Biocom Appoints Two New Board Members

SAN DIEGO, June 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocom, the association representing the California life science industry, today announced the appointment of Steve A. Kay, Ph.D., D.SC., Director of Convergent Bioscience at the University of Southern California and Lesley Stolz, Ph. D., head of JLABS California, to its board of directors.

"Life science in California is moving faster than ever, and nobody understands that better than Dr. Kay and Dr. Stolz, who each work at organizations at the precipice of life science innovation in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, respectively," said Joe Panetta, President and CEO of Biocom. "Dr. Kay and Dr. Stolz are welcomed to the board as influential life science leaders who will allow Biocom and our growing list of programs to more accurately represent the needs of our California members." 

As the Provost Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences and the Director of the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, Dr. Kay leads a large interdisciplinary research hub that merges medicine, engineering and the sciences with the goal of accelerating the discovery of novel therapeutics and diagnostics. In addition, Dr. Kay runs a highly active research lab investigating the molecular basis of circadian rhythms and their relation to disease in humans and also agricultural biotechnology. He was briefly president of Scripps Research Institute before returning to USC in 2016. Dr. Kay earned his bachelor's degree from University of Bristol, UK.

Dr. Stolz, Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation | JLABS, California, fosters Johnson & Johnson's external R&D engine and supports the innovation community by leading the JLABS business on the West Coast. She has 20 years of business and corporate development experience working for companies that have been both technology platform and therapeutics focused.  Previously, she was Senior Director of Transactions negotiating partnering deals for Johnson & Johnson Innovation at the California Innovation Center. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson Innovation, she held executive positions with BioTime, Inc., Sutro Biopharma, Inc., and Sunesis Pharmaceuticals where she was responsible for corporate strategy, fundraising and all aspects of partnering. Dr. Stolz received her Ph.D. in chemistry and conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology.

About Biocom
Biocom is the largest, most experienced leader and advocate for California's life science sector. We work on behalf of more than 900 members to drive public policy, build an enviable network of industry leaders, create access to capital, introduce cutting-edge STEM education programs, and create robust value-driven purchasing programs.

Founded in 1995 in San Diego, Biocom provides the strongest public voice to research institutions and companies that fuel the local and state-wide economy.  Our goal is simple: to help our members produce novel solutions that improve the human condition. In addition to its San Diego headquarters, Biocom operates a core office serving the Los Angeles market, satellite offices in Washington, D.C. and Tokyo, and has a continuous staff presence in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. Our broad membership benefits apply to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics and diagnostics companies of all sizes, as well as to research universities and institutes, clinical research organizations, investors and service providers.

For more information on Biocom, please visit our website at www.biocom.org. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter (@BIOCOMCA).

SOURCE Biocom

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