The Board of Directors (from left to right): Dr. Jason Harmon, Mr. Rodger May,
Dr. Julia Levy, Mr. Karim Lalji, Dr. Brett Baker, and Mr. Steve Schellong
Mission Statement
Microbion Corporation is dedicated to safeguarding human health by overcoming infections, antibiotic resistance, and microbial biofilms with safe, effective anti-infective products.
We are also dedicated to eliminating harmful microbial growth and biofouling to protect our water, crops, industries and other vital resources, and to enable energy conservation.
We are committed to applying our unique capabilities to solve the critical, unmet needs of society. It is our mission to save lives, protect the environment, and enhance quality of life on a global scale.
Board of Directors:
Mr. Karim Lalji, MS Chairman of the Board of Directors
Mr. Lalji began his career with Merck & Company. While at Merck, he led the infectious disease new product portfolio from the commercial perspective, with responsibility for products such as INVANZ, CANCIDAS and CRIXIVAN. While spearheading the marketing and launch for CRIXIVAN, a breakthrough treatment for HIV disease, Mr. Lalji led the ultimate discovery of the "triple cocktail," which today remains the cornerstone of HIV treatment.
Mr. Lalji subsequently undertook responsibility for driving the global franchise strategies for Merck's two leading areas: cholesterol reducers and hypertension/heart failure treatments. His final role during his ten-year tenure at Merck was as an executive leading the worldwide osteoporosis franchise and its main product, FOSAMAX.
Subsequent to Merck, Mr. Lalji worked at Sepracor, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was Vice President of Business Strategy and New Product Commercialization. Mr. Lalji was the primary architect of LUNESTA for the treatment of insomnia at Sepracor.
In 2006, Mr. Lalji joined Cardiome Pharma Corp. in Vancouver, British Columbia as Senior Vice President of Commercial Affairs and an officer of the company. He played a pivotal role in driving Cardiome's $1 billion worldwide licensing agreement with Merck & Company for vernakalant oral and IV for the management of atrial fibrillation.
Mr. Lalji serves on the Board of Overseers of Harvard University's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, a leading academic teaching hospital. Additionally, he is on the Board of Methylation Sciences Incorporated, a company developing a lead asset for the treatment of depression. Mr. Lalji holds a Science Masters Degree in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. He also holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.
Dr. Julia Levy, PhD Deputy Chair of the Board of Directors
Dr. Julia Levy has served in several key senior posts at QLT, including Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President as well as President and CEO from 1995 to February 2002. Dr. Levy has also been a Director of QLT since 1983. In December 2006, she retired from the Board to become Director Emerita and continues to be actively involved in QLT's Scientific Advisory Board. Under Dr. Levy's leadership, QLT recorded the strongest period of growth in company history and earned a reputation for achieving milestones, including FDA approval for Visudyne® therapy to treat age-related blindness in April 2000.
Following her doctorate degree in immunology from the University of London, Dr. Levy was awarded an Industrial Professorship in the Department of Microbiology from the University of British Columbia and is the recipient of several honorary degrees. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and former President of the Canadian Federation of Biological Sciences, Dr. Levy has earned numerous awards and honors, including an appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2001, Female Entrepreneur of the Year for International Business in 1998, Pacific Canada Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000, and the Future of Vision Award from the Foundation Fighting Blindness in 2001.
In 2002, Dr. Levy received, along with Dr. David Dolphin, the Friesen-Rygiel prize for medical research and the Prix Galien Canada research award. Along with Dr. Gustav Huber of Novartis, she was presented with the 2003 Helen Keller Prize for Innovation in Eye Care. In her honor, the Julia G. Levy Professorship in Ophthalmology Chair was created at Johns Hopkins Hospital Wilmer Eye Institute in 2004, the same year she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Columbia Biotechnology Association.
Mr. Rodger May Director
Mr. May currently oversees the direct management of over $100 million in assets. He has 25 years of experience in building multiple $100 million per year corporations while managing individual companies with over 300 employees each.
Mr. May provides expertise for the many industrial applications of Microbion's technologies and brings an expertise in building, managing,and orchestrating the successful sale of companies he has owned or been directly involved in running.
Mr. May spent 25 years advancing his impact on fisheries and commercialization of new fisheries technologies, which culminated in the sale of one of his primary fishery companies in 2008. He currently maintains ownership in Copper River Seafoods, where he has had the direct impact of advancing sales from $1 million in 1997 and is on track to exceed $100 million in sales in 2010.
He is both a pioneer in the fisheries world, and one of the most successful individuals in fisheries. Mr. May has built his fortunes on integrity and relationships, as well as perfecting complex business negotiations in his lifetime of successful business transactions.
Dr. Jason J. Harmon ND, FABNO Director
Dr. Jason J. Harmon is co-founder of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a Board member (and Fellow) of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Alaska Cancer Research and Education Center, previously responsible for cancer research trials conducted in Alaska.
Dr. Harmon offers Microbion a wealth of clinical knowledge, a diverse international network, and experience in raising equity capital. As a native Alaskan, he is very aware of the significant opportunities for Microbion's technology to serve the unmet, health-related needs of rural Alaska populations, as well as the key industrial needs of Alaska's oil industry.
Some of his many accomplishments include:
- Leading naturopathic physician
- Co-founder of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians
- Board member (and Fellow) of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology
- Board-certified in Naturopathic Oncology
- Former member of the Board of Directors of the Alaska Cancer Research and Education Center
Dr. Brett Baker MSc, DC Founder, President & CEO
Dr. Brett Baker is the founder of Microbion as well as the original formulator of the company's mission, scientific projects, and business strategies. He identified the bismuth-thiol platform technology as a highly valuable tool in the fight against infectious disease, and successfully negotiated Microbion's exclusive, international license in this regard.
Dr. Baker is a primary physician with advanced training in cancer research. His graduate research led to the identification of the first animal homolog of the human ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1) molecule. ICAM-1 is a vital protein on the surface of T-cells that allows these active immune system cells to reversibly adhere to many other cell types, facilitating rapid intercellular communication in the immune system.
Dr. Baker has served as the author and Principal Investigator for over $2.7 million in grants awarded to Microbion from the US Department of Defense (DOD), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies. He is also the author of an additional $2.5 million grant recently recommended for funding by the DOD to support Phase II human clinical studies. He led our Phase I human clinical study project, and he has received advanced training in microbial biofilm research from the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University. Dr. Baker has contributed to Microbion's growing suite of intellectual property. He leads Microbion's establishment of effective relationships commercialization partners.
Mr. Steven Schellong Director
Mr. Schellong has served in several sales and business development roles at Microsoft Corporation since 2003. He currently manages corporate accounts for the Small and Mid-market Solutions & Partners business in the U.S. In this role, he has established a multi-year track record of exceeding revenue and growth goals by working with Microsoft's ecosystem of partners to deliver technology-based business solutions, and negotiating licensing agreements that meet the needs of enterprise customers. He also has managed Microsoft partner relationships and developed joint sales and marketing plans to drive revenue and grow market share.
Prior to joining Microsoft, Mr. Schellong was Director of Development and served on the Board of Directors for Alaska Investnet. In this role he consulted with entrepreneurs to develop successful business plans in preparation for raising private equity, and facilitated introductions to potential investors. Before joining Investnet, he cofounded GrantStation, a company that pioneered the online delivery of fundraising tools and resources for charitable and government organizations. At GrantStation he directed the development of the technology infrastructure to support a nationwide rollout of services, and built a sales team that drove over 400% revenue growth. He also played a pivotal role in raising equity capital, setting company strategy, and establishing business partnerships.
Mr. Schellong has served as a director for a number of other organizations prior to Microbion. He graduated cum laude from Villanova University with a B.A. in Economics in 1991.