BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Scott Pancoast, Chairman
From 1994 to 2004, Mr. Pancoast was managing partner of Western States Investment Corporation, a private San Diego venture capital fund with $30 million to $100 million under management depending on the time period. During that time, he was CEO or interim CEO for six start-up companies and served on the board of directors for over 15 companies, including three public companies. Prior to joining WSIC, he started and ran the Midwest division of a $300 million (in revenues) publicly traded company. He served as the Chairman/President of the San Diego Venture Group during the late 1990s. Mr. Pancoast earned a bachelors degree from the University of Virginia, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Donald Swortwood, Board Member
Mr. Swortwood has served as Chairman and CEO of Western States Investment Corporation since its founding in 1977 and has been an active investor in California business for nearly thirty years. His investments have ranged from a business that developed novel technologies for the detection and treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease, which was sold to Medtronic; to a leader in SAN network-management-software solutions, which was sold to EMC; to a business that developed the first “ear thermometer,” which was sold to Wyeth. Currently, the Western States portfolio of holdings includes a number of biotech and life science companies. Mr. Swortwood is a graduate of Stanford University.
Roger Sabbadini, Ph.D., Board Member
Dr.
Sabbadini, Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University, is the scientific co-founder of Vaxiion and is
also the founder of publicly-traded Lpath, Inc., where he currently serves as
Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer.
He has served as a board member for three for-profit entities and
several non-profits. Dr. Sabbadini is an
accomplished scientist, who began his career studying bioactive lipids in the
context of heart disease and has expanded that research and expertise into
cancer therapeutics and in the prevention of infectious disease. Dr. Sabbadini
graduated with a Ph.D. in Physiology from the University of California, Davis.
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Stanley Maloy, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Maloy, the Dean of the College of Sciences at San Diego State University, is well recognized as one of the world's leading microbiologists and geneticists. Dr. Maloy is the former President of the American Society of Microbiologists and has served as a consultant and scientific advisory board member for a wide range of different biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies over his career. Dr. Maloy graduated with his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of California, Irvine.
Michael J. Newman, Ph.D, Executive Vice President, Research & Development
Dr. Newman has
over twenty-five years of experience in academia, pharma and biotech,
participating in and managing drug discovery and early drug development. His previous positions have included faculty
appointments at Brandeis University and the
Roche Institute of Molecular Biology, Senior Associate Director of Oncology at
Sandoz Pharmaceuticals, Executive Director of Oncology at Novartis
Pharmaceuticals, Vice President of Biology at Ontogen Corporation, CSO/VP
Research at Dihedron Corporation and Executive Vice President of Oncology at
HUYA Bioscience. Dr. Newman received a
bachelor’s degree in Biology from UCSD, a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from Harvard Medical School and carried
out post-doctoral research at Cornell University.
Matthew J. Giacalone, Ph.D, MBA, Associate Director, Business Development
Dr. Giacalone has over 10 years of experience in the area of minicell biology and the use of minicells as delivery vehicles and provides both scientific and business development expertise to the company. He manages Vaxiion's robust intellectual property estate and holds several patents and publications in the minicell-based delivery field. Dr. Giacalone has also served as a business development consultant for a series of start-up biotechnology companies and government organizations and was among the first class of graduates from the joint Ph.D./MBA program between San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego.