DNX.
Advisory Board
DNX's Advisory Board members have a broad range of highly specialized knowledge and strategic, operational expertise in our respective focus areas.
Dr. Marcus F. Boehm, PhD
EvoNexus San Diego CommitteeCo-Founder and Former CTO, Receptos, Inc.
Dr. Marcus F. Boehm has worked in the biotechnology community for over 25 years. Most recently, he was a Co-Founder of Receptos Inc. where he served as Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Chemistry from 2009 to 2015 until its acquisition by Celgene Corporation. As a member of the executive management team, he shared responsibility for the development of ozanimod for treatment of multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, and RPC4046 for treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. He also led early discovery research and development programs, chemical manufacturing and controls, and supported corporate financing and partnering activities. Dr. Boehm received a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the State University of New York Stony Brook and completed a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship at Columbia University.
Dr. Harold M. Hoffman, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and MedicineRheumatology, Allergy and Immunology
UC San Diego School of Medicine
Dr. Hoffman's research focus and interests include the regulation of cytokines and inflammation by cryopyrin, the genetics of inflammatory disorders, positional cloning of target genes and the function of such genes in the expression of inflammation. Dr. Hoffman received his BA (biology) at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and his MD (Medicine) at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
Dr. Jesus Rivera-Nieves, MD, PhD
Professor of MedicineDivision of Gastroenterology
UC San Diego School of Medicine
Dr. Rivera-Nieves is a member of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at UC San Diego Health and at the Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System. His research laboratory focuses on treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using unique mouse models that develop Crohn's-like terminal ileitis. Dr. Rivera-Nieves began his medical training in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus and later joined the Howard Hughes-NIH Research Scholars Program. After completing his MD, Dr. Rivera-Nieves completed his residency at the University of Maryland and then trained as a Gastroenterology and Hepatology research fellow at the University of Virginia.
Prof. Dr. Arne Skerra, PhD
Chairman of the Board and FounderXL-protein GmbH
Freising, Germany
Dr. Arne Skerra is Professor at the Technical University of Munich and a leading expert in therapeutic protein design. Besides inventing the unique and novel long-acting technology platform called PASylation®, he has invented several other commercially successful technologies such as bacterially produced antibody fragments, Anticalins®, and the Strep-tag®.
Chrysa Mineo, MBA
EvoNexus San Diego CommitteeFormer SVP of Corporate Development, Receptos, Inc.
Chrysa Mineo established her career in biotechnology in 1987 with Amgen, and has served in senior positions locally with Receptos and Neurocrine Biosciences since 1997. Ms. Mineo was most recently Senior Vice President, Corporate Development for Receptos, which she joined in 2009 prior to the Series A funding round. She led business development efforts to secure partnership for Receptos' Phase 3 immunology/GI candidate ozanimod, which efforts ultimately resulted in the acquisition of Receptos by Celgene for $7.8 billion. She also played a key role in the 2013 Receptos Initial Public Offering (IPO), leading the S-1 registration filing. Ms. Mineo has a robust deal sheet consisting of early research to late clinical stage in- and out-licensing, including out-licensing deals of up to $100 million in up-front payments. Ms. Mineo holds a B.S. in Zoology from the University of California, Davis and received her M.B.A. from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Dr. Daniel L. Vasella, MD
Daniel Vasella, M.D., is Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors of Novartis AG and a leadership consultant.In 1996 Dr. Vasella became the first CEO of Novartis AG and served as Chairman and CEO from 1999 to 2010, and as Chairman until 2013. Before the Novartis merger, he was CEO of Sandoz Pharma Ltd. From 1988 to 1992, Dr. Vasella was with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corporation in the United States prior to which he held a number of medical positions in Switzerland. He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Bern in Switzerland and completed executive training at the Harvard Business School. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Basel. Dr. Vasella is a member of the Board of Directors of PepsiCo, Inc., American Express Company and XBiotech. He is also a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and various other institutions. For a number of years, he has also been a Director of the Board of Siemens AG and Cr?dit Suisse S.A.