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Life Sciences Advisory Board

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The LSAB was created by the legislature in 2007 to assist in maintaining Maryland’s preeminence in the life sciences industry. Comprised of 18 members, the Board includes the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce, a representative designated by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) and 16 members appointed by the Governor.​

Chair

Dr. Jay Perman

Jay A. Perman, MD, became the fifth chancellor of the University System of Maryland (USM) in January 2020.  Prior to this appointment, Dr. Perman, a pediatric gastroenterologist, served as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) for nearly a decade.

As UMB president, Dr. Perman strengthened that institution's ties to the city of Baltimore, growing innovation-based economic development and spearheading programs to improve the health and well-being of UMB's closest neighbors. As chancellor, Dr. Perman has committed to advancing higher education affordability for all students in Maryland. He also plans to build on USM's reputation for educational innovation, particularly in research, economic development, and community engagement.

Dr. Perman first came to UMB in 1999 as chair of the School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics. He left Baltimore in 2004 for the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where he was dean and vice president for clinical affairs. Dr. Perman received a Doctor of Medicine Degree with Distinction from Northwestern University. He completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at Harvard Medical School and at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston.


Standing Members​

  • Kelly M. Schulz - Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce
  • Arti Santhanam, PhD - Executive Director, Maryland Innovation Initiative, Maryland Technology Development Corporation

 

Appointed Members

  • Vice Chair: Vacant
  • Richard A. Bendis - President and CEO, BioHealth Innovation Inc.
  • Jarrod Borkat - Vice President Corporate Strategy, Emergent Biosolutions
  • Jesse Christopher, MBA - CEO, Longeviti Neuro Solutions
  • Rebecca Fisher, Ph.D. - Deputy Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
  • Laurie E. Locascio, Ph.D. - Vice President for Research, University of Maryland
  • Theodore J. Olsen - Principal, Neowise, LLC
  • Wendy Perrow, MBA - CEO, Oncogenomics, LLC
  • Saifur Rahman, Ph.D., MBA - Business Development Manager, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research
  • Sanjay K. Rai, Ph.D. - Chief Academic Officer and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Montgomery College
  • Martin Rosendale - CEO, Maryland Technology Council
  • Brian Stamper - Director of Manufacturing, Kite Pharma
  • Joseph F. Sanchez, Ph.D., MBA - Director, North America R&D Science Engagement, AstraZeneca
  • Bob Storey -  Principal, The MVR Company 
  • Frank F. Weichold, M.D., Ph.D. - Senior Advisor, Office of Regulatory Science and Innovation, Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  • Christy Wyskiel - Senior Advisor to the President and Head of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, Johns Hopkins University


Contact

Ulyana V. Desiderio, PhD
Director, BioHealth and Life Sciences
Maryland Department of Commerce
401 E. Pratt Street, 15th Floor 
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-767-6379

Meetings

  • September 24, 2021, 9-11 a.m. (location and agenda TBD)
  • December 16, 2021, 9-11 a.m. (location and agenda TBD)

Past meetings

  • October 23, 2017,  9:30 a.m – 12:00 p.m ​Meeting Minutes |Meeting Agenda. University of Maryland, Baltimore BioPark, 801 West Baltimore Street, Invent and Advance Room, Baltimore, MD 21202​​
  • April 10, 2017, 12:00 - 3:30 p.m. Meeting Minutes | Meeting Agenda​. Johns Hopkins FastForward, Suite 110, 1812 Ashland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205.

  • December 6, 2016, 9:00 - 11:30 a.m. Meeting Minutes |Meeting Agenda. Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR), University of Maryland, Room A101, 9600 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850

  • October 31, 2016, 12:45 - 4:15 p.m. Meeting Minutes |Meeting Agenda​. ​Montgomery College - Germantown Campus, Bioscience Education Building Room 151, Germantown, MD 20876​.