Scientific Advisors
TVAX®’s scientific advisory team possesses unparalleled expertise in the field of cancer immunotherapy and T cell biology, offering the know-how to design a novel treatment platform that overcomes the limitations of previous approaches.
Patrick E. Fields, Ph.D. has served as a scientific advisor to TVAX since 2010. Dr. Fields is a cancer immunologist and an expert in T cell activation. Since October, 2004, he has been a research scientist in the Cancer Division, the Department of Pathology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Fields is extensively published in the area of T cell biology, having over thirty peer-reviewed scientific publications. He has a B.A. from Louisiana State University, a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and post-doctoral training from the University of Chicago and Yale University.
G. Yancey Gillespie III, Ph.D. is a cancer immunologist and Professor of Surgery, Microbiology and Cell Biology/Anatomy, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Director of the Brain Tumor Research Laboratories in the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Comprehensive Cancer Research Center. Author of over 120 journal articles and book chapters on brain cancer and cancer immunology. Member, scientific advisory boards of Novapharm Biotech, Ltd, NeuroVir Therapeutics Inc./Medigene, Inc., Targepeutics, Inc., Ceregene, Inc. and SunBiochem, Inc. [Ph.D., M.S., B.A., University of Mississippi].
Barbara Lukert, M.D., F.A.C.P. is Clinical Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center. Lukert was the director of the Osteoporosis Clinic at KUMC for 17 years. Her area of research is metabolic bone disease and she has been the principle investigator in numerous Phase 3 clinical trials for drugs to treat osteoporosis, Paget's disease of bone, and steroid-induced bone loss. Lukert served on the FDA Endocrine Advisory Committee 1999-2002, on the Osteoporosis Foundation Scientific Advisory Board 1994-2010 and on the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Council 2001-2004. Lukert has reviewed grants for the National Institutes of Health, most recently reviewing grant applications for the 2009 stimulus package.
Thomas D. Overbay, D.V.M. is a business development and technical consultant to the animal and human health industries and co-founder of Expedite Animal Health, assisting with the commercialization of products in the veterinary industry. Dr. Overbay brings over 20 years of experience in the veterinary pharmaceutical industry, as the senior business development officer for a major animal health company and in similar roles with a contract services provider and start-up animal health companies in the US and internationally. Dr. Overbay has successfully brought to market products arising from universities, government agencies, human hospitals, start-up companies (both human and veterinary), and multinational pharmaceutical and chemical companies. Dr. Overbay holds his veterinary degree from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.
Barry S. Skikne, M.D. has served as a director since 2011 and also serves as a member of our Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Skikne is a Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Skikne has served as the Executive Director of Clinical Research at Celgene Pharmaceuticals from 2008 to 2016. Dr. Skikne was a Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Kansas Medical Center from 1978 to 2008. He was the Director of the Bone Marrow Transplantation Program at the University of Kansas Medical Center from 1993 to 2007. Dr. Skikne is the author of more than ninety journal articles and book chapters. He has a B.S. (M.B.B.Ch.,) from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, SA and an M.D. and residency in Hematology and Oncology from the College of Physicians of South Africa.
Andrew E. Sloan M.D., F.A.C.S. Dr. Sloan is a neurosurgeon who is a clinical expert in cancer immunotherapy having participated as a principal investigator in clinical trials of several different forms of brain cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Sloan is Professor and the Peter D. Crystal Chair of Neurosurgical Oncology and Director of the Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center at Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University. Prior to joining Case, Dr. Sloan was Associate Professor, Director of Radiosurgery at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center at the University of South Florida. Dr. Sloan joined the Moffitt Cancer Center in 2004 after having served six years on the faulty of Wayne State University. He was Chief of Neuro-Oncology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State at the time of his departure. While at Wayne State, Dr. Sloan actively participated in the clinical trials of TVAX Immunotherapy® that were conducted at the institution. Dr. Sloan was chosen a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 2004. Dr. Sloan is a graduate of Yale University (B.S.), Harvard Medical School (M.D.) and M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (Fellowship, Neurosurgical Oncology).
Lowell Tilzer, M.D., Ph.D., TVAX's interim Chief Executive Officer is a co-founder and has served as a director since 2011. Dr. Tilzer is a board-certified clinical pathologist and is an expert in blood processing. Dr. Tilzer is a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He served as Chairperson of that department from 2009 until his retirement from that position in 2015. Prior to 2009, Dr. Tilzer held a series of senior management positions within the Blood Services division of the American Red Cross, including service as chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Southwest Region. Dr. Tilzer received his B.A. from the University of Kansas and his M.D., Ph.D. and Pathology Residency from the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Kevin Schultz, DVM, PhD Immunology/Medicine/ Microbiology serves as Chair of the ELIAS Animal Health scientific advisory board (SAB) and also as a member of the TVAX Biomedical SAB. Kevin has previously served as chief scientific officer of Kindred Biosciences, chief scientific officer and head of global R&D at Merial, and executive director of worldwide animal science research and development at Merck. Prior to that, he was a Professor of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and managed his own veterinary practice. Dr. Schultz serves as an industry consultant for human and animal health research and development, and most recently was appointed as CEO of Pathens, LLC. He is also a Venture Fellow with the George Research Alliance.
Noe Reyes, DVM, is an experienced veterinarian and animal health researcher. He serves as our contract veterinary medical director, and as a member of our scientific advisory board. Previously, Dr. Reyes has served as medical director for Kindred Biosciences, a development-stage veterinary biopharmaceutical company, and in scientific positions with Achaogen and Theravance Biopharma, as well as the United States Army Veterinary Corps, where he was responsible for the medical care of military working dogs and equine at installations in California and Texas. Dr. Reyes received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of California, Davis.
Ralph Richardson, DVM, DACVIM, served as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University from August 1998 to June 2015, and continues as a faculty member. Prior to that, he served as a faculty member and head of the clinical sciences department at Purdue University, served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, and was in private practice in Miami, Florida. Ralph is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medical (Internal Medicine, Oncology). He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, the Veterinary Cancer Society, and is actively engage in public health and comparative medicine programs.
Ron Schultz, PhD, DACVIM, is a recognized leader on veterinary vaccines, virology and immunology. He currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His primary emphasis of research focuses on the pathogenesis of viral infections in large and companion animals. He earned his doctoral degree from Pennsylvania State University, and is an honorary diplomate from the American College of Veterinary Microbiology.