Troy Tazbaz joins the FDA to lead the Digital Health Division and Center of Excellence

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Former Oracle SVP, Troy Tazbaz will lead the effort to advance AI and ML for healthcare and help orchestrate a new regulatory environment for digital healthcare

Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of the FDA’s new Division Director for Digital Health and Director for the Digital Health Center of Excellence to prepare the agency to partner with innovators and create regulatory guidance for the application of Artificial Intelligence within the convergence of healthcare IT and medical devices. Formerly, the Senior Vice President, Industry Business Unit for Oracle, Troy Tazbaz will step into this new critical role created within the Office of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Innovation in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)

“A thought-leader within the integrated world of cloud-based AI technology, Tazbaz is a thoughtful problem solver with a track record of successfully bridging multiple constituencies to accelerate AI adoption to improve efficiencies including patient care outcomes”

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner.

Tazbaz will partner with a broad range of national and global government agencies, institutions, academia, and various organizations representing patients, consumers, and healthcare professionals. Tazbaz will be responsible for building the FDA’s key resources for establishing digital health guidelines and efficient regulatory pathways for the integration of digital and cloud-based technologies.

Tazbaz joins the FDA after recently serving as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations for Industry Business Unit responsible for developing Oracle’s industry-specific operating technologies. Earlier in his tenure at Oracle, he led various strategic initiatives such as global cloud data center expansion planning, developing Oracle’s industry strategy, and the launching of Healthcare Business Unit.  

Life Science Partner is pleased to continue their partnership with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the FDA on leadership projects underway for the Office of Product Evaluation and Quality.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare information technology fields.

Behind the Scenes Discussion for Building Transformational Leadership with Life Science Partner Founder and Wheeler Bio CEO and COO.

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Life Science Partner shares an inside conversation of their recruitment partnership with advanced biologics CDMO, Wheeler Bio.

In the fall of 2022, Jesse McCool, PhD, Founder and CEO and the Board of Directors of Wheeler Bio retained Life Science Partner to recruit their new President and Chief Operating Officer.  In partnership with Dr. McCool, Life Science Partner identified, qualified, and recruited Roger Lias, PhD, an industry veteran who was most recently Chief Operating Officer of Vibalogics.

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner, sat down with McCool and Lias to discuss Wheeler’s advancements in the Contract Development and Manufacturing Operation (CDMO) market and converse on the two sides of the candidate/client recruitment process.

Wheeler Bio continues their close relationship with Life Science Partner, having additionally recruited their Chief Development Officer, Brian Berquist, PhD, to accelerate their platform and emerge as a technological leader within the CDMO space.

Contact Life Science Partner to build out your transformational leadership team.

Brian Berquist, PhD, Joins Wheeler Bio as Chief Development Officer

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Life Science Partner announces the newest recruit for emerging CDMO

Wheeler Bio, a CDMO, retained Life Science Partner to recruit their Chief Development Officer to lead their process development team and accelerate their platform as a technological leader within the CDMO space. Beginning in January 2023, Brian Berquist, PhD, will lead the team in Wheeler Bio’s newstate-of-the-art Oklahoma City facility, where they have revolutionized the speed of drug discovery and democratized the innovation-to-impact process.

Berquist’s solid scientific background and ability to problem-solve in an entrepreneurial environment makes him well-suited for the R&D and innovation advancements he will undertake at Wheeler Bio

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner

In his new role as Chief Development Officer, Berquist will oversee operations including cell line development, cell culture process development, purification development, analytical development, and formulation development. He will serve as Wheeler Bio’s scientific subject-matter expert and will lead his team in the continuous improvement of advancing the company’s R&D and technology platforms.

Prior to joining Wheeler Bio, Berquist served as the Vice President of Process Development and Analytical Sciences for iBio CDMO where he directed the process development and analytical sciences divisions for both development and characterization of proprietary products and services. Earlier in his career, Berquist served in key scientific and research roles for Caliber Biotherapeutics and Texas A&M Health Science Center.

Berquist holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Massachusetts, and he earned his PhD in Molecular Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Maryland.  

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

Detra Glinatsis Joins Alloy Therapeutics as Vice President, Business Development and Sales

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Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of Detra Glinatsis to lead Alloy Therapeutics’ enterprise sales growth within the CDMO industry.

Alloy Therapeutics retained Life Science Partner to recruit their Vice President, Business Development and Sales to manage and accelerate their growth in biologics development services. Through a community of over 100 partners and developers, Alloy seeks to democratize access to pre- competitive tools, technologies, services, and company creation capabilities that are foundational for discovering and developing therapeutic biologics.

Life Science Partner is pleased to announce that Detra Glinatsis, former Senior Director, Business Development from AGC Biologics with experience building and leading a sales organization, will lead Alloy Therapeutics sales team.

“As a resourceful self-starter with a talent for streamlining sales processes, Glinatsis will be an instrumental addition for supporting Alloy Therapeutics’ rapid growth within the CDMO space.”

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner.

In her new role at Alloy, Glinatsis will lead a team to build out the company’s customer base and sales infrastructure. She will identify and manage strategic partnerships, alliances, and joint ventures to contribute to Alloy’s expansion within the market. Additionally, Glinatsis will have the responsibility to facilitate Alloy’s participation in industry events, creation of collateral materials, and marketing of Alloy’s position within the CDMO space.

Prior to joining Alloy, Glinatsis served in various global business development roles for CDMOs and pharmaceutical companies including AGC Biologics, Sartorius, Rentschler Biopharma, Inventiv Health and Patheon Biologics. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Akron.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

Roger Lias, PhD, Joins Wheeler Bio as President and Chief Operating Officer

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Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of Roger Lias, PhD, to Wheeler Bio to advance their expansion as cutting-edge biologics CDMO.

Wheeler Bio, a CDMO, retained Life Science Partner to recruit their President and Chief Operating Officer to accelerate their growth as an industry leader in biologics development services. With a new state-of-the-art Oklahoma City facility, Wheeler Bio has revolutionized the speed of drug discovery with their novel hub-and-spoke concept and Portable CMC® platform that fast-tracks the pathway to IND.

After a nationwide search campaign, Roger Lias, PhD, former Chief Commercial Officer of Vibalogics, was recruited by Life Science Partner to serve as Wheeler Bio’s President and Chief Operating Officer beginning in September 2022.

“Lias’ well-established credibility in the biopharma CDMO industry combined with his entrepreneurial leadership experience made him an absolute fit for growing Wheeler Bio into the global partner of choice for biological companies.”

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner

Lias will hit the ground running joining the Wheeler Bio team at the BioProcess International Conference in Boston this month, September 2022. In his new role Lias will be responsible for spearheading strategic business opportunities, alliances and joint ventures and will lead a scalable business operations team keeping Wheeler’s technology development and functions aligned with the corporate strategy as industry demand increases.

Prior to joining Wheeler Bio, Lias served as the Chief Commercial Officer for Vibalogics, a Private Equity-backed CDMO that was acquired by Recipharm AB in February, 2022.  He has an extensive track record of entrepreneurial successes including Stelis Biopharma, Avid Biosciences, Allergan, Eden Pharma, Cytovance and KBI Biopharma.

Lias holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. He earned his PhD from Clare College, University Cambridge.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

Katie Bishop Joins Life Science Partner as Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff

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Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the return of our latest team member, Katie Bishop as Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff. Katie rejoins Life Science Partner after serving as a client liaison and regional account leader for INNOCEAN Worldwide. Katie previously worked at Life Science Partner from 2012 – 2017 where she started as an Assistant Researcher and worked her way up to Vice President, Client Relations and Business Development before joining INNOCEAN.

In her new role at Life Science Partner, Katie will be responsible for overseeing research, providing superior client relations, using her brand management experience to position the firm as a leader in recruiting transformative leaders, and creating new business development initiatives to attract new customers.

“It’s wonderful to have Katie back at LSP after a five-year hiatus. In this more senior role, she will elevate our service to clients and candidates beyond the high-standard that we have already set in the marketplace.”

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner.  

Katie started her career at Young & Rubicam and then moved on to Team One and TBWA\Chiat\Day working on brands such as Lexus and Infiniti. Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and international business from Miami University.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

Mark Bogart joins B-Secur as Senior Vice President, US Healthcare

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Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of Mark Bogart to serve as Senior Vice President, US Healthcare for B-Secur, a global leader in accelerating the quality of EKG signals to create highly accurate analytics for digital heart health.

Life Science Partner served as a strategic consulting and executive search partner of B-Secur to support their U.S. launch of their signature SaaS technology, HeartKey 2.0®.  This cloud-based solution will accelerate the convergence of medical and consumer health devices by offering a proprietary conditioning, FDA-cleared software to improve health algorithms and wellness insights. B-Secur’s innovative biosensing algorithms refine and enhance signal clarity on micro processing chips (implantable or wearable), for consumer technology partner servers providing novel insights. Their technology also serves as an adjunctive tool for accelerating the adoption of medical device company’s proprietary and patient-centric solutions.

With B-Secur’s technology in high demand to improve signal quality, Bogart will secure and expand relationships with US-based medical device and digital health providers. Additionally, Bogart will build and lead the team to grow the US commercialization opportunities with leading cardiac device companies seeking to bring their EKG monitoring solutions to ambulatory and at-home patients.

“With his subject-matter expertise in digital healthcare and remote patient monitoring combined with his exceptional career as a sales leader, Bogart is well-suited to accelerate B-Secur’s growth and establishment within the US market.”

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner

Bogart joins B-Secur after serving as Senior Vice President, US Healthcare for AliveCor, a medical device company that produces ECG hardware and software for mobile devices. Bogart led the healthcare division’s go-to-market strategy spear heading critical partnerships and novel acquisitions during his tenure. Earlier in his career, Bogart served in revenue-generating business development leadership roles at companies such as G Medical Innovations, Viterion Corporation, LifeWatch, ZOLL Medical and Boston Scientific.

Bogart holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Lake Forest College.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

FDA Regulatory Leadership For Medtech/IT Convergence

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Life Science Partner recruits 2 transformational leaders to the FDA

Doug Kelly, MD, Deputy Director for Science, FDA, CDRH

Life Science Partner has partnered with the FDA to recruit leaders that can create innovative pathways for early-stage companies to be better prepared for the regulatory review and clearance process. In close collaboration with Jeff Shuren, MD, JD, Head of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) for the FDA, Life Science Partner recruited Doug Kelly, MD, MBA as Deputy Director for Science to the FDA’s CDRH Office. Since the creation of his role in August 2020, Dr. Kelly has already made a significant impact on improving FDA/innovator communication and accelerating patient access to high-quality, safe, and effective medical devices. Dr. Kelly has been instrumental in partnering with top leaders from industry and academia to expedite the regulatory clearance process to assure consumer confidence and advance innovative technologies.

“Through his serial entrepreneurship experience, Dr. Kelly understands the regulatory pathway obstacles that innovators face.”

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner.

In May 2022, Dr. Kelly spoke as the key note speaker at the AdvanSE Conference in Atlanta, GA where he presented CDRH’s role in the COVID-19 response, the future of the Medical Device User Fee Act and its introduction to TPLC TAP (Total Product Life Cycle Advisory Program); a new team of experts focused on providing strategic advice actively coordinated with FDA review teams and across the MedTech ecosystem.

Doug Kelly, MD, and Tom Callaway, MD, at AdvanSE 2022

Most recently, Life Science Partner recruited David McMullen, MD, to serve as Director, Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices (OHT5) for the CDRH where Dr. McMullen is the technical authority and principal advisor for ninety individuals responsible for the total product life cycle (TPLC) review of neurological, neurointerventional and neurodiagnostics devices, as well as responsible for a separate group focused on neuromodulation and physical medicine devices.

“Co-leading The BRAIN Initiative at NIH, McMullen has demonstrated the leadership to oversee various multi-faceted programs simultaneously and evaluating cutting-edge technologies such as computer-brain interfaces.”

Tom Callaway, MD, Founder of Life Science Partner.
David McMullen, MD, Director FDA, CDRH, OHT5

McMullen’s team will oversee premarket evaluations, compliance and quality parameters, and surveillance programs for all neurological products and devices and be engaged in the decision-making process on device submissions, classifications, petitions, 501(k)s, PMAs, IDEs and all supplements and amendments to submissions.

Life Science Partner is pleased to have recruited Dr. Kelly and Dr. McMullen as transformative leaders contributing to the FDA CDRH ’s mission to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies to improve the healthcare of patients.

About Life Science Partner

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds as physicians and industry executives enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

Stan Harris joins BioTissue as Vice President, Clinical Operations

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Life Science Partner is pleased to announce the recruitment of Stan Harris as Vice President, Clinical Operations for BioTissue – the newly unified brand for TissueTech, Amniox, and Bio-Tissue. BioTissue is an emerging biotechnology leader in utilizing the power of human birth tissue for regenerative healing to treat ocular surface disease and in surgical, chronic wound, and musculoskeletal applications. and Board Member of Novum Medical.

“For years, health care professionals have known our products—regardless of their specific applications—for providing mother nature’s most natural gift of healing so their patients can get back to the lives they love,” said Ted Davis, president, and CEO, BioTissue. “Our new, unified brand supports our entire pipeline of human birth tissue products to aid the treatment of wounds, musculoskeletal conditions, trauma-induced injuries, ocular surface disease, and burns.”

With nearly 40 years dedicated to the medical device industry and a focus on regulatory, quality, and clinical affairs, Harris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the clinical operations team at BioTissue. The FDA and other global regulatory agencies are increasing the regulatory oversight of cell-derived therapies.  Harris will be responsible for developing and leading BioTissue’s clinical development with an emphasis in the ophthalmology, orthopedic and pain management indications.

Most recently Harris served as the Vice President, Regulatory, Clinical and Quality Affairs at Lifeline Scientific with previous clinical and regulatory roles at MiMedx, Integra Life Sciences, Ascension Orthopedics, and Wright Medical. “From his previous experience, Harris has direct relationships with key thought leaders in wound healing including excellent relations with the FDA, US, and European regulatory agencies for biological products,” states Tom Callaway, MD, MBA, Founder of Life Science Partner. “His experiences and enthusiasm will be ideal for BioTissue’s continued growth and product development.”

Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Mercer University. He completed Graduate Studies in Biotechnologies from the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds in medicine, science, and industry enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.

David McMullen, MD, Recruited as Director, Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices (OHT5), FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)

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Life Science Partner has recruited David McMullen, MD, to serve as Director for The Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices (OHT5), Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) at the Federal Drug Administration. The CDRH facilitates medical device innovation by advancing regulatory science, providing industry with predictable, consistent, transparent, and efficient regulatory pathways, and assuring consumer confidence in devices marketed in the U.S. The Office of Health Technology 5 (OHT5) is within CDRH’s Office of Product Evaluation and Quality (OPEQ) and is responsible for the total product life cycle review of neurological and physical medicine devices.

As Director for OHT5, McMullen will serve as the technical authority and principal advisor to the OPEQ Director on the total product lifecycle of devices including premarket evaluation, compliance and quality, and surveillance programs for neurological products. 

Since 2016, McMullen has served as the Program Chief for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) within the Neuromodulation and Neurostimulation Program, Division of Translational Research (DTR). His oversight included device development and biomarker discovery grants as well as clinical trials ranging from first-in-human to critical studies designed to gain FDA regulatory approval. McMullen’s experience includes acting as co-leader for the NIH BRAIN Initiative team and as the NIMH point of contact to the FDA on devices.

“McMullen’s neurovascular and neurostimulation expertise combined with his working relationships within the FDA make him a natural fit for his new leadership role at the Office of Neurological and Physical Medicine Devices,” states Tom Callaway, MD, MBA, Founder of Life Science Partner. In his new role at OHT5, McMullen will be tasked with navigating the complexities and multiple constituencies of the FDA’s neuroscience device regulatory division and industry agencies while managing a 90 plus person office.

McMullen earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Neuroscience from Duke University and his Doctor of Medicine from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner is a specialized executive search firm that recruits transformational leaders for healthcare and life sciences companies. Our high-touch, partner-led process ensures an exceptional level of service, while our backgrounds in medicine, science, and industry enable us to efficiently deliver the brightest candidates in the medical device, biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and healthcare technology fields.