practice, having spent the majority of his career working with a broad range of healthcare clients. His transaction experience includes domestic and cross border mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buy-outs, restructurings, and capital raises, as well as contested situations.Selected transactions include: Sale of Athenahealth to Veritas Capital, Aetna in its merger with CVS and Humana (terminated), Ariad in its sale to Takeda, Mylan’s Stichting during the hostile approach from Teva, Labcorp in its acquisition of Covance, Endo in its acquisition of Auxilium, Tenet Healthcare’s acquisition of Vanguard and USPI, Medco in its merger with Express Scripts, Omnicare in its hostile takeover of NeighborCare, Pfizer in its hostile takeover of Warner-Lambert and Pharmacia, and Hoechst in its merger with Rhône-Poulenc, among others. He has also served as a Trustee of one of New York-Presbyterian’s largest affiliates, The Brooklyn Hospital Center.Jason began his career in investment banking in 1988 in Merrill Lynch’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group working in New York, London and Hong Kong.University of Pennsylvania, B.A. (cum laude); University of Pennsylvania – The Wharton School, M.B.A.
  • Lawrence Blatt, PhD. Global Head of Infectious Diseases, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson& Johnson and President and CEO, Alios Biopharma
    Lawrence Blatt, Ph.D. is responsible for co-leading the Infectious Diseases & Vaccines (IDV) Therapeutic Area at Janssen Research & Development. Prior to joining the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, Lawrence founded and was President and Chief Executive Officer of Alios BioPharma, Inc., the clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for viral diseases that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2014. He was named as key inventor on several Alios patents and won the 2012 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences. Lawrence spent 30 years in pharmaceutical R&D with a specific focus on the biology of the immune system, antiviral therapies and relevant therapeutic interventions. Before forming Alios, he was Chief Scientific Officer of InterMune, Inc. where he led the discovery and development of an HCV protease inhibitor partnered with Roche. From 1998 to 2002, Lawrence was Vice President of Research at SIRNA. From 1996 to 1998, he served as Vice President, Product Development at National Genetics Institute where he pioneered the use of molecular diagnostics to drive therapeutic treatment decisions for viral infections. He began his career at Amgen where he was ultimately Head of Interferon Research and also Development Team Leader for a consensus interferon product leading to approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lawrence earned his B.S. in Microbiology from Indiana University, a Master’s in Business Administration at the California State University, Northridge, and a Doctorate in Public Health Administration at the University of La Verne, California.
  • Marc Bonneville, DVM, Scientific & Medical Director, Fondation Mérieux
    Marc Bonneville, D.V.M. and CNRS research director, is from July 2020 onwards the Scientific and Medical director and deputy General Manager of Fondation Mérieux. Marc started to work in 1983 on transplantation immunology in Nantes (France), switched from 1987 to 1989 to analysis of mouse cellular immune responses during his postdoctoral training in S. Tonegawa’s laboratory (MIT, Boston). He became in 1990 the principal investigator of a research team within an INSERM unit in Nantes, and took over  the direction of this unit in 1995 for more than 15 years. In 2013, he was appointed as Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the Institut Merieux, a biopharmaceutical holding that gathers companies developing diagnostic and therapeutic tools in the field of infectious diseases, cancer and food safety. Since 2016, he has been the chairman of the Alliance for Research and Innovation of Healthcare Industries (ARIIS), an organization which aims at fostering  partnerships between public research and industries in the field of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics. While pursuing non-profit activities within the Institut Mérieux, in particular the Young Investigator Award program that he launched in 2016, Marc has taken over in 2020 the position of scientific and medical director of the Fondation Mérieux, a non-profit entity that helps the most vulnerable countries and communities to fight infectious diseases through diagnostic and research capacity building. Marc has authored more than 200 scientific papers, is co-inventor of 8 patents, and a co-founder of Innate Pharma SA, a biotech company that implements new immunotherapies targeting innate lymphocytes in infectiology and oncology. He has been involved in more than 30 national and international scientific advisory boards and evaluation committees. He has received the CNRS bronze and silver medals, and several prizes from charities (Fondation pour la Recherche Medicale, Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, B. Halpern prize…) for his work on human cellular immunity in the context of infections and cancer.
  • Tomas Cihlar, PhD, Vice President of Virology at Gilead Science
    Tomas Cihlar is a Vice President of Virology at Gilead Sciences with responsibility for coordinating preclinical antiviral research including projects on treatment, prevention, and cure of HIV, chronic hepatitis B, respiratory viruses, and emerging viruses. Tomas joined Gilead after receiving his PhD in Biochemistry from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague, Czechia. Over the years, he has contributed to the development and regulatory approval of multiple products including all Gilead’s antiretrovirals and their combinations. Together with his colleagues, he established research programs focused on long-acting antiretrovirals, in addition to a portfolio of projects aiming at the cure of HIV and hepatitis B, and programs on the treatment of respiratory and emerging/neglected viruses. Tomas has led multiple antiviral programs at Gilead including the first long-acting HIV capsid inhibitor as well as the broad-spectrum antiviral agent remdesivir that has progressed into clinical testing against Ebola virus and more recently against COVID-19. In 2006, Tomas received William Prusoff Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR) and later on served on the ISAR Board of Directors.
  • Lan Kennedy-Davis, Partner, RumbergerKirk, P.A.
    Lan Kennedy-Davis’ legal practice focuses on general and complex litigation and corporate transactions, including business and shareholder matters, intellectual property disputes, bankruptcy litigation and high stakes and assets family law cases. She has a strong business background, is an economist, as well as former business consultant to Fortune 500 companies.  She has served as Chief Legal Officer of a $800 million publicly traded company, CEO of a groundbreaking headphones company, Counsel to a $62 billion conglomerate and External General Counsel for over 30 private and publicly traded companies.  Her clients include professional artists and athletes.  Her eminent career is punctuated by important national and international legal victories that removed barriers, protected brands, defended company practices and enabled up to hundreds of millions of dollars in added revenues for her clients. 
  • Robert C. Gallo, MD, Director, Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine. Co-founder & Scientific Director, Global Virus Network.
    The Institute of Human Virology (IHV) was co-founded and is directed by Robert C. Gallo, MD, the eminent scientist who became world famous in 1984 when he co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS. Little was known then of the mysterious disease that was fast becoming the deadliest in medical history. Since, Dr. Gallo has spent much of his career trying to put an end to this raging epidemic and other viral, chronic illnesses. Though best known for his co-discovery of HIV, Gallo and his team pioneered the development of the HIV blood test, which enabled health care workers for the first time to screen for the AIDS virus – leading to a more rapid diagnosis while simultaneously protecting patients receiving blood transfusions. His research also helped physicians develop HIV therapies to prolong the lives of those infected with the virus. In 1996, his discovery that a natural compound known as chemokines can block HIV and halt the progression of AIDS was hailed by Science magazine as one of that year’s most important scientific breakthroughs. This also helped others identify CCR5 as the HIV co-receptor since these chemokines were known to bind to CCR5. Prior to the AIDS epidemic, Gallo was the first to identify a human retrovirus and the only known human leukemia virus – HTLV – one of few known viruses shown to cause a human cancer. In 1976, he and his colleagues discovered Interleukin-2, a growth regulating substance now used as therapy in some cancers and sometimes AIDS. And in 1986, he and his group discovered the first new human herpes virus in more than 25 years (HHV-6), which was later shown to cause an infantile disease known as Roseola and currently is hypothesized as a strong suspect in the origin of multiple sclerosis. Today, Dr. Gallo’s work continues at the IHV, a first-of-its-kind virology center that combines the disciplines of research, patient care and prevention programs in a concerted effort to speed the pace of medical breakthroughs. In addition to Dr. Gallo, IHV was also co-founded by William Blattner, MD, retired since 2016 and formerly associate director of the IHV and director of IHV’s Division of Epidemiology and Prevention and Robert Redfield, MD, associate director of the IHV and director of IHV’s Division of Clinical Care and Research. IHV is also comprised of a Basic Science Division, Vaccine Research Division, Immunotherapy Division, and four Scientific Core Facilities. The Institute is a part of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and affiliated with the University of Maryland Medical Center. IHV’s patient base includes approximately 6,000 in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and more than 1.3 million in African and Caribbean nations. In particular, IHV is internationally renowned for its basic science and vaccine research, which includes a preventive HIV vaccine candidate in human clinical trials and funded largely by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Additionally, in 2011 Dr. Gallo co-founded the Global Virus Network (GVN) to position the world to rapidly respond to new or re-emerging viruses that threaten mankind, to bring together and achieve collaboration amongst the world’s leading virologists, and to support training of the next generation of medical virologists. Prior to becoming director of the Institute in 1996, Dr. Gallo spent 30 years at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, where he was head of its Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology. A Connecticut native, his interest in science and medicine was first stirred by the loss of his 6-year-old sister to leukemia when he was just 12 years old. The physicians who cared for her made a lasting impression and Gallo would later make scientific research – and the opportunity to help put an end to deadly diseases – his life’s work. Lifetime achievements in Dr. Gallo’s legendary career include discoveries that have led to both diagnostic and therapeutic advances in cancer, AIDS and other viral disorders while his vision remains unprecedented in the field of virology. Dr. Gallo’s research has brought him international recognition as well as election into the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. He has been awarded honors for his contribution to science from countries around the world and holds 35 honorary doctorates. Dr. Gallo was the most referenced scientist in the world in the 1980s and 1990s, during which he had the unique distinction of twice winning America’s most prestigious scientific award – the Albert Lasker Award in Medicine – in 1982 and again in 1986. Dr. Gallo is the author of more than 1,200 scientific publications and the book “Virus Hunting – AIDS, Cancer & the Human Retrovirus: A Story of Scientific Discovery.” 
  • Brett P. Giroir, MD, CEO, Altesa BioScience
    Dr. Giroir is currently CEO of Altesa BioSciences, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral antiviral drugs. Formerly, he served as the 16th Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Acting FDA Commissioner, and Admiral in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He also served as the US Representative to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization within the Department of State. Notably, Dr. Giroir was on the front lines of the COVID-19 response as a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the national lead for testing and diagnostics (“Testing Czar”). Previously, Dr. Giroir has was the first physician to serve as an office director at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). His academic career included service as Professor and Executive Vice President and CEO of the Texas A&M Health Science Center, Vice Chancellor for the Texas A&M University System, and before that, tenured professor and holder of two endowed chairs at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health in Dallas. Dr. Giroir has received numerous awards including the American Society of Nephrology Presidential Medal; the American Society of Hematology Outstanding Public Service Award; the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Founders’ Special Recognition Award; the Executive Office of the President Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Director’s Distinguished Service Award; and the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Pinnacle Award. His uniformed service decorations include the US Public Health Service Distinguished Service Medal with Gold Star Attachment, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Surgeon General’s Medallion, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Pinnacle Medal, the Global Health Campaign Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, among other awards. Dr. Giroir resides in College Station, Texas, with his wife of 36 years, Jill Shorey Giroir, and has two daughters and two granddaughters. 
  • Rosarii Griffin, BA, HDE, MEd., (UCC), MSc. DPhil. (Oxon), FRSA, DDVS, Director, Centre for Global Development at the University of Cork College
    Dr Rosarii Griffin is Interim Director of the ‘Centre for Global Development’ (CGD) at University College Cork (UCC), County Cork, Ireland. Rosarii’s expertise is in the area of  ‘International and Comparative Education’ focusing on ‘Education as a Humanitarian Response’; ‘Education in Emergencies’ and ‘Education for Global Sustainable Development’.  Previously, Rosarii read for her Doctorate at St Hugh’s College, Oxford University, UK where she won the Vice Chancellor of Oxford Award for undertaking a doctorate of distinction.  Rosarii’s other main area of expertise is in the area of ‘Research Methodology’ – Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods (MSc. (Hons), Exeter College, Oxford University, UK). At UCC, Rosarii lectures (Assistant Professor) in Adult Education, teaching in the area of ‘Disability Studies’ and ‘Research Methodology’. She is also a Researcher in the Vice President’s Office of Learning at Teaching at UCC.  Rosarii is currently Chair of UCC’s Researcher Staff Association (UCCRSA); International Officer of the Irish National ‘Researcher Staff Association’ (IrishRSA) and is Secretary and Director of the ‘International Consortium of Researcher Staff Associations’ (ICORSA). Rosarii is also a  Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), London, UK. Rosarii was formerly elected Governor of UCC’s Governing Authority, and served three UCC Presidents. Rosarii’s research interests include: Science Diplomacy;  Science Communication; Responsible Research in Innovation (RRI) Principles;  Engaging with Science, STEM, Disability and Gender.  Rosarii is strongly motivated by social justice issues both at home and abroad, ensuring a better life for girls and minority groups, especially in the developing world. Rosarii has published 5 books in the area of ‘International and Comparative Education’ and is working on a sixth book. Rosarii is currently working on three EU Horizon2020 research projects. Rosarii is the proud and busy mother of two vivacious teenage girls. In her spare time, Rosarii likes to run, read, write and play music and tennis. 
  • William Hall MD, PhD, Director of the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) and Professor in the School of Medicine and Medical Science at University College Dublin.
    William “Billy” Hall, GVN-Co-Founder, is the Director of the Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID) and Professor in the School of Medicine and Medical Science at University College Dublin. Professor Hall’s research interests are primarily on blood-borne viruses which include the human retroviruses, the human T lymphotropic viruses (HTLVs) and human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs). Professor HaII has also recently established high profile collaboration with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) in Hanoi, Vietnam to carry out epidemiological studies on HIV and Hepatitis Band C virus infections in that country. Professor Hall is presently Chairman of the Technical Advisory Group of Irish Government Department of Foreign Affairs official aid program, Irish Aid. This group advises Irish Aid on the use of resources to combat HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases. He has been a Director of the Atlantic Philanthropies since 2008. 
  • Stephen Israel, Vice Chairman, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals, Korn Ferry
    Stephen Israel is Vice Chairman for Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals within the Global Life Sciences Practice of Korn Ferry. He is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Israel is an acknowledged industry expert and consultant mainly to venture backed, emerging biotechnology companies whose management needs are entrepreneurial and heavily focused on drug discovery and development. Mr. Israel assists companies primarily in attracting chief executive officers, board members, heads of research and development, heads of business development, chief commercial officers, and chief financial officers. Mr. Israel joined Korn Ferry in 1984 and established the Biotechnology Sector at the Firm. Prior to returning to Korn Ferry in 1996, Mr. Israel served as chief administrative officer for Cytel Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company in San Diego. Mr. Israel received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 
  • Yang Liu, PhD, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, OncoC4, Inc
    Dr. Liu was on faculty in a number of academic institutions across US, including New York University, the Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Children’s National Medical Center and most recently as Director of Division of Immunotherapy, Institute of Human Virology and Professor of Surgery, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine.  Dr. Liu’s academic research has been on the fundamental mechanisms of immune recognition, cell metabolism and cancer biology. Dr. Liu has been a driving force in elucidating the mechanisms by which the innate immune system discriminates microbial infection and aseptic tissue injuries.  He was elected as AAAS fellow in 2004. Dr. Yang Liu, Ph.D. was a co-founder of OncoImmune, Inc. and served as its Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer since 2000 until its acquisition by Merck, Inc.  He continues to serves on the same position for OncoC4, Inc., a spin-off of OncoImmune, Inc. Dr. Liu has guided OncoImmune’s effort to translate breakthrough discoveries by the laboratories of Yang Liu and Pan Zheng, including most recently establishing strong therapeutic efficacy of CD24Fc for hospitalized severe and critical COVID-19 patients. 
  • G. Richard Olds, MD, MACP
    An educator, physician, and administrator during a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, Dr. G. Richard Olds is President of St. George’s University in Grenada West Indies on August 28, 2015. Prior to joining SGU, he was the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Founding Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). In 2010, Dr. Olds joined UCR to lead the creation of a new school of medicine – the first LCME-accredited medical school in California in more than four decades. Dr. Olds is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was an infectious disease fellow and one of the nation’s first geographic medicine fellows at University Hospitals of Cleveland, where he also served as medical chief resident and faculty member. He served as full professor of medicine, pediatrics, molecular, cell and development biology at Brown University. He was also the founding Director on Brown’s International Health Institute. He was professor and chairman of medicine at the MetroHealth Campus of Case Western Reserve University in the 1990’s. His role at UCR was preceded by a decade long stint as professor and chair of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In addition to his academic background, Dr. Olds is a tropical disease specialist with extensive experience working in Asia and Africa. He has over 100 peer reviewed articles and book chapters primarily on international health topics. He was the Foreign Principal Investigator of an NIH funded Tropical Disease Research Center in the Philippines. He currently serves on a WHO expert panel and was chairman of the Board of a large Gates Foundation project to deworm children in Sub Saharan Africa. 
  • Peter Palese, PhD. Horace W. Goldsmith Professor and Chair Department of Microbiology. Professor, Department of Medicine Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
    Peter Palese is Professor of Microbiology and Chair of the Department of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. His research is in the area of RNA-containing viruses with a special emphasis on influenza viruses. Specifically, he established the first genetic maps for influenza A, B, and C viruses, identified the function of several viral genes, and defined the mechanism of neuraminidase inhibitors (which are now FDA-approved antivirals). He developed the field of reverse genetics for negative strand RNA viruses, which allows the introduction of site-specific mutations into the genomes of these viruses. An improvement of the technique has been effectively used by him and his colleagues to reconstruct and study the pathogenicity of the highly virulent, but extinct, 1918 pandemic influenza virus. His recent work in collaboration with García-Sastre has revealed that most negative strand RNA viruses possess proteins with interferon antagonist activity, enabling them to counteract the antiviral response of the infected host. At present, Palese’s group works with Adolfo García-Sastre and Florian Krammer on the development of a universal influenza virus vaccine. He was a recipient of the Robert Koch Prize in 2006, a recipient of the European Virology Award (EVA) in 2010, a recipient of the 2012 Sanofi-Institut Pasteur Award, and the awardee of the 2015 Beijerink Virology Prize of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2000), a Member of the National Academy of Medicine (2012) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2014). 
  • Steven Phillips, MD, MPH, Vice President of Science and Strategy, COVID Collaborative
    Dr. Phillips is a medical and public health professional who has held leadership positions in global health, international development, and infectious disease epidemiology spanning private, government, academic, non-profit and think-tank sectors.  He currently serves as Vice President of Science and Strategy for the COVID Collaborative, a non-profit group of public health, education and economic experts based in Washington D.C. working on strategies for ending the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Phillips also serves on global, national and community-service organization boards, and is also an independent consultant in pandemic preparedness, global health strategy, policy, finance and organizational effectiveness. Dr. Phillips was formerly Medical Director for Global Projects at Exxon Mobil Corporation, where he developed and managed a $120 million portfolio of African malaria and HIV/AIDS projects. He has served two terms as private sector representative on the Board and Executive Committee of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership in Geneva. He also served in a similar capacity as part of the private sector constituency to the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria in Geneva, 2006-2010. Prior to his ExxonMobil career, Dr. Phillips served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer with the US Centers for Disease Control. He was a commissioned officer in the US Public Health Service, assigned to the New York City Department of Public Health. Dr. Phillips received his baccalaureate and medical degrees from Stanford University, and Master of Public Health from UCLA. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American Board of Preventive and Occupational Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology and of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 
  • John C Pottage, Jr, M.D., Retired Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, ViiV Healthcare
    John C. Pottage, Jr., M.D. served as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of ViiV Healthcare from November 2009 to October 2019, where he oversaw research and development, regulatory, safety and medical affairs. Prior to joining ViiV Healthcare, Dr. Pottage served as Senior Vice President and Head of the Infectious Disease Medicine Development Center at GlaxoSmithKline from September 2008 to November 2009, and prior to that, from June 2007 to September 2008, as Vice President of Global Clinical Development of Antivirals at GlaxoSmithKline. From May 2002 to May 2007, Dr. Pottage served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Drug Development of Achillion Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Pottage served as Medical Director of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and in various clinical and academic positions in the Section of Infectious Diseases at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Pottage currently is a non-executive Director of Spero Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA and recently completed a seven-year term (2015-2021) as the Clinical Chair on the Scientific Advisory Board (ESAC) of Medicines for Malaria Venture in Geneva, Switzerland. He received his A.B. in biology from Colgate University and his M.D. from Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He is Board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine. 
  • Raymond F. Schinazi PhD, Hon DSc, Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics and Director, Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology, Emory University School of Medicine.
    Dr. Raymond F. Schinazi is the Frances Winship Walters Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology at Emory University. He serves as Senior Research Career Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer, OncoC4, Inc Dr. Liu was on faculty in a number of academic institutions across US, including New York University, the Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Children’s National Medical Center and most recently as Director of Division of Immunotherapy, Institute of Human Virology and Professor of Surgery, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine.  Dr. Liu’s academic research has been on the fundamental mechanisms of immune recognition, cell metabolism and cancer biology. Dr. Liu has been a driving force in elucidating the mechanisms by which the innate immune system discriminates microbial infection and aseptic tissue injuries.  He was elected as AAAS fellow in 2004. Dr. Yang Liu, Ph.D. was a co-founder of OncoImmune, Inc. and served as its Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Scientific Officer since 2000 until its acquisition by Merck, Inc.  He continues to serves on the same position for OncoC4, Inc., a spin-off of OncoImmune, Inc. Dr. Liu has guided OncoImmune’s effort to translate breakthrough discoveries by the laboratories of Yang Liu and Pan Zheng, including most recently establishing strong therapeutic efficacy of CD24Fc for hospitalized severe and critical COVID-19 patients.
  • Yiming Shao, MD, PhD, Chief Expert on AIDS, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Vice Chair, Chinese Microbiology Society
    Prof. Yiming Shao, MD and Ph.D., is the Chief Expert on AIDS in Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Chair of the Academic Committee of the National Centre for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention. He started HIV/AIDS research in early 1980s and isolated China’s first HIV virus and developed initial confirmatory test for the country. As the funding director for national AIDS reference laboratory, he led a national expert task force to set up three national laboratory networks for HIV testing, molecular epidemiology survey and drug resistance surveillance in China. His lab mapped the origin and transmission of HIV-1 clades in China, identified 7 novel circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), isolated broader neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to various viral clades and conducted annual nationwide HIV drug resistance surveillance to support antiviral treatment in China. His team developed HIV vaccine by re-designing HIV immunogen based on the first lentivirus vaccine (EIAV) and using replication competent vaccinia vector, derived from the Chinese small pox vaccine. The can induce good antibody and T cell responses and protect rhesus macaques against viral acquisition by SHIV challenges. Phase I and II clinical trials with the DNA vaccine priming and vaccinia boost have been conducted, generating good antibody response (100%) as well as T cell responses (>60%) in volunteers. Another phase IIa trial with a second vaccinia vector boost will be concluded soon. Then, they will move to phase IIb trials to test vaccine efficacy in MSM population in China. They will collaborate with US NIH to conduct a joint HIV vaccine clinical trial in China with Chinese DNA/vaccinia vaccine and NIH gp145 vaccine. He has published more than 850 research papers in English and Chinese journals and got numerous scientific awards at Ministry and Municipal scientific awards and two National Science and Technology Progressive Awards. He served as the Chair of Chinese Virology Committee, vice Chair of Chinese Microbiology Society, adviser to the GCGH program of BMGF. He is serving on the WHO Vaccine Product Development for Vaccine Advisory Committee, HIV Cure Advisory Committee of International AIDS Society. He is the fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and adjunct professors in Beijing university, Zhejiang university and Guangxi medical university in China.
  • Juliette M. Tuakli, MD, MPH, Chair, Board of Trustees, United Way Worldwide (UWW)
    Dr Juliette M. Tuakli is a Physician Leader with extensive medical, philanthropic, and executive business skills in addition to horticultural experience. She has achieved significant and sustainable impacts in Public Health, Pediatrics, Ethics, Philanthropy and Horticulture, in Africa, USA and Europe. Currently completing her term as Chair, Board of Trustees, United Way Worldwide (UWW), since 2019 Dr Tuakli has overseen diversification and strengthening of the organization’s Governance, Leadership and Management within a complex global context and ensured receipt of significant, multimillion dollar donations related to both the recent pandemic and strategic leadership consolidation. As a Zenith Bank Independent Non-Executive Board member /Chair, ESG since 2019, she has strengthened relational dynamics between the Bank and communities served in Ghana. She has served annually as the judge (Health) for the El-Zayed Sustainability Prize in UAE, since 2019. As a former Mercy Ships International Board member and Chair of Ethics Board and Medical Reviews from 2010 – 2020, she has been retained as a consultant to oversee the launch of an Africa-wide Safe Surgical partnership between Mercy Ships and WHO in June 2022. Dr Tuakli remains a Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative International Board member (CHRI) – 2017 – present. She was a WHO – TDR Advisory Council member for several years.  Alongside running her highly acclaimed medical practice in Accra, Ghana for 15 years, Dr Tuakli founded various female empowerment programs in Ghana (MOREMI – UN Women Co-Founder – Girls’ Leadership & Development, WISE – Womens Initiative for Self Empowerment). The African Union has recognized her medical contributions in Africa. Prior to moving to Ghana, Dr Tuakli was the first African female medical Professor at Harvard Medical School. Her groundbreaking community research/ service work at Children’s Hospital of Boston led to a new Community Medicine Department of the Hospital. She served on the Harvard School of Public Health’s Child Health Advisory Board, AIDS Commission, World Education, Boston Conservatory of Music and other Boards, receiving several awards for her Children’s Hospital based Medical and Community practice between 1982-2002. These included: a Global Citizens Award from the UN, and several Leadership awards from Boston’s Head Start, US Women’s Organizations, Nigerian Diaspora Organizations and others.
  • Anders Vahlne, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus in Clinical Virology, Karolinska Institute
    Anders Vahlne, M.D.; Ph.D., is a professor emeritus in clinical virology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the former chair of the Division of Clinical Virology at the Karolinska Institute and the chief physician (consultant) of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at the Karolinska Hospital. Dr. Vahlne serves as the director for the Karolinska center of excellence of the Global Virus Network (GVN) and is the co-chair of the GVN’s Taskforce on Long COVID-19. Dr. Vahlne obtained his M.D. and license to practice medicine from the Gothenburg University in 1973 and his Ph.D from the same University in 1978. He is a certified specialist in Clinical Virology since 1978. In 1982-83 he spent a sabbatical at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, CA, on a Fogarty Fellowship. Dr. Vahlne was on the President’s Advisory Board for the Irish National Virus Reference Laboratory at the University College Dublin from 2010 to 2021. From 1972 to 1986 Dr. Vahlne’s research focused on the neuro-pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus infections. He thereafter switched to mainly work on human retroviruses, in particular HIV.
  • Pan Zheng, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, OncoC4, Inc
    Dr. Pan Zheng was on faculty in a number of academic institutes including the Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Children’s National Medical Center and Institute of Human Virology and Department of Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine.   Dr. Zheng’s academic research focuses on immuno-oncology and inflammation. Dr. Zheng was trained in anatomic and clinical pathology and is a board-certified Physician with the American Board of Pathology. Dr. Zheng co-founded OncoImmune, Inc. and served as its Chief Medical Officer since 2000 until its acquisition by Merck, Inc. Dr. Zheng designed and executed the clinical trials for the company, including most recently a Phase III clinical trial established strong therapeutic efficacy of CD24Fc for hospitalized severe and critical COVID-19 patients. Dr. Zheng continues to lead clinical development in OncoC4, Inc, which is devoted to improve safety and efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.