Board of directors
Gary W. Wood, Ph.D., founded TVAX Biomedical in 2004 and currently serves as Chief Scientific Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors. He served as President and CEO of the company from the company’s inception until December 2012. Dr. Wood is the inventor and principal developer of the TVAX Immunotherapy® technology. Dr. Wood guided the development of TVAX Immunotherapy from concept through its most recent human clinical trials. Dr. Wood organized and coordinated the Phase 1 / 2 clinical trials performed at University of Kansas Medical Center and at Wayne State University and managed the scientific/clinical teams that performed the trials. Dr. Wood was Professor of Pathology, Director of the Diagnostic Immunology Laboratory and Director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Laboratory at KU Medical Center. Dr. Wood also was Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cancer Immunotherapy Laboratory at Wayne State University. Dr. Wood has a B.A. from Kalamazoo College and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Wayne O. Carter, D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate ACVIM, TVAX's Chief Executive Officer joined TVAX Biomedical in 2019 and serves as a member of the Board of Directors. Prior to that, he served as the President and CEO of BioNexus KC leading the transformation of the Kansas City region into a nationally recognized center of excellence in human and animal health research, development and commercialization. Dr. Carter has more than 18 years of Fortune 500 experience in pharmaceutical and nutrition R&D, and in his role at Pfizer as Executive Director of Global Clinical Development, he accelerated the development of many drugs using novel clinical technologies. His board appointments include MRI Global and Acenxion Biosystems. Dr. Carter received his B.S., D.V.M., and Ph.D. in Immunology from Purdue University.
Wesley E. Griffitt, M.D., has served as a director since December 2011. Dr. Griffitt is a board-certified neurosurgeon involved in brain tumor immunotherapy research. The surgical treatment of metastatic and primary brain cancers constitutes a significant part of his practice. Dr. Griffitt is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin and serves as the Neuroscience Medical Education Program director at Aurora Baycare Medical Center. Dr. Griffitt served as Chief of Neurosurgery at David Grant Medical Center (1997 to June 2000). Dr. Griffitt received his M.D. from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his Neurosurgical Residency at Loyola University in Chicago.
Catherine E. Lucasey, M.A., BSN, is a co-founder and has served as a director since inception. From 1990 through 2011, Ms. Lucasey worked as the nurse manager of the Endocrine Division at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Ms. Lucasey is a registered nurse with 25 years of experience in the health care industry with research, consumer education and direct patient care experience. She has a B.S.N. and M.A.s in Marketing and Management from Webster University.
Lowell L. 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.
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.
Chuck Burton is Chief Operating Officer of Nations Holding Company and President of Foreclosure Management Company. He has developed and implemented strategic business plans leading to substantial revenue and profit growth for the company. He has developed both the structure and the team required to guide the company through the turbulence and uncertainty of the real estate market. As COO of Nations Holding Company, Chuck has shaped a business environment where growth and development flourish for more than 20 businesses. He has served on Children's Mercy Hospital Board of Volunteers and is a regular volunteer at Children's Mercy Hospital and Johnson County Mental Health. Mr. Burton has a proven executive management track record and over 35 years of experience driving sales and growth in the banking industry.