Plenary Sessions

September 29, 2010

MR. CARLOS CORDÓN-CARDO

Vice-Chair of Pathology & Professor, Columbia University

Dr. Cordon-Cardo serves as Vice-Chair of Pathology, Professor of Pathology and Urology, and Associate Director for Infrastructure at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University. During his past post at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, he created and was the first Director of the Division of Molecular Pathology.

He obtained his M.D. from the University of Barcelona, and his Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Genetics from Cornell.

University. He has pioneered the development and implementation of the molecular pathology discipline, and participated in the creation of the “systems pathology” platform.

He is internationally recognized for his studies on molecular oncology, including analyses of multidrug resistance and alterations of tumor suppressor genes in human cancer. Studies from his laboratory have linked adult stem cells and cancer, revealing that certain tumors originate from distinct differentiation stages in stem cell fate and development. Dr. Cordon-Cardo is one of the highly cited authors in biomedical sciences with over 400 peer-reviewed publications, and he is the recipient of multiple awards and honors.

September 30, 2010         

MR. LARRY FRITZ

President & CEO, Covella Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Life Science Venture Partner, Westfield Capital Management Company LP

Dr. Larry Fritz has founded and developed several successful biotechnology companies. His most recent company, Covella Pharmaceuticals, is focused on new mechanistic approaches to inflammatory diseases. Antes de Covella, Prior to Covella, Fritz founded Conforma Therapeutics and served as its president and CEO from inception in 1999 through its acquisition by Biogen Idec in 2006. Dr. Fritz was also a founder and director of Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharma cancer company spun-out from Conforma in conjunction with Biogen Idec's acquisition; Cabrellis was subsequently acquired by Pharmion.

Prior to Conforma, Fritz co-founded both Athena Neurosciences (now wholly-owned by Elan Corp.) and Idun Pharmaceuticals (subsequently acquired by Pfizer). Following the sale of Conforma in 2006, he served as president and CEO of Anadys Pharmaceuticals, a Nasdaq-listed company working on viral diseases and oncology. Fritz also serves as a venture partner with Westfield Capital Management.

He holds an A.B. degree in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard, an M.S. degree in Physiology from University College London and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Rockefeller University.

October 1 ,  2010                               

MR. CONNY BOGENTOFT

CEO Karolinska Development AB

Conny Bogentoft is Managing Director of Karolinska Innovations AB and Associate Professor at the University of Uppsala. He has published 160 papers and abstracts in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Biopharmaceuticals and Drug Delivery.

Conny Bogentoft has spent 27 years in the Swedish Pharmaceutical Industry in many positions as Director or VP of Research and CEO. He has been chairman of the Swedish Pharmaceutical Society and is an Advisor to the Medical Product Agency. He holds board positions in several small Start Up companies as well as in the Institute for Surface Chemistry of Sweden.