GenVec Inc. (GNVC) President & CEO Cynthia Collins Joins BioHealth Innovation, Inc. Board of Directors
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI), a regional private-public partnership focusing on commercializing market-relevant biohealth innovations and increasing access to early-stage funding in Central Maryland, announced today the appointment of GenVec, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Cynthia L. Collins to its Board of Directors. BHI also announced that BHI Founding Board Member Jerry Parrott, formerly with Human Genome Sciences, has stepped down from his board seat but will continue to remain active on BHI's Commercial Relevance Advisory Board.
"Cindy's addition to the BHI Board of Directors provides us with access to and perspective from another talented biopharma leader from this region," said Scott Carmer, BioHealth Innovation, Inc. Chairman of the Board and Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations at MedImmune. "Her tremendous depth and breadth of experience across the industry, particularly with regard to diagnostics as well as therapeutic areas ranging from antivirals to oncology, will be an asset to the companies we work with who are seeking to commercialize biohealth innovations.
"On behalf of the entire BHI Board, I would also like to thank Jerry Parrott for his contributions to BHI as a founding board member," added Mr. Carmer. "Fortunately, Jerry will continue to work with BHI via its Commercial Relevance Advisory Board."
Ms. Collins has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director of GenVec, Inc. since May 2012. Ms. Collins previously served as Group Vice President, Cellular Analysis Business, Beckman Coulter from 2007 until its sale in 2011. Prior to joining Beckman Coulter, Ms. Collins served as Chief Executive Officer of Sequoia Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a private biotechnology company developing antiviral drugs. Prior to joining Sequoia, Ms. Collins was President of Clinical Micro Sensors, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Motorola where she directed the development and commercialization of molecular diagnostic microarray products and led the eventual strategic divestiture of the division. Before Motorola, she spent over 17 years at Baxter Healthcare in a variety of executive roles, including President of Global Oncology and Vice President of Strategy and Portfolio Management of BioScience. Previously, she spent six years with Abbott Laboratories in a series of operational assignments. Ms. Collins received her undergraduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Illinois and her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
"I am deeply honored to join an already talented and robust Board of Directors at BHI," said Ms. Collins. "BHI's focus on early-stage funding and collaborations within this industry and Maryland line-up with one of my goal's as the leader of a growing biotechnology company in this region."
About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
BioHealth Innovation, Inc., is a regional innovation intermediary focused on commercializing market-relevant bio-health innovations and increasing access to early-stage funding in Maryland. Learn more at www.biohealthinnovation.org.