Oversight Board
The Coulter Oversight Board selects projects for funding and helps steer the direction of the UVA- Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research.
Oversight Board members provide advice and insight and share their extensive relationship of industry contacts. Thanks to their experience, they are perceptive critics of our teams' work, able to see the potential that might be hidden from less seasoned observers.
The insight and experience of the Oversight Board is critical both to the success of the program and the progress of the individual projects we fund.
The Coulter Center Oversight Board
UVA's Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research is fortunate to have the active involvement of a diverse group of exceptional individuals—including senior scientists and clinicians, serial entrepreneurs, and industry leaders—who are deeply engaged in the Coulter process and generously contribute their time, resources, and expertise.
Tim Showalter MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer at Artera
Radiation oncologist, researcher, entrepreneur, and clinical leader. Passionate about expanding access to precision oncology for cancer patients. Board Member at CQ Medical.
Bruce Littlefield, Ph.D.
Founder and Principal, Shagbark LLC
Biochemist with core expertise in cancer biology, oncology therapeutics, natural products and their use as starting points for drug discovery. Roles on both sides of academia-industry interface over 40+ year period. In industry, initiated and led pharmacology discovery efforts that led to development of marine sponge natural product-based Halaven® (eribulin mesylate), approved in the US, EU, Japan and many other countries worldwide for certain patients with advanced breast cancer, liposarcoma or soft tissue sarcoma.
Sharon Presnell, Ph.D.
VP Life Sciences Product Development, LifeNet Health
Before LifeNet Health and Amnion Foundation, an organization dedicated to developing a national, public stem cell bank, Dr. Presnell was simultaneously president of Samara Sciences and CSO of Organovo Holdings.
Rich Chylla, M.B.A., Ph.D
Executive Director, UVA Licensing and Ventures Group (LVG)
Rich has extensive experience in licensing and technology commercialization in both academic and industry settings. He has amassed career accomplishments with top-tier organizations including the University of Michigan and BASF Corporation. He also has broad international experience having worked in various technical roles with Johnson Polymer in Singapore, Japan, and the Netherlands.
Keren Ziv, Ph.D.
VP of operations and research, Corsalex
Dr. Ziv is the VP of operations and research at Corsalex, a company with a mission to identify, fund, and develop promising projects to treat C9-ALS/FTD. Among her previous roles, she was chief scientific officer at CytoMag, a microfluidic systems company, and a senior director at X37, an AI aided drug discovery company.
Jessica Dunne, P.hD.
US Medical, Autoimmune Diabetes Medical Director
Experienced Research Director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit sector. Strong research professional skilled in Translational Medicine, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, and Cell Culture.
Wes Gilson, P.hD.
Director of Scientific Engagement, Research & Innovation at Siemens Healthineers
A doctoral graduate of UVA biomedical engineering, Wes has spent his professional career at Siemens developing new medical imaging innovations, leading R&D teams, driving research collaborations, establishing new business partnerships, launching new products, and using these new products to break into new markets. He currently leads efforts to build enterprise-level research & innovation partnerships between strategic customers and Siemens Healthineers.