Bruce Alberts, Ph.D. (Chair)
President, National Academy of Sciences
Professor of Biophysics on Leave, University of California San Francisco

Dr. Bruce Alberts is serving his second term as President of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the principal advisor to the federal government on scientific and technical matters that is comprised of more than 2,000 members and 300 foreign associates who are elected in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. As NAS President and an internationally respected scientist and advocate, Dr. Alberts has focused on promoting science-based decision-making throughout the world.

Dr. Alberts is also co-chair of the InterAcademy Council, a new organization governed by the presidents of science academies from 15 nations, designed to provide science advice to the United Nations and other international organizations.

Recognized as well for his work in biochemistry and molecular biology, Dr. Alberts is known for his extensive molecular analyses of the protein complexes that allow chromosomes to be replicated. He joined the faculty of Princeton University in 1966, moving to the medical school of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in 1976. In 1980, he was awarded an American Cancer Society lifetime research professorship. In 1985, he was named Chair of UCSF's Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Dr. Alberts was elected NAS President in 1993.

David Botstein, Ph.D.
Director and Anthony B. Evnin Professor of Genomics
Lewis-Siglar Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University

Renowned educator and pioneer of modern genetics, Dr. David Botstein is the Anthony B. Evnin Professor of Genomic and Director of the Lewis-Siglar Institute of Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, which is charged with building on the advances of major genome projects.

Widely credited with the fundamental contributions he has made to the field of genetics, Dr. Botstein and three colleagues proposed a method for mapping genes that laid the groundwork for the Human Genome Project more than 20 years ago. Their paper describing the technique has been called ‘the beginning of modern human genetics’.

Dr. Botstein received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a doctoral degree from University of Michigan. He spent the years 1967 – 1988 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), including his post as Professor of Genetics. After spending two years with Genentech as Vice President – Science, Dr. Botstein joined the faculty at Stanford School of Medicine, where he was Stanford Ascherman, MD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Genetics until 2003. He is a member of National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine.

Susan Desmond-Hellmann, M.D., M.P.H.
President – Product Development
Genentech

Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann is President of Product Development at Genentech, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, where her broad responsibilities include Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Product Development, and Strategic Pipeline Development.

Dr. Hellmann joined Genentech in 1995 as a clinical scientist and was named Executive Vice President, Development and Product Operations in 1999, and later added the responsibilities and title of Chief Medical Officer. Prior to joining Genentech, she was Associate Director of Clinical Cancer Research at Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pharmaceutical Research Institute, where she also served as the Project Team Leader for Taxol.

In both 2003 and 2002, Dr. Hellmann was named to Fortune magazine's Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. In 2002, she was named to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Regulatory Reform, and in 2001 joined the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).

In addition to her work at Genentech, Dr. Hellmann is an adjunct Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California San Francisco, where she has also served as Assistant Professor, Hematology-Oncology. Dr. Hellmann holds bachelor and medical degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a master's degree in epidemiology and biostatistics from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health.

Regis B. Kelly, Ph.D.
Executive Director
California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research
Professor Emeritus, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
University of California San Francisco

Distinguished neuroscientist and former Executive Vice Chancellor of University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Dr. Regis Kelly was recently named Executive Director, California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research (QB3). QB3 is a partnership between UCSF, UC Berkeley, and UC Santa Cruz, established to bring together the powerful quantitative tools of the physical sciences, engineering and mathematics to tackle complex biological problems.

Educated first at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Kelly earned a Ph.D. in physics from the California Institute of Technology. After teaching at Harvard Medical School, he joined UCSF in 1971 in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, where he was Chair from 1995-2000. One of his major research efforts focused on proteins involved in long term memory that allow neurotransmitters to be released quickly and efficiently from nerve synapses.

Dr. Kelly was named Executive Vice Chancellor of UCSF in 2001, serving until 2004, during which time he oversaw the research enterprise and forged new research ties between the university and private industry.

Henry Metzger, M.D.
Scientist Emeritus
National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
National Institutes of Health

Dr. Henry Metzger serves as a Senior Advisor to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Board of Scientific Directors, after recently retiring from the National Institute for Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), where he was Director for Intramural Research for eleven years. He currently holds an emeritus appointment with NIAMS.

Dr. Metzger joined the NIH to pursue basic research in structural aspects of the immune system, research that he pursued for over 43 years before closing his laboratory in 2002. During that time he published over 225 scientific publications with a major portion of his work on molecular mechanisms in signal transduction by immunoreceptors.

Currently Chairman of the Board on International Scientific Organizations of the U.S. National Research Council, Dr. Metzger has served in a variety of positions with professional societies including as President of the American Association of Immunologists and of the International Union of Immunological Societies, and several leadership positions with the International Council for Science.

Dr. Metzger was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1992. Among his other honors are the Harvey Lectureship, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and twice, the Distinguished Service medal of the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. Dr. Metzger received his A.B. from the University of Rochester and his M.D. from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.  

William J. Rutter, Ph.D.
Chairman Emeritus, Chiron Corporation
Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry, University of California San Francisco

Dr. William Rutter is Chairman Emeritus and co-founder in 1981 of Chiron Corporation, one of the first bio-pharmaceutical companies in the world. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of Synergenics, an advisory firm to start-up biotechnology companies. Dr. Rutter also serves as a member of the board of directors of Sangamo BioSciences and Cytokinetics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Rutter was Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at UCSF from 1969 to 1982, a period in which the department, under his leadership, played a key role in developing recombinant DNA technology and the first cloning of the insulin and growth hormone genes. From 1983 through 1991, he was the Director of the Hormone Research Institute at UCSF.  

Dr. Rutter’s primary area of research is the mechanism of gene expression and the development of human vaccines that can be used for the prevention of and treatment of infectious diseases. He holds a B.A. from Harvard and a Ph.D. from University of Illinois.

George Yancopolous, M.D., PhD.
Executive Vice President, President of Regeneron Research Laboratories and Chief Scientific Officer
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Dr. Yancopolous heads the science and research operation at Regeneron, a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and intends to commercialize therapeutic medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron has therapeutic candidates in clinical trials for the potential treatment of obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. The Company also has preclinical programs in asthma, allergies, and other diseases and disorders. 

Dr. Yancopoulos received his PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics and his M.D. from Columbia University.  His expertise is in the study of growth factors and their role in disease progression in complex diseases such as scleroderma.

Bruce U. Wintroub, M.D.
Associate Dean
Professor and Chair of Dermatology
University of California San Francisco

Now Associate Dean and Professor and Chair of Dermatology at UCSF, Dr. Bruce Wintroub has served in a variety of capacities for the Department of Dermatology, including Director of Dermatology Associates, Chairman from 1985-1995, and Vice Chair of Professional Services. He was also Executive Vice Dean for the School of Medicine from 1995 to 1997.

As the former Chief Medical Officer of UCSF Stanford Health Care, Dr. Wintroub chaired the UCSF Stanford Physician Organization and was involved in all clinical matters at both sites, helping cement the patient-care link between the two schools.

Before joining the UCSF faculty in 1982, Dr. Wintroub taught and practiced dermatology at esteemed institutions in the Boston area, including Harvard Medical School, the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Children's Hospital. 

Dr. Wintroub's past research projects have included pathogenesis of bullous diseases, mast cells and eosinophils in cutaneous inflammation, characterization of human mast cell enzymes and use of photopheresis in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, atopic dermatitis and scleroderma. He received his A.B. degree from Amherst College and M.D. from Washington University School of Medicine.