Board of Directors
Sandra Shotwell, Ph.D. Board of Directors Chair, Founder. Sandra has over 25 years experience in early stage technology commercialization. She has done biotech and pharmaceutical licensing deals for Stanford University, Oregon Health Sciences University, and the National Institutes of Health, where she founded and led the technology licensing program. Sandra is CEO of DesignMedix, Inc., a firm developing drugs targeted to drug-resistant diseases, and Managing Partner of Alta Biomedical Group, a consulting firm that handles projects in the commercialization of innovative technology. Sandra did her undergraduate work at Princeton University, earned a Ph.D. in Biology from the California Institute of Technology, and did postdoctoral research at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Jonathan Abramson, Ph.D. Board of Directors, Founder, Biophysicist. Jonathan is a Professor in the Physics Department at Portland State University, where he has been since 1979. His research has focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying the release of Ca2+ from the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum in both skeletal and cardiac muscle. He was instrumental in developing a model of channel gating in which redox reactions control Ca2+ channel function along with his longtime collaborator Guy Salama. He was also instrumental is developing the idea that drugs with enhanced electron donor properties decrease the Ca2+ leak associated with ventricular arrhythmias. Jon received his Bachelors degree from City College of New York, and he did his Ph.D. and his Postdoctoral work at the University of Rochester.
Douglas Kawahara, PhD, MBA. President and Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors.