BHI Appoints New Board Members From Roche, State Of Maryland

ROCKVILLE Md. and BALTIMORE, Sept. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) announced today that its Board of Directors has unanimously voted and approved the appointments of Board Member Juan Carlos Lopez, Ph.D., Head of the Academic Relations and Collaborations (ARC) Group at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), and Ex-Officio Board Member Mike Gill, Secretary, Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), State of Maryland.

"We are pleased to have two powerhouse individuals join our dynamic board," said Richard Bendis, BHI President and CEO. "We also want to thank Roche's Dr. Judith Dunn for her commitment and service to our board during her tenure, which has now ended. We are grateful for her leadership and contributions during her time with us."    

Dr. Lopez leads the Roche pRED's team in conducting outreach to academic and non-profit biomedical research and healthcare organizations for purposes of enhancing and complementing their internal R&D efforts. He began his career with the Nature Publishing Group in 2000, coming on board as an Associate Editor to launch Nature Reviews Neuroscience. In less than a year, he advanced to Chief Editor and led the publication to become the top monthly reviews journal in the neuroscience field, a position it retains to this day. In 2004, he was named Chief Editor at Nature Medicine, which is ranked by the Institute of Scientific Investigation as the world's top journal in experimental and research medicine.

Dr. Lopez earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Neuroscience from Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, his Ph.D. in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics from Columbia University in New York City, and completed his postdoctoral training at Instituo Cajal in Madrid. He's a prolific author, publishing numerous original research papers based on his laboratory research. Dr. Lopez has also participated in several reviews and has written countless editorials and other published pieces during his tenure with Nature.

"It is my great privilege to join the Board of Directors of BioHealth Innovation," said Dr. Lopez. "The work that BHI does to foster the commercialization of biomedical discoveries in Maryland is truly inspiring and second to none -- not only in the U.S. -- but worldwide. I look forward to contributing to this enterprise and welcome the opportunity to be part of such a vibrant group of people."

Secretary Mike Gill will join the BHI Board in an ex-officio position, bringing with him more than four decades of experience as an entrepreneur, technology executive, investment banker and public servant. Earlier this year, Secretary Gill was tapped by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to lead the DBED.

"I am very enthusiastic about being a part of this board," said Secretary Gill. "If you have a pulse on the biotech scene in Maryland, it's clear that BHI is leading the charge in putting our great state on the map. It is my honor to serve alongside many brilliant minds who are working to make Maryland the biotech capital of the United States."

Prior to his appointment, Secretary Gill led Evergreen Advisors, an investment bank, as chairman and principal. Previously, he founded Hoyt Capital, an investment and advisory firm serving startups and growth companies. Secretary Gill was also a founder First Page, which was acquired by Metrocall; served as chairman of Curtis Engine, a Baltimore power generator company; and was chairman of Bluefire Security Technologies, a mobile cybersecurity developer, from 2006 to 2008.

Secretary Gill served on the University System of Maryland Board of Regents from 2004 to 2009, heading the audit committee and technology transfer and commercialization workgroup. His past and present board memberships include the Calvert Hall Board of Trustees, Baltimore County Economic Development Commission, St. Joseph's Medical Center, Bay National Bank and Towson University of Board of Visitors. He is also a member of the President's Advisory Board at Clemson University. Secretary Gill earned his B.S. in business administration from Towson University in 1974 after first attending Clemson University on a baseball scholarship. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Towson University in 1996.

BHI Board Chair and Senior Vice President of Global Operations at QIAGEN Douglas Liu said, "We continue to seek out regional, national and industry leaders who will help us take our efforts at BHI to the next level. We know that both Secretary Gill and Dr. Lopez will bring state and industry knowledge to the table that will compliment our already impressive line-up of board members."

About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

BioHealth Innovation, Inc., is a regional innovation intermediary focused on commercializing market-relevant bio-health innovations and increasing access to early-stage funding in Maryland. BHI is known for providing commercial assistance to scientists and founders, educating and infusing Maryland's life science community with new and young entrepreneurs and fueling startups within Central Maryland's bio-ecosystem by connecting young companies to funding and business resources. Learn more at www.biohealthinnovation.org.

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SOURCE BioHealth Innovation, Inc.