Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us a textDr. Joshua Tewksbury, Ph.D. is the Ira Rubinoff Director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute ( STRI https://www.si.edu/about/bios/joshua-tewksbury ), part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum, education, and research complex. He oversees more than 400 employees, with an annual budget of $35 million. Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, with field sites around the world, STRI furthers the understanding and public awareness of tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare. In addition to its resident scientists and support staff, STRI’s facilities are used annually by some 1,400 visiting scientists, pre- and postdoctoral fellows and interns from around the world. Dr. Tewksbury is an ecologist with more than two decades of research in conservation and biodiversity, as well as nearly a decade of executive leadership experience at international research institutes. Prior to his role at the STRI, Dr. Tewksbury was serving as Executive Director at Future Earth, a global research program dedicated to sustainability and global change, where he led a network of tens of thousands of scientists and managed a wide range of conservation research projects, staff, programs and partnerships. In this role at Future Earth, Dr. Tewksbury oversaw dozens of interdisciplinary research projects, from assessing threats to biodiversity to understanding the relationship between human and environmental health. He has also founded initiatives like the Earth Leadership Program, which supported skills development for academic researchers working to address sustainability challenges. Previously, he was the founding director of the Luc Hoffman Institute, a global research center within World Wildlife Fund International focused on conservation science. Dr. Tewksbury is also co-founder and executive editor of Anthropocene magazine, a publication that highlights sustainability solutions. He holds faculty positions at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Colorado State and George Mason University’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy. He also has an appointment as senior scholar with Colorado State University’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology. Over the course of his research career, Dr. Tewksbury has published more than 85 scientific papers on topics in conservation, climate change and natural history, including the relationships and diversity of tropical plants, animals and fungi. He holds a bachelor’s degree in field biology from Prescott College and a doctorate from the University of Montana in organismal biology and ecology. Support the show

Send us a textDr. Subha Madhavan, Ph.D. is Vice President & Head of AI/ML, Quantitative & Digital Sciences, Global Biometrics & Data Management, at Pfizer ( https://www.pfizer.com/ ), where she works at the interface of science, technology, and business, helping to shape various aspects of their biopharma focus from small molecule design, to precision medicine, to global access in the future. Dr. Madhavan’s responsibilities over her career have included initiating, designing, and executing several large national and international clinical research programs, including Cancer Moonshot, The Cancer Genome Atlas, Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium, and Human Cell Atlas, and she has put together an impressive portfolio of experience in oncology R&D, precision medicine, digital health, data science & analytics, bioinformatics, product development, clinical informatics, and health IT. Before joining Pfizer, Dr. Madhavan was AstraZeneca's Head of Data Science, Oncology R&D where she led cross-functional teams in early oncology, clinical development, R&D strategy, precision medicine, and competitive intelligence in bringing life-changing therapies to patients. Previously Dr. Madhavan was the Director of the Innovation Center for Biomedical Informatics (ICBI) at the Georgetown University Medical Center, Associate Professor in the Department of Oncology, and chief Data Scientist for the Georgetown University Medical Center with responsibility for all data-related research initiatives. Dr. Madhavan has a Master’s degree in Computer Information Systems from University of Maryland and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Biological Sciences from the Uniformed Services University for the Health Sciences through a highly ranked Indo-US Collaborative program. She received post-doctoral training in computational biology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Support the show

Send us a textBill Taranto is President of both the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund ( MGHIF - https://www.merckghifund.com/ ), and Merck Global Health Private Equity (GHIPE). He is the founder of MGHIF and is responsible for leading the global health capability for Merck. The Merck Global Health Innovation Fund was established in late 2010 as a strategic response to the challenges surrounding Merck’s core business of discovering, developing and marketing innovative drugs and vaccines. Mr. Taranto has more than three decades of experience in the healthcare industry. MGHIF is a $500 Million evergreen fund focused on identifying opportunities that are adjacent to Merck’s core business of pharmaceuticals and vaccines. Under his leadership, MGHIF has invested more than $1 Billion in 70 companies, with more than $7 Billion in exits. The unit’s recent deals include participation in the pre-seed round for blockchain-based genomics company IndyGeneUS AI and roles as lead investor on both the $3m venture round for TransVoyant, a developer of digital supply chain services, and the €20m series A round for cancer therapeutics firm Turbine. Other notable investments include PathAI, M2GEN,Navigating Cancer, Syapse, Strata, Precise DX, Trinetx, and Cleardata. Recent unicorn exits include Livongo Health, Preventice Solutions, Ciox and Absci. Prior to joining Merck, Mr. Taranto spent 18 years at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) in various roles. As VP of healthcare strategy and venture at J&J, he was responsible for evaluating and creating new healthcare business models through venture capital and acquisitions. Prior to joining J&J, Mr. Taranto spent eight years in investment banking. Support the show

Send us a textDr. Michael Roberts, Ph.D. is Chief Science Officer of the International Space Station National Laboratory ( https://www.issnationallab.org/ ), and Vice President at the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space ( CASIS - https://www.issnationallab.org/about/center-for-the-advancement-of-science-in-space-leadership/ ), which as manager of the ISS National Laboratory in partnership with NASA, is responsible to the nation for enabling access to the International Space Station for research, technology development, STEM education, and commercial innovation in space as a public service to foster a scalable and sustainable low Earth orbit economy. Before joining CASIS in 2013, Dr. Roberts worked as a microbial ecologist, principal investigator, and research group lead in the NASA Advanced Life Support program at the Kennedy Space Center. Prior to arriving at NASA-KSC in 1999, Dr. Roberts completed an undergraduate degree in biology at Maryville College, a doctorate in microbiology at Wesleyan University and post-doctoral research at the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University and the RIKEN Institute in Wako-shi, Japan. Support the show

Send us a textDr. Ross Uhrich, DMD, MBA, is Program Manager, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health ( ARPA-H - https://arpa-h.gov/people/ross-uhrich/ ), which is focused on advancing high-potential, high-impact biomedical and health research that cannot be readily accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity, accelerating better health outcomes targeting society's most challenging health problems. Under the ARPA-H portfolio, Dr. Uhrich is responsible for the recently launched Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis ( NITRO - https://arpa-h.gov/engage/programs/nitro/ ) program which seeks to develop new ways of helping the human body repair its own joints, with the goal of revolutionizing treatment for osteoarthritis — a common and often very painful condition where bones and cartilage break down. Dr. Uhrich joined ARPA-H in March 2023 from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, where he worked as a board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon and assistant professor of surgery. In addition to these roles, he spent 12 years with the U.S. Navy, finishing his tenure as a Lieutenant Commander. Throughout his career, Dr. Uhrich has cared for thousands of members of the U.S. Armed Forces at various healthcare facilities, including the USS Gerald R. Ford , Naval Health Clinic Quantico, and WRNMMC, and served as an oral and maxillofacial surgery consultant to Congress. He also treated patients at Charleston Area Medical Center, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, and Suburban Hospital. Dr. Uhrich holds a doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the University of Virginia, and completed his surgical residency at WRNMMC. He also has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University. Support the show

Send us a textSanford Browne is President of Research & Innovation (R&I) at L’Oréal's North American Zone ( https://www.loreal.com/en/usa/news/group/loreal-appoints-sanford-browne-as-president-of-research-and-innovation/ ), where he also serves as a member of the L’Oréal USA’s Management Committee, as well as a member of the Global R&I Management Committee. Previous to this role Mr. Browne served as Senior Vice President of R&I for L’Oréal’s Asia-Pacific Zone, where he helped build a complete R&I division across the Zone, including the research Hubs of China and Japan, along with Seoul, Bangalore and Singapore, and in addition to R&I, being a great advocate for cultural diversity, Mr. Browne made a strong contribution to developing local researchers throughout L’Oréal’s Asia-Pacific zone. Mr. Browne joined L’Oréal in 2013 as Vice President of R&I in China, where he was the major architect of research and strategic partnerships that drove the innovation needed to meet the specific consumer expectations of the market, growing business across all divisions. Prior to joining L’Oréal, Mr. Browne served in various research and leadership roles at Unilever and P&G, and joined the personal care industry right out of University of Waterloo where he studied Biochemistry and Microbiology. Support the show

Send us a textDr. Thomas Metz, Ph.D. ( https://www.pnnl.gov/people/thomas-o-metz ) is Senior Scientist, Laboratory Fellow and Principal Investigator, in the Integrative Omics group, within the Biological Sciences Division, of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where his research focuses on development and applications of high throughput metabolomics and lipidomics methods, in conjunction with proteomics, to answer various biological questions. Currently, Dr. Metz is the director of the Pacific Northwest Advanced Compound Identification Core within the NIH Common Fund Metabolomics Program, co-PI of the Proteomics Laboratory for The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young consortium, Lead of the PNNL m/q Initiative, and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University. With a BS in Biology, Frostburg State University, a BS in Chemistry, San Jose State University, and a PhD in Chemistry, University of South Carolina, Dr. Metz's work has resulted in more than 180 publications to date. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one of the United States Department of Energy national laboratories, managed by the Department of Energy's Office of Science. They are focused on advancing the frontiers of knowledge, taking on some of the world’s greatest science and technology challenges. Distinctive strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology, and data science are central to their scientific discovery mission and their research lays a foundation for innovations that advance sustainable energy through decarbonization and energy storage and enhance national security through nuclear materials and threat analyses. PNNL collaborates with academia in fundamental research and with industry to transition technologies to market. Support the show

Send us a textJermonica Boardley is President and CEO of SIVAD Diagnostic Medical Group LLC ( https://sivadppe.com/ ), a minority-owned company dedicated to addressing the unique needs of underserved and unserved communities in the United States and globally, which most recently announced the launch of HarmGuard FX ( https://www.harmstopper.com/ ), a single, low-cost strip that provides an affordable, reliable way for people to test substances for fentanyl and xylazine (popularly known as tranq), two dangerous adulterants that are exacerbating the already critical opioid epidemic. Ms. Boardley is a graduate of Delaware State University, brings over 20 years of diverse corporate leadership experience to her role as President and CEO and her expertise spans Accounting, Finance, Human Resources, Communications, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). Joseph Scrocco, is President & CEO, Diagnostic Solutions Group ( https://www.diagnosticsolutionsgroup.com/ ), the developer of HarmGuardFX, and their company has developed custom diagnostic solutions for over 25 years ranging from complex mass screening for blood banks to individual point-of-care testing with a focus on large-scale, global diagnostic needs, including antibody, molecular, and antigen tests in traditional and non-traditional settings. Their clients include Johnson & Johnson; Pfizer; Novo Nordisk; Abbott Labs; Ortho Clinical Diagnostics; the Red Cross; the governments of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh, Liberia, Jamaica, India, Mali; numerous Broadway companies; plus, hundreds of hospitals, urgent care centers, and long-term care facilities. Mr. Scrocco has a MS in Neurophysiology from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and an MA in Information Systems from New York University. Support the show

Send us a textDr. Pierre A. Fischer is a Technology Leader who serves as Product Line Lead - Data Storage Technologies at Roche ( https://www.roche.com/ ), where among his various responsibilities are leading their Open Source Database strategy, to increase productivity, reduce costs, and ultimately help the various teams Roche, improve drug discovery, development, clinical trial selection, helping to get the right drugs to the right patients faster, all in a highly sustainable manner.Dr. Fischer has a Ph.D. in Experimental Particle Physics, from Louis Pasteur University, France, and then spent time at CERN in their cooperant program, a civil service program of the French State Department, allowing Graduate Students to serve their country by working for various companies or research organizations.  He also undertook post-doctoral work at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.Dr. Fischer then spent over a decade in the software development business at KLA-Tencor, the semi-conductor giant, before moving to Roche in 2013 spending time in IT Architecture, Engineering & Operations Portfolio as well as Data Lifecycle Management and Elastic Compute.Support the show

Send us a textLiz Scott is Co-Executive Director, of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer ( ALSF - https://www.alexslemonade.org/ ), an organization which emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of her daughter, Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, at the age of four, Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for other children with cancer, herself already bravely fighting neuroblastoma, which she was diagnosed with at age one. Over her lifetime, Alex would raise over $1 million before she passed away in 2004 at the age of 8. Since then, Liz and her husband Jay have worked alongside thousands of supporters across the country to carry on Alex's legacy of hope. To date, ALSF has raised more than $250 Million toward fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 1,000 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. Alex’s story has inspired lemonade stands in all 50 states across America and in more than 10 countries across the world, including places as far away as Japan, Brazil and Australia. The book "Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand", written by Alex’s parents about her journey, can be found on all major book sellers. Support the show