WASHINGTON, DC, October 7, 2010 – The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the national organization representing the regenerative medicine community, today elected Gil Van Bokkelen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Athersys, as its next chair and Ed Field, President and Chief Operating Officer of Aldagen, as Vice-Chair. A new Executive Committee, Secretary and Treasurer were also elected. ARM thanked outgoing officers for their outstanding service during its first year of operations.
“It was a fitting tribute to the tireless efforts of our outgoing officers that on ARM’s first anniversary, The Regenerative Medicine Promotion Act of 2010 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Michael Werner, Executive Director of ARM. “We welcome Gil Van Bokkelen and our new officers to carry on their work in key agenda areas such as scientific standards, regulation, reimbursement and public education,” he said.
ARM’s first chairman John Walker, of iPierian, completed his term on September 30. Alliance Managing Director, Morrie Ruffin, commended Mr. Walker for his “leadership, vision, and skill in enabling the Alliance to emerge from its first year as a healthy and robust organization and the leading voice for regenerative medicine.”
“I am honored to take on this role, and work with an organization whose central mission is the advancement of regenerative medicine–a field that has potential to
transform medical care and help many patients in need, and also has tremendous importance to our healthcare system, economy and global competitiveness,” said newly elected ARM Chairman Gil Van Bokkelen, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Athersys. “Like many others, I am optimistic that regenerative medicine has the potential to not only improve clinical care, but also provide an answer to many of humankind’s most prevalent and serious diseases, including diabetes; cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease; immune disorders; cancer treatment support and traumatic injury—and I am proud to help contribute to this important cause,” said Dr. Van Bokkelen.
Newly elected officers include: Chairman: Gil Van Bokkelen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Athersys; Vice Chairman: Ed Field, President and Chief Operating Officer of Aldagen; Treasurer: Dean Tozer, Senior Vice President of Advanced BioHealing; Secretary: Leona-Brenner Gati, Medical Director – Diabetes Care Franchise, Johnson & Johnson.
Additional nominations to the Executive Committee include: Alan Trounson, President, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); Bernard Siegel, Executive Director, Genetics Policy Institute; Beth Seidenberg, Partner, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers; Bob Goldstein, Senior Vice President, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Brad Calvin, Vice President, BeckmanCoulter; Doug Doerfler, President and Chief Executive Officer, MaxCyte; Gary Kurtzman, Vice President, Life Sciences, Safeguard Scientific; John McNeish, Executive Director, Regenerative Medicine, Pfizer; Keith Murphy, Chief Executive Officer, Organovo; Marty McGlynn, President and Chief Executive Officer of StemCells; Mike Venuti, President and Chief Executive Officer, iPierian; Ray Cypess, President and Chief Executive Officer, ATCC; Scott Wolchko, Chief Financial Officer, Fate Therapeutics; Steven Nichtberger, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tengion; Susan Solomon, Chief Executive Officer, The New York Stem Cell Foundation; Tom Okarma, President and Chief Executive Officer, Geron Corporation; Tony Atala, Director, Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine.
The Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) is a Washington, DC-based non-profit organization that promotes legislative, regulatory and reimbursement initiatives necessary to facilitate access to life-giving advances in regenerative medicine. ARM also works to increase public understanding of the field and its potential to transform human healthcare, and provides services to support the growth of its member companies and organizations. Prior to the formation of ARM, there was no advocacy organization operating in Washington, DC to specifically represent the interests of regenerative medicine companies, research institutions, investors, and patient groups supporting more rapid adoption of technologies in our field. To learn more about ARM or to become a member, click here.
