Biomarker, Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine

8:00-8:30

Registration & Breakfast

8:30-8:40

Opening Remarks

Sui Xiong Cai, Ph.D.

Chair of SABPA Science & Technology Committee

Senior Director of Chemistry, EpiCept Corporation

Wen Luo, Ph.D.

Co-Chair of SABPA Science & Technology Committee

Research Investigator, New Leads Discovery, Ligand Pharmaceuticals

8:40-9:20

Nicholas J. Schork, Ph.D.

Director of Research, Scripps Genomic Medicine, Director of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, The Scripps Translational Science Institute

Genetic Variation, Association Studies, and Personalized Medicine

9:20-10:00

Dominic Spinella, Ph.D.  

Executive Director, Translational and Molecular Medicine, Pfizer Biotechnology and Bioinnovation Center (BBC)

Personalized Medicine:  Practical Considerations for Drug Development

10:00-10:15

Dominic Eisinger, Ph.D. 

Director, Strategic Development, Rules Based Medicine

Disease Related Protein Biomarker Profiles:  Successful Strategies and Applications in Drug Development and Diagnostics

10:15-10:45

Refreshment Break, Exhibit & Networking

10:45-11:25

Wen Luo, Ph.D.

Research Investigator, New Leads Discovery, Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Applying genomic biomarkers to predict drug response

11:25-12:05

Michael Nerenberg, M.D.

Sr VP for Medical Affairs, Business Development and CTO, Genoptix, Inc

Practical aspects of adoption of Personalized Medicine in Oncology

12:05-12:20

Carl Hull

Vice President, UNIConnect LC

A Genealogical Approach to Create Personalized Software for Personalized Medicine

12:20-12:25

Closing Remarks

Xiangming Fang, M.D. Ph.D. President of SABPA, San Diego

Sr. VP and CSO, Acrotics Corporation.

12:25 - 2:00    

Lunch & Networking

Dominic Eisinger, Ph.D. Director, Strategic Development, Rules Based Medicine

Dr. Eisinger joined Rules-Based Medicine in 2006 as part of the business development management team. Prior to RBM, he was President of Multiplex Biosciences, a multiplex protein array immunoassay development, validation and manufacturing services company. A noted international authority on protein arrays, he also started and directed Upstate Cell Signaling Solutions’ multiplex business unit from its inception in 2000 until 2006.  In previous positions he managed various R&D groups ranging from enzyme and immunoassay development to tumor antigen discovery.  He completed a PhD in stem cell molecular biology at the University of Vermont and post-doctoral work in the regulation of protein synthesis at Dartmouth Medical School.

Wen Luo, Ph.D. Research Investigator, New Leads Discovery, Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Dr. Luo joined Ligand Pharmaceuticals in 2002 to manage the genomic core lab and provide bioinformatic supports to a broad range of research and development projects across a number of therapeutic areas including oncology, hematology, inflammation and metabolic diseases.  From 2000 and 2002, he was a senior bioinformatic scientist at Incyte Genomic, and he was responsible for one of the largest proteomic databases at the time, LifePro.  He was also involved in discovering novel human genes and splice variants, and he is the co-inventor for morn than 100 patents derived from these findings.  From 1998 to 2000, he served as a research scientist at Sugen (acquired by Pharmacia and then by Pfizer) working on drug target identification and validation.  From 1996 to 1998, he was a Howard Hughes Research Institute post-doc fellow at UCSF.  Dr. Luo received his Ph.D. in molecular biology and biochemistry from Indiana University school of medicine.  Prior to that, he received Pre-Med training at Peking University and medical training at Peking Union Medical College.

Michael Nerenberg, M.D. Sr VP for Medical Affairs, Business Development and CTO, Genoptix, Inc

Michael I. Nerenberg, M.D. has served as our vice president, business development and medical affairs since 2006, and has served as our medical director since 2004. From 2000 to 2003, he served as president and chief technology officer of Molecular Reflections, Inc., a biotechnology design and discovery company. From 1996 to 1999, he served as the senior director of molecular biology for Nanogen, Inc. From 1989 to 1996, he served as a faculty member in the department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine at the Scripps Institute. From 1984 to 1987, he was a medical staff fellow in the Laboratory of Molecular Virology at the National Cancer Institute. He is board certified in internal medicine and holds a California medical license. He received his B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago and his M.D. from the Yale University School of Medicine, and completed his residency in internal medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the Scripps Research Institute. He is also a graduate of the University of California, San Diego Executive Program for Scientists and Engineers.

Nicholas J. Schork, Ph.D. Director of Research, Scripps Genomic Medicine, Director of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, The Scripps Translational Science Institute

Nicholas Schork, Ph.D  Dr. Schork is Director of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics at the Scripps Translational Science Institute; Director of Research, Scripps Genomic Medicine; and Professor, Molecular and Experimental Medicine The Scripps Research Institute. Dr. Schork’s interest and expertise is in the areas of quantitative human genetics and genomics, especially the design and implementation of methodologies used to dissect the genetic basis of complex traits and diseases. Prior to his appointments at Scripps, Dr. Schork was a Professor of Biostatistics and Psychiatry, and Co-Director of the Center for Human Genetics and Genomics at the University of California, San Diego from 2000-2007. From 1994-2000 Dr. Schork was an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Harvard University. Between 1999 and 2000 Dr. Schork took a leave of absence to conduct research as the Vice President of Statistical Genomics at the French Biotechnology company, Genset, where he helped guide efforts to construct the first high-density map of the human genome. Dr. Schork has been selected as a member of a number of scientific journal editorial boards, is a frequent participant in U.S. National Institutes of Health-related steering committees and review boards, and has also been on the advisory board of five companies. He is currently Director of the Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core of the NIA-sponsored Longevity Consortium and a member of the NHGRI’s Genetic Association Information Network (GAIN) data analysis committee. Dr. Schork has published over 230 scientific articles and book chapters on the analysis of complex, multifactorial traits and diseases. Dr. Schork earned a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in Statistics, and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology all from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Dominic Spinella, Ph.D.  Executive Director, Translational and Molecular Medicine, Pfizer Biotechnology and Bio-innovation Center (BBC)

Dr. Dominic G Spinella is the newly appointed head of Translational & Molecular Medicine for the Pfizer Biotherapeutics and Bioinnovation center (BBC). Until earlier this year, he was the head of Translational Medicine for Pfizer Oncology and led the clinical and translational biomarker work for the company’s oncology portfolio. He is a member of several national and international cancer biomarker development bodies, including the Cancer Steering Committee of the NIH Biomarkers Consortium, and the AACR Scientific Review Committee for Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development. He is an author or co-author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts, and principle or co-inventor of a dozen issued or pending patents. Dr. Spinella received his BS degree in Biology from Syracuse University in 1976 and his M.S. (1980) and Ph.D. degrees (1982) in Genetics and Immunology respectively from Rutgers University. He completed his post-doctoral training in molecular immunology as a Howard Hughes fellow at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He then spent several years on the faculty of the Departments of Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis before joining the Biotech/Pharma industry in 1991. Dr. Spinella joined Pfizer in 2004 as the La Jolla site head of Experimental Medicine.  Prior to this, he spent eight years at Chugai Pharmaceuticals USA (until their merger with Roche), in positions of increasing responsibility, most recently as Vice President of Exploratory Research.

Carl Hull, Vice President, UNIConnect LC

Mr. Hull has spent 15 years developing lab automation products.  Prior to joining UNIConnect in 2006, he worked as product manager and business development manager for Computype, a laboratory bar code automation company.  During this time, he consulted on lab automation projects with companies such as DAKO, ARUP, Myriad Genetics and The American Red Cross Blood Centers.