Use of Academic and Federal Core Research/Lab Facilities in New Jersey

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT) hosts this panel discussion on the Use of Academic and Federal Core Research/Lab Facilities in New Jersey. The discussion will provide an overview of the CSIT Catalyst R&D Voucher Grant Program, current Voucher projects and other resources from CSIT and NJEDA.

There will be time for networking and Q&A during the event.

Panelist: Vincent A. Smeraglia, Esq., Executive Director, Rutgers University Biomedical Innovation Cores and Executive Director, University Core Facilities

Previously, Smeraglia was the executive director of the Rutgers Office of Technology Commercialization overseeing patenting and licensing of Rutgers inventions. Last year he partnered with NIIMBL to stage an international conference of biomanufacturing. He was also the executive director of the UMDNJ Office of Technology Transfer & Business Development. Smeraglia has also conducted biomedical research at Cytogen Corporation, developing antibody conjugates for diagnostic and therapeutic clinical uses. He has a BS in Biochemistry from Rutgers and a Masters of Intellectual Property and JD from the University of New Hampshire Law School.

Panelist: Alex Norman, Executive Director, Princeton Institute of Materials, Princeton University

Prior to joining Princeton University, Norman held various positions in R&D leadership in the private sector including ExxonMobil, United Technologies (now Raytheon Technologies) and Ingredion. Most recently he was the director of materials R&D for a NJ-based biomaterials startup company, Modern Meadow. He has a BS degree in Chemistry and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Sheffield (UK) and completed his postdoctoral studies at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), University of Maryland and New York University. Norman has held positions as program chair at the PMSE division of the American Chemical Society and currently is a symposium organizer for the TechConnect World meeting.

Panelist: Irene Wei, PhD, MBA, Founding CEO and President, CSR Pharma Group/ChemSun

Wei has over 20 years of industry experience in new drug development and commercialization to vice president level from companies including Merck, Pfizer and NJ-based cancer biotech, Immunomedics (acquired by Gilead for $21 billion). She co-led the worldwide registration of Merck’s first-in-class respiratory blockbuster, SINGULAIR®, for the treatment of asthma in adult and children. At Immunomedics, she led the regulatory strategy and oversaw three functions in the antibody-based cancer drug development programs. Her background and training include National Institutes of Health (NIH) research tenure, a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MBA from Rutgers University, and a BA from Wellesley College.

Panelist: Nyron Khan, Cofounder and CEO, Six Therapeutics Inc.

Nyron Khan brings 30 years of commercial and general management leadership in the biotech industry. He has worked across multiple geographies and has broad therapeutic area expertise with significant focus in rare disease and specialty markets. In 2020, he cofounded Six Therapeutics Inc. and was appointed the role of CEO. Six Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company developing a targeted DNA-based therapeutic with broad application potential in tissue regeneration, skin cancer and infectious diseases. Prior to forming Six Therapeutics, Khan held the role of chief commercial officer at Glasshouse Pharmaceuticals where he was in charge of building the commercial infrastructure and setting the stage for the company’s launch in the dermatology market. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Toronto.

Panelist: Frances Keel, Program Officer, New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology

Previously Keel worked for the United States Department of Energy (DOE) as a program manager for the Office of Nonproliferation Research and Development. In this role, she managed approximately $25M in university, small business and national laboratory R&D contracts and grants. She served on the Department of Energy’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Advisory Board and made recommendations to senior management resulting in improvements to the SBIR evaluation process, selection criterion and commercialization pathways. As the SBIR program manager, she coordinated and provided technical direction and leadership for the Office of Nonproliferation Research and Development. Keel also led and managed diverse teams of scientists and engineers from the DOE National Laboratories and Russian institutes in the development of commercial projects. She has a BS degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA in International Business and Communication.

Moderator: Mahako Etta, Program Manager, New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology (CSIT)

In this role, Etta supports the planning and implementation of CSIT’s research and development grant products that help early-stage NJ-based companies grow their technology from ideation to commercialization. Specifically, she oversees the allocation of approximately $4 million in grants annually. Mahako also works closely with federal and state agencies to connect early-stage companies with access to federal funds and business development resources. She has 15 years of work experience in higher education research, administration, and workforce development. She previously served as the Project Lead for the City of Newark’s S.T.E.A.M. Coalition, a public-private network comprised of government, higher education, high schools, and foundations focused on building science, technology, engineering and mathematics pathways from high school to career for Newark students. Etta earned both her Master’s degree in Public Affairs and Administration and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with a Political Science minor from Rutgers University. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree.