Management | Board of Directors | Clinical & Science Advisory Board

Board of Directors

Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D.: Dr. Akkaraju is a co-founder of Panorama and focuses primarily on life sciences investments. He joined the firm in 2001. From 1998 to 2001, Dr. Akkaraju was in Business and Corporate Development at Genentech, Inc., most recently as Senior Manager responsible for worldwide partnering activities, in-licensing of therapeutics, and out-licensing of development projects. In addition to his business development role, Dr. Akkaraju also served as a Project Team Leader for one of Genentech's clinical development products. During this time, he also was a founding member of BioStreet, an online marketplace for biotech opportunities.

Dr. Akkaraju holds B.A. degrees in both Biochemistry and Computer Science from Rice University and an M.D. and Ph.D. in Immunology from Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Akkaraju currently serves on the board of directors of Barrier Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:BTRX), Phenomix Corporation, Piramed Limited, Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGEN), and Pharmos, Inc (NASDAQ:PARS).

Felix J. Baker, Ph.D.: Dr. Baker is a Managing Member of Baker Bros. Advisors, LLC, which he and his brother, Julian Baker, founded in 2000. Dr. Baker's firm manages Baker Brothers Investments, a family of long-term investment funds for major university endowments and foundations, which are focused on publicly-traded life sciences companies. Dr. Baker's career as a fund-manager began in 1994 when he co-founded a biotechnology investing partnership with the Tisch Family. Dr. Baker holds a B.S. and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Stanford University, where he also completed two years of medical school. He is also a director of Trimeris, Inc., Neurogen Corporation, Conjuchem Inc., and Seattle Genetics, Inc.

Kenneth Galbraith: Mr. Galbraith is a General Partner of Ventures West Capital Ltd. and has over 20 years of senior operating and advisory experience in the biotechnology sector. Prior to joining Ventures West in 2007, he spent 13 years in senior management with QLT, retiring in 2000 from his position as Executive Vice President. In 2006, He served as Chairman and Interim CEO of AnorMED during its sale to Genzyme in a cash transaction worth almost $600 million. From 2001 to 2006, he served as an investor, Director or advisor to a number of successful biotechnology companies, including Angiotech Pharmaceuticals and Cardiome Pharma. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Alder, Aquinox, Celator, Macrogenics, NeurAxon and Oncogenex. Mr. Galbraith earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of British Columbia and is a Chartered Accountant.

Omar K. Haffar, Ph.D. (See Bio under Management)

Jack Obijeski, Ph.D.: More than 30 years of experience in microbiology, virology and biotechnology. Vice President of Business Development & Scientific Affairs, Genitope Corp.; Director of Vaccine Development & Senior Director of Product Development, Genentech. Prior to that he spent 12 years at the CDC as Director of Molecular Virology in the Virology Division where his group served as the WHO molecular reference laboratory center during the global smallpox eradication program.

H. Daniel Perez, M.D.: Dr. Perez is a Venture Partner of Bay City Capital since January 2007. Prior to joining the firm, Dr. Perez was President and CEO of Berlex where he led the R&D efforts, initiated multiple human clinical trials, and oversaw the execution of numerous collaborations, licensing deals, spin-outs and acquisitions, until leaving the company in 2006, upon its acquisition by Bayer. Dr. Perez is on the Board of Directors of Cleveland Biolabs (a public company, CBLI), the Scientific Advisory Board of Cardium (a public company, CDTP, CXM ), the Advisory Board for the Gladstone Institutes at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the Board of Directors of BayBio.

Dr. Perez received his medical degree in Buenos Aires, Argentina and completed his medical training at Beth Israel-Mount Sinai in New York City, as well as a fellowship in rheumatology and immunology at New York University (NYU). He joined the faculty at New York University (NYU) as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and was recruited to the UCSF in 1980. Dr. Perez was in the faculty at UCSF, as a Professor of Medicine, before joining industry in 1993. Dr. Perez has published extensively, has been elected to multiple scientific societies and nominated to the National Academy of Sciences.