Meet the ALCMI Team: Pioneering Lung Cancer Research

The Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) is a non-profit international consortium comprised of over 25 of the world's premier oncology research institutions. We partner with the top minds from the most respected medical facilities, providing financial support and access to a team of experts and staff to assist in launching and managing investigator-initiated trials.

We bridge the gap between clinical research organizations (CROs) and site management organizations (SMOs), resulting in a streamlined, agile process for quickly funding and initiating lung cancer research projects.

We also focus on the patient's journey through this disease with support and educational outreach. We're committed to making lung cancer survivable through science and empathy.

The ALCMI team includes distinguished physicians, leading scientists and clinicians, innovative business executives, thought leaders, and lung cancer survivors and their families. They are all dedicated to our ambitious mission to help turn lung cancer into a chronically managed disease within the next 10 years.

Get to know the team!

Staff

Ken Krantz, MD, PhD

Chairman and CEO

Ken Krantz, MD, PhD

Dr. Ken Krantz received his BS, MD, and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago. With over forty-five years of industry experience, including executive research management positions at large and small companies, and successful experience with clinical programs and regulatory authorities, he specializes in providing clinical and regulatory affairs services to smaller biotech and US, European, and Japanese pharmaceutical companies.
Richard Erwin

Executive Director

Richard Erwin

Richard Erwin, Senior Director of Clinical Operations, joins ALCMI with over 25 years of experience in global clinical research planning and execution, and has supported a string of successful growth-stage clinical operation build-outs and development partnerships. Richard is responsible for all ALCMI research projects and study operations.
Richard recently served as Vice President Clinical Operations for Tetra Discovery Partners, and as Executive Director of Clinical Operations and Project Management for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals. Richard additionally oversaw the global phase 3 development program of VaxChora™, a single dose cholera vaccine developed by Silicon Valley’s PaxVax, which received FDA approval under Priority Review in June of 2016. Other past experience includes product development team leadership for global Phase 3 CNS and oncology programs at Neurocrine Biosciences; a clinical innovation joint venture with Eli Lilly & Co and Quintiles; work across Africa enhancing clinical capacity infrastructure; and clinical operations leadership at early biotech startups including Cytheris, British Biotech, and Amgen – where he was a Clinical Research Associate (CRA) for the oncology blockbuster, Neupogen™. Mr. Erwin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Debi Beltramo

Director of Finance

Debi Beltramo

Debi Beltramo, Director of Finance, oversees all aspects of ALCF/ALCMI accounting and reporting, as well as many HR responsibilities. Debi came to ALCF in 2006 as a volunteer and formally joined our staff in 2007. Her past professional experience includes bookkeeping and office management for an electrical contractor for over 14 years. She attended Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, and Notre Dame de Namur, Belmont, CA. Because Debi lost both her maternal grandmother and her great-grandfather as well as several close family friends to lung cancer, her commitment to ALCF’s mission is quite personal. In addition, her strong connection to the family (Bonnie is her mother-in-law.) also provides her with a true understanding of what it means to live with lung cancer. Debi’s personal interests include spending time with friends and family that includes her husband, two young daughters and two large dogs. Having met so many wonderful people through working at ALCF and being part of Bonnie’s family, she is 100% committed to helping the Foundation achieve its goal of making lung cancer a chronically managed disease in the next 10 years.
Ericka Izzo

Clinical Project Manager

Ericka Izzo

Ericka Izzo, Clinical Project Manager, joins the ALCMI team with over 25 years of experience in pharmaceutical and biotech research. Her first venture in clinical research as a Clinical Study Coordinator/Site Manager was managing over 45 studies at a Cardiovascular and Endocrine research center where her enthusiasm for clinical research was developed. Prior to joining ALCMI, Ericka worked as a Senior Clinical Research Associate (SrCRA) for CROs, start-up medical companies, and industry sponsors functioning in all aspects of running clinical trials from protocol development and study start up to final data review and clinical study reports. Ericka has a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Studies from Ashford University, San Diego California.
Allison Harper, PharmD

TBD

Allison Harper, PharmD
Virginia Kotait

TBD

Virginia Kotait
Wayne Niemi

Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Wayne Niemi

Wayne Niemi, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, joins ALCMI with over 25 years of experience in journalism, marketing, content, and PR. He previously worked in marketing and content at Finance of America Companies. He also played a key role in LegalZoom's rise to become a recognized leader in the online legal services space. As a journalist, he served as the former Senior West Coast Editor for Condé Nast Publications. In the nonprofit and healthcare worlds, he was the Chief Editor of philanthropic publications for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He holds a Master's degree in professional writing from the University of Southern California.

Scientific Leadership Board

ALCMI’s Scientific Leadership Board (SLB) is the research consortium’s executive scientific committee and is comprised of a number of the world’s leading lung cancer researchers. The SLB sets the organization’s scientific agenda, research priorities and develops/reviews the consortium’s collaborative research projects.

Bonnie J. Addario

Co-Founder, Board Observer

Bonnie J. Addario

Bonnie J. Addario, Founder of ACLMI, Founder and Chair of ACLF, and Lung Cancer Survivor, has been an activist, advocate, educator and change agent empowering patients and giving them a strong voice in the fight against lung cancer since receiving a stage 3B diagnosis more than a decade ago. Although thrust into a role that she had never envisioned for herself, she embraced it and now considers it to be her second career and a personal calling. Recognizing the critical need for education, empowerment, advocacy and research to help patients and families, especially those without resources and support, Bonnie and her family founded the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) in 2006, and then went on to found the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) with her husband, Tony Addario, in 2008. Bonnie’s business acumen and skills honed in her first career as President of Olympian Oil Company and Commercial Fueling Network (CFN), as Past President of the CA Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA) and as a community activist serving on diverse boards have all contributed to her work at ALCF in developing business strategies and being the Foundation’s patient voice at national/international conferences, on panels and boards, and to industry leaders, clinicians and policy makers. Bonnie’s personal interests include collecting wine, travel, sports (Go SF Giants!) and spending time with family and friends at Lake Tahoe.
Tony Addario

Co-Founder, Chairman Emeritus, Board Observer

Tony Addario

Tony Addario, formerly an executive in the computer networking industry, is Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI). Prior to helping launch ALCMI, Tony spent a successful career helping build several technology leaders and is on the advisory board for several Silicon Valley start-ups. He’s a retired vice president for Customer Support and Services for both Bay Networks and Juniper Networks. He also spent several years as a senior technical advisor on several of NASA’s programs including the Manned Space Flight Network. He has served on several boards including the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society in Lake Tahoe, the Green Hills Country Club in Millbrae CA and the Computer Science Advisory Board for Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village NV. Tony and his wife Bonnie J. Addario have been major supporters of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, ALCMI, Sequoia Hospital in San Carlos CA, the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Brain Science Foundation. Tony is a Philadelphia, PA native and Temple University graduate.
Benjamin Besse, MD, PhD

Institut Gustave-Roussy

Benjamin Besse, MD, PhD

Dr. Benjamin Besse is Professor of Medical Oncology at Paris-Sud University, Orsay, France and a full time cancer specialist at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France. Currently, Dr. Besse is Head of the Cancer Medicine Department at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus. He coordinates the French network for thymic malignancies.
He is also the Chair of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lung Group and coordinator of the French network for thymic malignancies. His main research interests include the application of molecular abnormalities to personalize treatment, circulating biomarkers, early drug development in thoracic tumors, and thymic malignancies. He has authored/co-authored more than 250 peer-reviewed papers.
Trever Bivona, MD, PhD

University of California, San Francisco

Trever Bivona, MD, PhD

Dr. Trever Bivona is a Professor at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. He received his undergraduate training at Vanderbilt University, and his MD and PhD degrees from the New York School of Medicine. Dr. Bivona also completed fellowships at Bringham & Womens, Harvard, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Bivona is an active researcher in lung cancer basic research and discovery sciences, and has translated 6 laboratory discoveries into oncology patient clinical trials within the past 8 years. He is a member of numerous cancer organizations and associations, such as AMA, Massachusetts Medical Society, ASCO, AACR, IASLC, AAAS, and others.
Dr. Bivona is a Review Committee member for the annual AACR meeting, on the Editorial Board for Nature – Precision Oncology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cancers – and a Journal Reviewer for numerous prestigious peer-reviewed publications: Nature, Nature Genetics, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Medicine, Nature Ecology, Nature Communications, Science, Science Signaling, Science Advances, Cell, Cancer Cell, Cell Reports, New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, PLOS One, PLOS Biology, Cancer Research, Oncogene, Cancer Discovery, Clinical Cancer Research, Molecular Cell, British Journal of Cancer, Genome Biology, and eLife.
He has over 100 publications in print and is a very active international lecturer in lung cancer, and a recipient of numerous awards, grants, and honors.
David Carbone, MD, PhD (SLB Chair)

The Ohio State University

David Carbone, MD, PhD (SLB Chair)

Dr. David Carbone is Professor of Internal Medicine, Director of the James Thoracic Center at the OSUMC. He graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College in 1977 and received an MD and a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Johns Hopkins University in 1985.
After an Internal Medicine internship and residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital he did a Medical Oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD. At Vanderbilt he was Director of the Thoracic/Head and Neck Cancer Program, Director of a SPORE in Lung Cancer for 11 years. He was recruited to the Ohio State University in 2012 to direct the James Thoracic Center.
His research interests have been focused on lung cancer, and specifically proteomic and expression signature development, lung cancer genetics, tumor-associated immunosuppression mechanisms, proteogenomic profiling of lung cancers to guide the development of novel therapeutics, and targeting novel immunosuppression mechanisms. He has over 200 peer-reviewed publications, has served on the Board of Scientific Counselors, and has continuous NCI funding since early in his career. He is currently Chair of the Lung Biology subcommittee for the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group and President of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC).
David R. Gandara, MD

University of California at Davis

David R. Gandara, MD

Dr. David R. Gandara is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, and serves as Associate Director of Clinical Research and Director of Thoracic Oncology at the University of California, Davis Cancer Center.
Dr. Gandara received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, followed by internship and residency at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma and a fellowship at the Letterman Army Medical Center Presidio of San Francisco.
Dr. Gandara is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine specializing in Medical Oncology. He is currently principal investigator for a number of research projects in lung cancer, pharmacology trials at various phases, and Southwest Oncology Group trials. He is the principal investigator for a National Cancer Institute award to the California Cancer Consortium for Early Therapeutic Trials of New Anti-Cancer Agents.
Dr. Gandara is President of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and serves on the board of directors. Dr. Gandara is chair of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) Lung Committee, and co-chair of the NCI-directed Investigational Drug Steering Committee. He has written over 300 articles, book chapters, abstracts and editorials. He is editor-in-chief of Clinical Lung Cancer, serves on the editorial board of four oncology journals, and is a manuscript reviewer for eight additional journals. He served as secretary-treasurer and a member of the board of directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Dr. Gandara is a member of the Scientific Leadership Council in Lung Cancer.
David Jablons, MD

University of California, San Francisco

David Jablons, MD

Dr. David M. Jablons is Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, and Ada Distinguished Professor of Thoracic Oncology at the UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he also serves as Program Leader of Thoracic Oncology.
Dr. Jablons received his undergraduate degree from Yale University and his medical degree from Albany Medical College of Union University. He has also trained at numerous highly-regarded institutions including Tufts-New England Medical Center, Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, the Surgery Branch of NCI, Cornell University Medical Center, New York Hospital/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Jablons established the UCSF/UC Davis Thoracic Oncology Conference, one of the oldest and longest running didactic conferences in the field. He also helped found the International Pan Pacific Lung Cancer Conference. He is a strong supporter of international efforts to expand lung cancer research, and helped start the China Clinical Trials Consortium (CCTC). He also co-founded the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute.
Dr. Jablons leads a team of scientists developing molecularly targeted therapies for lung cancer and mesothelioma. Key research areas include the Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh) pathways, and stem cell signaling targets. The Thoracic Oncology Tissue Bank is one of the largest such repositories in the U.S. and serves as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Jablons is also a principal investigator on two NIH R01 grants and has authored over 100 peer-reviewed research papers. In addition, he serves as a reviewer on several NIH study groups.
Pasi A. Jänne, MD, PhD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Pasi A. Jänne, MD, PhD

Dr. Pasi A. Jänne is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Assistant Physician at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts.
After earning his MD and PhD from the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr Jänne completed his internship and residency in Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. He subsequently completed fellowship training at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Massachusetts General Hospital combined program in medical oncology in 2001. In 2002 he earned a Masters Degree in clinical investigation from Harvard University.
Dr. Jänne’s research interests include investigation of oncogene mutations and how these correlate with clinical response to targeted therapies in lung cancer. He was one of the investigators who initially discovered EGFR mutations in 2004 and has subsequently studied their effect on clinical outcome of patients and on mechanisms of resistance. He has also worked on developing non-sequencing based technology to detect mutations in EGFR and other oncogenes. Dr. Jänne is a member of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B respiratory committee. He is also an active member of ASCO, AACR, ESMO and IASLC. He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 2008.
Ite Laird-Offringa, PhD

University of Southern California

Ite Laird-Offringa, PhD

Dr. Ite Laird-Offringa is an Associate Professor of Surgery and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Southern California (USC), Keck School of Medicine. She is also the Director of the Program in Biomedical and Biological Sciences at USC.
Dr. Laird-Offringa earned her Ph.D. from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, and conducted postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School. She joined the USC faculty in 1996. She is a member of many national and international professional and advocate societies, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the National Lung Cancer Partnership, and she serves as a reviewer on the NIH/NCI Cancer Genetics study section.
Dr. Laird-Offringa is committed to the development of better tools for early lung cancer detection. Her laboratory’s current research in lung cancer focuses on the identification of cancer-specific changes in antibodies and in DNA methylation, a reversible alteration of DNA that can affect gene expression. The obtained information is used for biomarker development and to gain insight into the sequential molecular steps that happen during the development of lung cancer. The Laird-Offringa laboratory is funded by two NIH R01 grants and by generous donations and grants from several private foundations and individuals. In her work, she collaborates with pathologists, oncologists, surgeons, epidemiologists and a variety of other scientists.
Christine Lovly, MD, PhD

Vanderbilt University

Christine Lovly, MD, PhD

Dr. Christine Lovly is Associate Professor of Medicine and Cancer Research at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and Co-Leader of the Translational Research Interventional Oncology (TRIO) program.

She received her undergraduate degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and her PhD and MD degrees from Washington University, St Louis.

Dr. Lovly is a member of many oncology and scientific organizations and associations, such as AACR, ASCO, IASLC, ASCI, among others – and has received dozens of awards and honors. She serves on several Scientific Advisory Boards, to include for the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer.

Dr. Lovly is co-Editor-in-Chief for My Genome, and has been a reviewer for nearly 100 peer-reviewed submissions across numerous prestigious peer-reviewed publications since 2013 alone.
Harvey I. Pass, MD

New York University

Harvey I. Pass, MD

Dr. Harvey I. Pass is Professor of Thoracic Oncology, Vice-Chair Research, Department of Cardiology, and first Division Chief of General Thoracic Surgery at NYU School of Medicine. He joined NYU Medical Center in 2005 to lead the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Thoracic Oncology. His previous positions include Chief, Thoracic Oncology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute, and Head of the Thoracic Oncology Section of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Pass received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University and his M.D. from Duke University. He completed his surgical residency at Duke and the University of Mississippi. He completed his residency in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Pass also completed a fellowship in Thoracic Oncology at NCI.
Dr. Pass has published over 300 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine regarding the discovery of osteopontin as a possible early detection biomarker for mesothelioma. He is an editor of Lung Cancer: Principles and Practice, Surgery: Basic Science and Clinical Evidence, Oncology: An Evidence Based Approach, and Malignant Mesothelioma: Advances in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Translational Therapies. Dr. Pass is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Surgical Editor for Clinical Lung Cancer and a member of the editorial board for Clinical Cancer Research.
Dr. Pass is presently on the Board of Directors for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, the Lung Cancer Alliance, and the Mesothelioma Foundation.
Jonathan Riess, MD, MS

University of California, Davis

Jonathan Riess, MD, MS

Dr. Jonathan Riess is Associate Professor, University of California, Davis (UCD), where he also is Chair of the UCD Comprehensive Cancer Center Quality Assurance, and Chair of the UCD Lung Cancer Working Group. He co-Chairs the UCD Molecular Tumor Board.
Dr. Riess is a graduate of the Stanford University School of Medicine, and completed his residency at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is widely published, with well over 50 articles and book chapters in the past 7 years alone.
Dr. Riess has received numerous honors and awards, to include the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award, and is a Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Dream Team awardee.
Dr. Riess is a member of numerous global organizations and associations, among them: the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), ASCO, SWOG, AACR, AAAS, and many others. He is Associate Editor for publications: Cancer Treatment & Research Communications, and Clinical Lung Cancer.
Giorgio V. Scagliotti, MD, PhD

University of Torino

Giorgio V. Scagliotti, MD, PhD

Dr. Giorgio Scagliotti is Full Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Torino. Dr. Scagliotti earned his medical degree and completed the postgraduate training in respiratory medicine, internal medicine, and medical oncology at the University of Torino. He is chief of the Thoracic Oncology Division at the S. Luigi Hospital, Orbassano (Torino) and Head of the Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences at University of Torino. He is also the Chairperson of the Postgraduate School in Respiratory Medicine at the same University.
Over the last 15 years Dr. Scagliotti’s research interests included experimental studies on basic and clinical applied research on lung cancer, including translational research. He has been and currently is the study coordinator of several European and international clinical trials on lung cancer chemotherapy and he has been a key investigator in several Italian studies investigating the role of chemotherapy in early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Dr. Scagliotti is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the Italian Society of Respiratory Medicine, the European Respiratory Society, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. From 2002 to 2005 he was member of the International Affair Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and from 2003-07 Executive Board member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. He served on the Publication Committee (2005-08) and in Program Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in the period 2005-07. Dr. Scagliotti is a manuscript reviewer for 11 scientific journals. He currently serves on the editorial boards of Critical Review in Oncology and Hematology, and Oncology News. He is Associate Editor for Journal of Thoracic Oncology and International Editor for Clinical Lung Cancer. He is the author or co-author of more than 180 publications in peer-reviewed journals and he is the International Editor of the 4th Edition of the book “Lung Cancer : Principles and practice”

Board of Directors

The all-voluntary Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring the excellent management (including fiscal performance/accountability) of ALCMI, establishes and/or approves policies and procedures, and generally oversees the business and affairs of the organization.

Tony Addario

Co-Founder, Chairman Emeritus, Board Observer

Tony Addario

Tony Addario, formerly an executive in the computer networking industry, is Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI). Prior to helping launch ALCMI, Tony spent a successful career helping build several technology leaders and is on the advisory board for several Silicon Valley start-ups. He’s a retired vice president for Customer Support and Services for both Bay Networks and Juniper Networks. He also spent several years as a senior technical advisor on several of NASA’s programs including the Manned Space Flight Network. He has served on several boards including the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society in Lake Tahoe, the Green Hills Country Club in Millbrae CA and the Computer Science Advisory Board for Sierra Nevada College, Incline Village NV. Tony and his wife Bonnie J. Addario have been major supporters of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, ALCMI, Sequoia Hospital in San Carlos CA, the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Brain Science Foundation. Tony is a Philadelphia, PA native and Temple University graduate.
Bonnie J. Addario

Co-Founder, Board Observer

Bonnie J. Addario

Bonnie J. Addario, Founder of ACLMI, Founder and Chair of ACLF, and Lung Cancer Survivor, has been an activist, advocate, educator and change agent empowering patients and giving them a strong voice in the fight against lung cancer since receiving a stage 3B diagnosis more than a decade ago. Although thrust into a role that she had never envisioned for herself, she embraced it and now considers it to be her second career and a personal calling. Recognizing the critical need for education, empowerment, advocacy and research to help patients and families, especially those without resources and support, Bonnie and her family founded the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (ALCF) in 2006, and then went on to found the Addario Lung Cancer Medical Institute (ALCMI) with her husband, Tony Addario, in 2008. Bonnie’s business acumen and skills honed in her first career as President of Olympian Oil Company and Commercial Fueling Network (CFN), as Past President of the CA Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA) and as a community activist serving on diverse boards have all contributed to her work at ALCF in developing business strategies and being the Foundation’s patient voice at national/international conferences, on panels and boards, and to industry leaders, clinicians and policy makers. Bonnie’s personal interests include collecting wine, travel, sports (Go SF Giants!) and spending time with family and friends at Lake Tahoe.
Steven Cavan

International Multi-
Industry Executive

Steven Cavan

Steven Cavan is an inspirational and energizing Senior Executive with extensive global experience who brings multi-industry experience in building, integrating, and leading complex organizations. He is a hands-on leader who ensures a laser focus on strategic organic and inorganic top-line growth while maximizing profitability through elevating and integrating reporting, controls, processes, and systems. Steven is an adept communicator and analytical thinker with a proven ability to develop and lead cross-functional and cross-cultural teams in high-risk and fast-paced environments globally.
Bruce Gellman

Cancer Survivor, Executive,
Communications Industry

Bruce Gellman

Bruce Gellman is a 30-year veteran of the computer industry. Beginning his career in the New York Financial District at Burroughs Corporation [mainframe computers] in the 70’s, large enterprise networks in the 80’s, high-speed Internet access and VOIP technologies in the 90’s, social networking and most recently an adviser, investor and mentor focused on emerging cleantech technologies. Bruce has had key roles in several start-ups companies including two that had successful public offerings. Bruce is a cancer survivor.
Gary Ingenito, MD, PhD

Physician, Pharmaceutical Executive

Gary Ingenito, MD, PhD

Gary Ingenito, MD, PhD, is the Chief Medical and Regulatory Officer at Catalyst Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Ingenito brings more than 25 years of knowledge and experience in the field of pharmaceutical development: including drugs, biologics, and combination products. During this time, Dr. Ingenito held executive responsibilities for clinical research, regulatory, drug safety, and medical affairs at pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations. Dr. Ingenito initially joined Sandoz Pharmaceuticals in the neuroendocrine group and progressed to become head of medical affairs. He spent 8 years at Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, overseeing the approval of anti-infective, cardiovascular, and central nervous system products. Dr. Ingenito has held positions at Corning-Besselaar, Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Biotest Pharmaceuticals, and Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. After obtaining his bachelor of arts degree from Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Ingenito earned his medical degree at Jefferson Medical College, and a doctor of philosophy degree from Thomas Jefferson University. He completed a post-graduate residency in neurology at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Ken Krantz, MD, PhD

Chairman and CEO

Ken Krantz, MD, PhD

Dr. Ken Krantz received his BS, MD, and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago. With over forty-five years of industry experience, including executive research management positions at large and small companies, and successful experience with clinical programs and regulatory authorities, he specializes in providing clinical and regulatory affairs services to smaller biotech and US, European, and Japanese pharmaceutical companies.
Tom Krohn, RPh, MBA

International Pharmaceutical
& Health Care Executive

Tom Krohn, RPh, MBA

Tom Krohn, RPh, MBA, is the VP of Pharma at Viz.ai, a leading AI company deployed in over 1,700 hospital systems that identify patients with suspected disease, inform critical decisions at the point of care, optimize care pathways, and help improve outcomes. Tom leads at the intersection of patient care and applied technology to impact patient outcomes while bringing value to all associated organizations, from health systems to pharmaceutical sponsors.

Prior to Viz.ai, Tom was Chief Development Officer at Antidote for 7 years, leading company growth strategy, product, and strategic client engagement. Tom also led innovation in R&D at Eli Lilly and Company. Over his 12 years at Lilly, Tom led multiple large innovation efforts, including the industry-leading patient-centric drug development program and digital trial design. Tom was a founding advisory member of the Harvard-led SMART on FHIR Platforms Advisory Committee.

The bulk of Tom’s pre-Lilly experience is in the developing world, where he lived and worked as a medical missionary for 10 years in Madagascar. Working in French and Malagasy, Tom helped grow a small faith-based non-profit organization, SALFA, to become the largest healthcare provider in the country, during which time he served as pharmaceutical production lead, information system lead, CFO and ultimately General Manager.

Tom’s education is a pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Tom resides in Noblesville, Indiana.

Past Board Members

Sam Bain

Founder, CEO & Managing Member,
Bainco International Investors

Sam Bain

Sam Bain founded Bainco in 1987 as a wealth management firm focused on holistic and objective asset management at a time when transaction-based investing was the norm. He continues to believe that clients are best served by being the center of a collaborative team whereby Bainco assumes the lead role of trusted advisor.
While helping to shape the firm’s business strategy, Sam maintains close client relationships. He applies his business acumen to a host of unique client situations and enjoys the intellectual challenge of identifying and developing solutions to otherwise complicated problems. He works closely with the wealth strategies team on complex estate, tax and gift planning strategies and has served on the boards of multiple early-stage venture companies and non-profit organizations.
Sam believes that education is the cornerstone of all personal and organizational growth, and has committed himself to various institutions that promote knowledge. He translates this belief in learning to Bainco, ensuring that all client advice comes with an educative delivery that benefits the collective knowledge of his clients and employees. In 2016, Sam was the recipient of the 2016 UVM Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award for his guidance through tough financial times as the chair of the Investment Sub-Committee.
Pankaj Patel

Investor &
BoD Member

Pankaj Patel

Pankaj Patel was Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at Cisco Systems,Inc. Mr. Patel reported into the CEO as the Engineering head of the company’s $38 billion product and solution portfolio. He drove the business and technology strategy across Cisco’s Routing, Switching, Wireless, Security, Mobility, Video, Collaboration, Data Center and Cloud offerings delivered by a global team of over 26,000 engineers.
Mr. Patel is a proven results-oriented and seasoned technology leader with 25+ years of experience developing highly scalable products and services by building and leading large, high-performance global engineering organizations, setting clear vision, directing strategy and delivering against goals. He is passionate about translating strategy to execution, and delivering the best experience for the customer.
Mr. Patel retired from Cisco in October of 2016 and now serves on the Board of Directors of several startups. He is focused on incubating, investing, and advising startups with their strategy, product development, and go-to-market as well as helping them scale. Patel is also a mentor and sponsor to numerous employees throughout the industry.
Ignacio del Rio

Systems Integrations
Industry Expert
Ignacio del Rio
Ignacio del Rio has over 35 years of experience in the Systems Integration industry where he has been instrumental in team building, business development, sales, operations, design/engineering, and has been responsible for P&L for several successful companies.
Mr. del Rio has high integrity and is an energetic leader known for his ability to envision and create successful outcomes in complex situations. He has diverse industry and functional expertise with a tenacious commitment to driving sales, profit, and market-share growth.
Areas of excellence include:
- Growing Revenue & Profit
- Leading & Developing Teams
- Negotiating & Closing Deals
- Developing New Business
- Positioning Companies and Forming Strategic Alliances
- Managing Budgets and P&L
- Creating Winning Business Plans and Building Shareholder Value

Team

Our Team

Staff

Scientific Leadership Board

Board of Directors

Past Board Members

Our Impact

Team

Our Team

Staff

Ken Krantz, MD, PhD

Richard Erwin

Debi Beltramo

Ericka Izzo

Allison Harper, PharmD

Virginia Kotait

Wayne Niemi

Scientific Leadership Board

Bonnie J. Addario

Tony Addario

Benjamin Besse, MD, PhD

Trever Bivona, MD, PhD

David Carbone, MD, PhD (SLB Chair)

David R. Gandara, MD

David Jablons, MD

Pasi A. Jänne, MD, PhD

Ite Laird-Offringa, PhD

Christine Lovly, MD, PhD

Harvey I. Pass, MD

Jonathan Riess, MD, MS

Giorgio V. Scagliotti, MD, PhD

Board of Directors

Tony Addario

Bonnie J. Addario

Steven Cavan

Bruce Gellman

Gary Ingenito, MD, PhD

Ken Krantz, MD, PhD

Tom Krohn, RPh, MBA

Past Board Members

Sam Bain

Pankaj Patel

Ignacio del Rio

Our Impact