President, TrovaNOW
In March 2020, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I was shocked by what is often viewed to be a devastating diagnosis, but I found myself to be very lucky in important ways. First, my friend Debbie Brandel introduced me to Dr. Diane Simeone at NYU Langone Hospital. Within a few days of my diagnosis, Diane and her team met with me and my wife to review my case and discuss possible treatment. The depth of their knowledge, coupled with the honest way in which they spoke to us and approached my case, immediately gave us the confidence and assurance we needed that we were in the best hands possible in dealing with what would be the biggest fight of my life.

Second, my cancer was discovered relatively early and had not spread, which enabled me to be a candidate for the Whipple operation. Within just one week of meeting Dr. Simeone and Dr. Oberstein, I began the first of six chemotherapy sessions, followed by a successful operation in July, then six additional chemotherapy sessions. Less than eight months after my original diagnosis, my treatment was done, and I was told that I was cancer free and ready to begin the process of making my way back to health.

Facing a disease where very few of those diagnosed are candidates for surgery, only 25% of the people diagnosed will survive one year, and fewer than 10% survive five years, it became clear to me that early detection is critical. When Debbie and Dr. Simeone told me that they were part of an organization whose focus is on early detection and whose stated goal is to increase that five year survival rate to 50%, I decided that I wanted to help in whatever way I could.

I have been a commercial litigation attorney for 37 years, spending my entire career at the same firm, Pryor Cashman. While my professional skills focus primarily on bringing and defending business lawsuits in state and federal courts, I think of myself as a problem solver, and I hope that my experience in this area, as well as prior and current roles as president of several for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, will translate positively at TrovaNOW.

Chief Scientific Advisor, TrovaNOW
Diane M. Simeone
Chugai Chair of Surgery
Director, Moores Comprehensive Cancer Center

I have dedicated my career to taking care of patients with pancreatic cancer. I strongly believe that the path to change outcomes in this disease is through early detection. I am committed to the efforts of TrovaNOW in executing that vision, with an overarching goal of a 50% for pancreatic cancer in the next 10 years.

Chief Financial Officer, TrovaNOW
President of RJS Associates and Consultants, LLC
Springfield, NJ

There is nothing more personally and professionally satisfying, than working with organizations, like Trovanow, whose mission is to improve the quality of life in others.

Founder and President of Preferred Health Strategies
New York, NY

I had the good fortune to meet Diane Simeone awhile ago. I came to her as a potential patient to be regularly screened for Pancreatic Cancer. My Mother, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and died 17 months after her symptoms presented. As a breast cancer survivor , myself I began thinking about where could I find a doctor who would screen me regularly so that if and when I get pancreatic cancer it could be detected in an early stage so that I could have the opportunity to survive for many years. It is only through early detection can this serious disease be treated effectively. TrovaNow will be the funding source for this transformative research to learn how to detect this disease at an early stage. These 35 oncology centers will work together for the first time to collaborate to achieve this powerful goal of changing the course of pancreatic cancer. It is an honor to join in this effort!

Principal at Preferred Health Strategies
New York, NY

I have been working in the health care field for my entire career and am thrilled to have the chance to work with Trovanow as a way of giving back. Although I have had no personal experience with pancreatic cancer, both my parents died of other forms of cancer and I have witnessed first hand the terrible toll and loss that it takes on families. I have also witnessed the extreme dedication that so many clinicians and scientists bring to bear in helping their patients through this terrible disease. I look forward to the day when pancreatic cancer is routinely detected in its early stages and patients can look forward to receiving treatment that allows them to spend many more tomorrows with their families.

Survivor, Speaker and Motivator
Pancreatic Cancer Survivor since 2006
Dallas, TX

I was often asked; how do you live when everyone is saying you are dying?

Unfortunately, that is the dialogue for over 50,000 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As a 15-year survivor of pancreatic cancer I am blessed to share my story and promote advocacy. In perfectly good health my very unexpected diagnosis in 2006 followed with the Whipple, multiple surgeries, numerous complications, emergency room visit too numerous to count and what I would normally consider unimaginable side effects, would become my new normal with 3+ years of chemo. Only then to be told, “get your affairs in order, you have 3-6 months to live”.

Not many can share a success story with pancreatic cancer. I don’t want anyone to have a minute of my journey. Hope prevails amidst adversity and this initiative will change the course of history by creating a future where there is hope. There is a great sense of urgency in improving survival outcomes for patients and the only way we will succeed is with early detection and prevention. That is why I am devoted to TrovaNOW and the unwavering commitment to developing an early detection marker and increasing the 5-year survival rate from 9% to 50% within the next 10 years.

Victoria Manax Rutson M.D., is a medical oncologist with specialty interest in global drug development, medical affairs, and patient advocacy. Her expertise includes innovative clinical trial designs not only in oncology but in multiple disease areas. Dr. Manax was involved in the development, approval, and launch of the drug Abraxane for multiple indications including pancreatic cancer. She most recently served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. She currently holds a number of various corporate board positions, patents, and chair positions for multiple data, safety, and monitoring boards.

Like so many others, cancer became a word all too familiar within my family. From a young age, cancer not only affected the ones I love most but it dictated my career in medicine. I have had the opportunity to serve in so many special positions from caretaker of cherished loved ones, treating patients, to oncology drug development. My path brought me to the pancreatic cancer community, which is so very special, a community that shines in itself. My goal is to ensure other individuals have the option of learning more about pancreatic cancer through knowledge, early detection, and viable treatment options.

Survivor of Pancreatic Cancer
Executive and Corporate Legal Officer
San Francisco, CA

I am committed to changing pancreatic cancer from a “deadly diagnosis” to a “chronic condition” and to accelerating discovery of early detection and better screening techniques, finding its cause, and its ultimate cure. I know that if I had not been diagnosed early despite no real symptoms, my outcome would have been far different.

Doug has been a life sciences recruiter for over thirty years serving major pharma and biotech companies across North America. He joined National Search Associates in 1993, and leads the companies retained search division. In 2001 Doug’s life was forever changed when his father, Michael Frankel, passed away at 57 years old from a pancreatic tumor that had metastasized to his liver. Doug put his recruiting on hold while he did everything he could to give his dad more time. Through his association with the oncology community and several notable physicians in industry and academia Michael lived another 18 months. This was a very pivotal time for Doug and led him to rededicating his recruiting practice to specialize in clinical oncology. Doug has a prominent role recruiting oncologists and helps industry leaders connect with next generation fellows in Hematology and Oncology. He attends ASH, ASCO, and AACR annually, and for the last seven years has helped with industry networking events giving oncologists an opportunity to meet one on one with the top industry leaders in the field. With Doug’s knowledge of the marketplace and industry trends he brings a unique perspective to his search process and has built lasting partnerships with prominent executives in the field.

Dr. Karlsberg is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in both internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, he holds board certifications in comprehensive echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and cardiovascular CT. He is currently on the clinical faculty at NYU Langone Health in the Department of Medicine & Division of Cardiology.

Daniel Karlsberg graduated from the University of California and received his doctorate with honors from Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University. He then completed residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado, followed by fellowship in cardiology at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

Dr. Karlsberg is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and an active member of the American Society of Preventive Cardiology. As a preventive medicine physician, he has a special interest in the early diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease, complex lipid disorders, and advanced cardiovascular imaging. Throughout his medical training and career, Dr. Karlsberg has been deeply involved in cardiovascular CT research and currently advises and teaches with the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT). Dr. Karlsberg maintains ongoing clinical research with both the Cardiovascular Research Foundation and The Lundquist Institute & Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Karlsberg is deeply passionate and enthusiastic about the intersection of healthcare and technology to empower and educate for better outcomes. He is honored to be part of the team at Princeton Longevity Center as Associate Medical Director where he maintains a practice that strives to improve health via prevention, early detection, and exceptional follow up. His sole goal is to work with you to create optimal health and wellness that are tailored to your needs.

Michael Gershenson is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ridge Real Estate Partners. Mr. Gershenson has more than two decades of real estate investment experience across property types including an extensive track record in the multifamily, industrial and life science sectors. Prior to forming Ridge, Mr. Gershenson was a Global Partner/Managing Director in Carlyle’s US Real Estate group where he was responsible for all aspects of real estate investments, with a geographic focus on New York and Boston. During Mr. Gershenson’s 20 years at Carlyle he executed over $6 billion in transactions. Prior to Carlyle, Mr. Gershenson was with Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown’s mergers, acquisitions and corporate advisory group in New York where he specialized in real estate transactions. Mr. Gershenson received a B.S.B.A. from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Steers Center for Global Real Estate at Georgetown University. Mr. Gershenson resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters.

Ilya Gipp, MD, PhD
GE HealthCare
Chief Medical Officer - Oncology

Dr. Ilya Gipp has an MD in diagnostic radiology and a PhD in neuroradiology. Currently – Chief Medical Officer for oncology at GE HealthCare, responsible for company strategy in cancer care; driving partnerships with leading healthcare programs around the world; and advancing health technology in oncology. He also continues to practice diagnostic imaging remotely for the chain of clinics in the Southeast of Europe.

Before joining GE HealthCare, Ilya worked at Philips, and more than 20 years ago, Dr. Gipp worked full-time as a radiologist and later as a chief of one of Europe’s largest radiology department. Besides running various research projects in advanced imaging, he has driven conversion to filmless radiology and has supervised adoption of one the first full-scale PACS systems. Has managed numerous partnerships between the clinic and various industrial companies for co-developing new technologies, medical environment testing and ensuring legal compliance for new products. Dr. Gipp has over 100 publications with over 45 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals primarily related to various areas of diagnostic imaging, management in radiology, oncology, and healthcare informatics.

He resides in Atlanta, GA.

Pfizer
Vice President & Head of Clinical AI/ML
Artifical Intelligence/ Machine Learning

Subha is a dynamic and results-driven leader with a strong track record of excellence in organizations that operate at the nexus of science, technology and business. She has initiated and successfully directed several productive clinical research and development programs at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, MedStar hospital network, FDA, NIH and BioPharma industry. She was co-leader of the FDA’s Center for Excellence in Regulatory Science and worked with the Oncology and Vaccine teams. She was an advisory member to the Biden Foundation’s Cancer Moonshot Program and advised on pre-competitive data sharing initiatives across Pharma, Health Tech companies and research organizations to drive innovation. She has been recognized for her work through several awards including the Service to America award in the Science and Environment category (2005), Research Acceleration Award by AACR and Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (2015), and Women in Tech Global award (2021). She is currently the Head of Clinical AI/ML & Data Sciences at Pfizer worldwide R&D where she leads a team focused on advancing precision therapies across multiple treatment areas including Anti-Infectives, Oncology, Immunology & Inflammation among others.

Vice President, Oncology Clinical Development, Diagnostics, and Global Medical Affairs, Janssen Research & Development, LLC

Craig Tendler, M.D. is Vice President and Global Head of Clinical Development, Diagnostics, and Medical Affairs for the Oncology Therapeutic Area at Janssen Research & Development, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. In this position, he is responsible for creating and overseeing robust development plans, including optimal integration of biomarkers and diagnostics, and comprehensive data generation activities for all products in the oncology portfolio, from proof of concept through registration and lifecycle management. He works closely with teams in early development and the disease areas of focus to implement a seamless end-to-end oncology clinical research strategy that incorporates compelling science, broad clinical trial access to diverse populations, and addresses areas of high unmet medical need.

Prior to this role, Craig served as Vice President of Medical Affairs for Tibotec Therapeutics and then Ortho-Biotech, where he led medical affairs teams in lifecycle management and data generation for the Janssen Virology and Oncology franchises.

Craig has overseen and coordinated more than 30 major drug approvals by national regulatory agencies, including at least ten NDAs by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He and his have team worked in collaboration with the FDA and the European Medicines Agency to secure the worldwide approvals of Janssen’s treatments in prostate cancer, hematologic malignancies, as well as for lung and bladder cancer. Further, together with his team, Craig has been instrumental in achieving 11 FDA breakthrough designations for accelerating the early development of promising investigational medicines intended for the treatment of serious oncology conditions.

Prior to joining Janssen, Craig served as the Vice President of Oncology Clinical Research and Chair of the Oncology Licensing Committee at the Schering-Plough Research Institute. In addition to his pharmaceutical industry experience, he has served as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics/Hematology-Oncology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and as a research fellow at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Craig earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, and graduated from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York City, with high honors and induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Society.

Illumina
Head Clinical Solutions
Genomics

Traci Pawlowski is a molecular geneticist, diagnostic test developer and scientific manager with over 20 years of diagnostic experience. Currently she is the VP and Head of Clinical Solutions for Illumina in San Diego, CA, leading IVD assay development for oncology, NIPT and clinical whole genome sequencing applications. Prior to joining Illumina in 2017 as Sr Director of Oncology Product Development, she held progressive positions at Hologic, Epic Sciences, Clarient GE Healthcare and Caris Life Sciences. She received a PhD in Genetics from Clemson University in 2007, and has a BA from Indiana University in Biology and Psychology. She did her postdoctoral work in the neuroscience department at the Translational Genomics Institute (TGEN) in Phoenix, AZ. In addition, Dr. Pawlowski holds 10 patents in the diagnostic space and multiple publications in biomarker research.

Ambry Genetics
CEO
Clinical Genetics Diagnostics

Tom Schoenherr is responsible for the strategic, financial, and operational leadership of the organization.

Tom joined Ambry in 2017 as Chief Commercial Officer and was responsible for the execution of Ambry’s go-to-market strategy and overseeing all commercial functions including service, support, sales, marketing, business development, managed care and genetic specialists. Prior to Ambry, Tom spent more than 20 years in leadership positions in the molecular diagnostics space, most recently as the CCO of Omada Health where he was responsible for driving business growth and increasing market share. He also served in similar roles at Counsyl, Quest Diagnostics, Siemens Healthcare, and Abbott Diagnostics. Tom earned his BS from Michigan State University and completed his Executive Business Development Program at the University of Notre Dame.

Lisata Therapeutics
President and Chief Business Officer

David is President and CBO of Lisata Therapeutics. He is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in public and private biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He has been responsible for numerous financings, mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances, and other partnerships. Prior to the merger of Cend Therapeutics with Caladrius Biosciences to form Lisata, David served as President and CEO of Cend. Previously, David was co-founding CBO at Viracta Therapeutics. David also served as Vice President for Business Development at Ionis Pharmaceuticals as well as senior roles at Rhône-Poulenc Rorer, RPR Gencell and Aventis Pharmaceuticals.