Speaker bios | Biomanufacturing Opportunities Workshop

Director of Policy and Workforce Strategies, Ohio Life Sciences

Willa Bluestone is the Director of Policy and Workforce Strategies for Ohio Life Sciences. In this role, she advocates on behalf of our nearly 300 members for policies at the state and local level that promote economic growth in the life science community. She previously served as the Legislative Aide to State Representative Scott Lipps in his capacity as Chairman of the Ohio House Health Committee. She is a member of the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute and brings years of legislative experience with her to OLS. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from The Ohio State University.

See the presentation     Connect via email

Managing Director, Growth, Ohio Life Sciences

Bill Dunlevy is Managing Director, Growth at Ohio Life Sciences. This role works with Ohio’s life sciences companies to leverage the combined purchasing power of OLS members to deliver discounts, incentives, and other pre-negotiated value-added perks. OLS members will soon utilize a complete portfolio of products and services from best-in-class businesses. Additionally, he’ll be working with Ohio’s Gene and Cell Therapy Industry Council to help deliver its key initiatives. With over 30 years of experience in the life sciences, including medical devices, biopharmaceutics, drug delivery, and manufacturing, Dunlevy will build business relationships with members of the state’s unifying trade association. He’s held leadership positions with companies including Battelle, Hill-Rom, Philips Respironics, and Roche Diagnostics. Bill holds degrees from Capital University (MBA), Monmouth University (BS), and Anderson University (Nursing). He and his wife, Julie, live in Grandview Heights. Their family includes four grown children and four grandchildren.

See the presentation     Connect via email

Senior Research Scientist for Bioengineering, CCDC Chemical Biological Center

Peter Emanuel is the Senior Research Scientist (ST) for BioEngineering at the US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Chemical Biological Center (previously U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (RDECOM ECBC)). In this role he advises Army leadership on emerging technologies in synthetic biology and bioengineering and exploitation of these new fields for applications that support national defense. He maintains active research programs focusing on developing a fundamental understanding of the synthesis, directed self- assembly, and hierarchical organization of naturally-occurring materials. Prior to assuming this role, he served three years in the Bush and Obama administrations as the Assistant Director for Chemical & Biological Countermeasures within the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President. Dr. Emanuel’s research interests have consistently focused on finding practical solutions to real-world problems facing the first responder and military communities. Dr. Emanuel received a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1988, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Penn State University in 1994.

Connect via email

Senior Director, Business Development | Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.

Dr. Wendy Goodson is leads the Government Cell Engineering Solutions team at Ginkgo Bioworks. Wendy holds a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the Ginkgo team, she served for 16 years at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. There she served in several technical leadership positions and directed applied research programs in biomaterials, biocorrosion and biodegradation. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed research publications. 

See the presentation     Connect via email

Program Officer, Chemistry and Biological/Life Sciences, Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Bennett Ibey graduated from Texas A&M University in 2006 with a Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering focused on bio-optical sensing of bio-analytes using polymer hydrogels containing fluorescent proteins.  In 2007, he started his Air Force career by joining the Air Force Research Laboratory as a Research Scientist and leading the High Peak Power Microwave Bioeffects Laboratory. In this role, he published over 60 peer-reviewed publications, 2 book chapters, and 13 patents, was externally funded over $15M by DARPA, JNLWD, JIEDDO, AFOSR, and the AFSG, and mentored 6 postdocs, 12 students, and multiple contract and government scientists.  Additionally, in 2015, Dr. Ibey concurrently served as the Chief Science Officer for WiseWear Corp working on wearable fitness tracking technology which culminated in an appearance at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and product sales at Macy’s and various online retailers. In 2017, Dr. Ibey was promoted to the Directed Energy Bioeffects and Mechanism(s) Core Research Area Lead for the 711^th Human Performance Wing in which he was responsible for steering over $5M in annual directed energy bioeffects funding. To better understand the medical research mission, Dr. Ibey volunteered for a career broadening assignment in the 59^th Medical Wing of DHA, in 2021, to lead multiple high-value research projects on the health effects and medical countermeasures of RF overexposure.  Given his career-long focus on basic research, Dr. Ibey accepted the position of Program Officer for the Natural Materials and Systems Portfolio for the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in 2022. This portfolio drives innovation and discovery through a fundamental understanding of how biology in nature performs complex chemical engineering at the molecular scale to realize micro and macrostructural properties.  Dr. Ibey serves the scientific community as a lifetime member and fellow of SPIE, treasurer of the Bioelectromagnetic Society, biological Board member of BioEM Society, and associate editor for The Bioelectromagnetics journal. 

See the presentation     Connect via email

Biological Materials and Processes Research Team Lead | Air Force Research Laboratory

Dr. Nancy Kelley-Loughnane is currently the Research Lead of the Biological Materials and Processes Research Team (Bio-RT), and Senior Research Biologist in the Biomaterials Branch, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (RX), Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Dr. Kelley-Loughnane received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of New Hampshire and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Boston College. Prior to leading the Bio-RT, she was Biosciences Technical Advisor to the Chief Scientist of the 711 Human Performance Wing, AFRL. At 711 HPW, she focused on technical direction of tri-service team that used synthetic biology, specifically Office of Secretary of Defense funded Synthetic Biology for Military Environments (SBME) Applied Research for the Advancement of S&T Priorities Program (OSD) to address the future performance and situational awareness for our country’s military. Currently, she chairs the Enhancing Warfighting Systems Subarea of the DoD Biotechnology Community of Interest which includes research and development in the efforts that apply synthetic biology, biomanufacturing, and computational biotechnology, at the intersection with materials and engineering sciences to address warfighter needs. Her current AF research integrates multi-disciplinary expertise in fields such as synthetic biology, protein chemistry, molecular biology, and microbiome and leads research in the development of novel materials, bionano-based sensors to detect human performance markers, and protection strategies for AF assets.  

See the presentation     Connect via email

Henry Samueli Faculty Excellence Professor of Materials Science and Engineering | University of California, Irvine 
Director, Multi-University Research Initiative on Convergent Evolution to Engineering  

David Kisailus is the Henry Samueli Faculty Excellence Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. Professor Kisailus, a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and Member of UNESCO Chair in Materials and Technologies for Energy Conversion, Saving and Storage (MATECSS), received his Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara (2002), M.S. from the University of Florida in Materials Science and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University. After his Ph.D., Prof. Kisailus was appointed as a post-doctoral researcher in the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California at Santa Barbara. Following this, he was a Research Scientist at HRL Laboratories and then joined as faculty at the University of California. Professor Kisailus is currently the PI of the Biomimetics and Nanostructured Materials Group and the Director of a Multi-University Research Initiative on Convergent Evolution to Engineering Materials with UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, Purdue and Northwestern Universities. His group’s research focuses on investigating synthesis – structure - property relationships in biological materials and their translation to biomimetics, and on developing solution-based processes to synthesize nanoscale materials for energy and environmental-based applications. Professor Kisailus has published more than 150 papers in journals such as Science, Nature, Nature Materials, ACS Nano, Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Materials Today, PNAS, and JACS. He has also been granted 14 patents (with more than 20 pending). His research is highlighted in high profile media including Nature, NY Times, LA Times, National Geographic, Discovery Channel and BBC. 

See the presentation     Connect via email

DEVCOM ARL Extramural Competency Co-Lead, Biological and Biotechnology Sciences

An Air Force retiree, Dr Martindale’s military career included bench science, policy positions, human subject protection responsibilities, and significant team leadership experience, from operational unit up through OSD and Pentagon level working groups.  She managed research programs for the AF Human Systems Integration Office, the AF Medical Operations Agency, and a division of the 711 Human Performance Wing.  After retirement from active duty, she supported programs for the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center.  She became a US Army civilian in 2015 as the International Synthetic Biology Program Manager for the Army Research Office, based in Tokyo, Japan.  She has been the Branch Chief for Biological and Biotechnology Sciences (BBS) in the Army Research Laboratory. Dr Martindale holds a BA in Integrated Science and an MS in Neurobiology and Physiology from Northwestern University, and a PhD in Developmental Genetics and Anatomy from Case Western Reserve University.  During her military career as an Aerospace Physiologist, she led programs in Aerospace Physiology, Human Effectiveness, and Human Systems Integration.  She has broad experience in basic and applied research across many fields of application, with an emphasis in cell biology, physiology, and human performance. Dr Martindale is a past president and Fellow of both the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) and the Aerospace Human Factors Association, and is an academician in the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine. 

See the presentation     Connect via email

 Manager, HTP Synthetic Biology |  LanzaTech

Marilene Pavan is a professional with 15+ years of experience in biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and metabolic engineering. She is currently working as a Synthetic Biology Strategy Manager at LanzaTech Inc., in Chicago, a carbon recycling technology company specialized in converting waste carbon oxides into biofuels and chemicals. Her research focuses on developing approaches for scalability and governance of synthetic biology to develop novel biological products towards a circular economy. She holds a master’s degree in Molecular Biology and is specialized in Strategic Management of Technological Innovation. She is currently a PhD candidate in the Bioenergy Program at the University of Campinas, UNICAMP – Brazil. 

Connect via email

Follow on      Twitter     LinkedIn

Director, Cellular and Biochemical Engineering Program, National Science Foundation

Steven Peretti received his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering at Yale University. After employment at Monsanto Chemical Company in Springfield, MA, he joined the research group of Professor James Bailey at the California Institute of Technology. Upon receipt of the Ph.D, he accepted a faculty position in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at North Carolina State University, where his research encompassed heterologous protein synthesis, bioremediation, mixed-culture and biofilm population dynamics, and valorization of waste streams. After a 30+ year academic career, he accepted a rotator position at NSF, which subsequently led to his current permanent position as Program Director of the Cellular and Biochemical Engineering program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET).

See Peretti's presentation     Connect via email

Senior Research Scientist, Bio and Bio-Inspired Technologies Research
Technology Lead for NASA Headquarter Space Technology Mission Directorate | NASA Ames Research Center

Lynn Rothschild, a research scientist at NASA Ames and Adjunct Professor at Brown University, is passionate astrobiologist focusing on the origin and evolution of life on Earth and elsewhere, while at the same time pioneering the use of synthetic biology to enable space exploration. Her research focuses on how life, particularly microbes, has evolved in the context of the physical environment, both here and potentially elsewhere. She has brought her imagination and creativity to the burgeoning field of synthetic biology, articulating a vision for the future of synthetic biology as an enabling technology for NASA’s missions, including human space exploration and astrobiology. From 2011 until 2020 she served as the faculty advisor of the Stanford-Brown iGEM team. Her lab tested these plans in space on in the PowerCell secondary payload on the DLR EuCROPIS satellite. A past-president of the Society of Protozoologists, she is a fellow of the Linnean Society of London, The California Academy of Sciences and the Explorer’s Club. She was awarded the Isaac Asimov Award from the American Humanist Association, and the Horace Mann Award from Brown University. She has been a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) fellow five times. Lynn was formerly Professor (Adjunct) at Stanford where she taught “Astrobiology and Space Exploration” for a decade. 

Connect via email

Battelle Technical Fellow 
Former Director, DARPA Biological Technologies Office

Justin C. Sanchez, PhD is a Battelle Technical Fellow. As a noted expert in biotechnology, he creates strategic vision to guide Battelle’s life sciences and biotechnology business. Dr. Sanchez leads the organization’s technical investment strategies and drives collaboration across Battelle, and government, industry, and academia partners. Prior to joining Battelle, Dr. Sanchez was the Director of the Biological Technologies Office (BTO) at DARPA where he spear-headed vital breakthrough technologies and capabilities for national security in the areas of neurotechnology, gene editing/synthetic biology, and infectious disease. 

Connect via email

Division Director, Biological Systems and Engineering Lawrence, Berkeley National Laboratory Department of Energy

Dr. Simmons is the Director of the Biological Systems and Engineering Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He also serves as the Chief Science and Technology Officer and Vice-President of the Deconstruction Division at the Joint BioEnergy Institute, a DOE Office of Science funded project tasked with the development and realization of next-generation "drop-in" biofuels and bioproducts produced from sustainable, non-food lignocellulosic biomass. He is also the Program Manager of the Agile BioFoundry and the co-founder of the Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit at LBNL. He is the founder of three startups, has published over 350 papers in the peer reviewed literature, and holds 45 patents.

Connect via email

Chief Technology Officer | BioMADE 

Melanie's scientific expertise is in co-opting what nature does well through biotechnology, biochemistry, and biosensor development. In her role as BioMADE's Chief Technology Officer, Melanie brings experience in building diverse technical teams to tackle complicated projects to achieve program goals. Prior to joining BioMADE in 2022, she was with UES where she was Director of Biological and Nanoscale Technologies and active with several Manufacturing Innovation Institutes. She has won competitive Air Force Research Laboratory on-site contracts repeatedly as well as being awarded 15+ Small Business Innovation Research grants from agencies including NIH, USDA, EPA, DTRA, DARPA and Army. She holds a PhD in Plant Biology from the University of California – Davis and a BS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

Connect via email

Professor, David H. George Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering, Ohio State

S.T. Yang is Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Food Science & Technology, Molecular Genetics, and Biochemistry Graduate Program at The Ohio State University. Yang has been involved in bioprocessing research for more than 40 years, and has 12 related patents, some of which have been licensed to companies for commercial development.  During his 38 years at Ohio State, Yang has supervised many research projects on novel processes for value-added products from food wastes, including metabolic engineering of clostridia and black yeast for biofuels and bio-based chemicals production, extractive fermentation for production of carboxylic acids, and novel bioreactor design and process scale up. His group pioneered in engineering clostridia for high-titer and high-yield butyric acid and n-butanol production from renewable biomass and CO₂. His research group also developed the first cell-based high-throughput system in 3D that can mimic in vivo environment and be used reliably for screening chemicals and biomolecules as potential drug targets. His current research involves biocatalysis, fermentation for value-added products from biomass, metabolic engineering, cell and tissue engineering, functional genomics, and biochips for high-throughput cell-based assays and biodiagnostics. Dr. Yang has published more than 400 journal papers, proceeding articles, and book chapters in the field of bioprocess engineering, with over 20,000 total citations and an h-index of 82 [Google Scholar]. Dr. Yang received his B.S. degree in Agricultural Chemistry from National Taiwan University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemical Engineering from Purdue University. He is an elected fellow of American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, the Editor-in-Chief for the journal Synthetic Biology and Engineering, Specialty Chief Editor for Frontiers in Chemical Engineering - Biochemical Engineering, and Associate Editor for Process Biochemistry.

Connect via email