Biocom California, the association representing the California life science industry, today announced that it has appointed Hala Madanat, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation at San Diego State University, and Thomas A. Briggs, partner at Jones Day, to its board of governors.

“As the life science community flourishes and evolves, it’s important we continue adding passionate and knowledgeable individuals to our board who can help us continue to support and meet the needs of the industry,” said Joe Panetta, president and CEO of Biocom California. “Both appointments will undoubtedly prove beneficial as we leverage their deep expertise and insight to aid member companies in their quest to improve the human condition.”

Dr. Madanat currently serves as the vice president for research and innovation at San Diego State University. In this role, Dr. Madanat is charged with stewarding the university’s expansive research enterprise, supporting the development of SDSU’s Mission Valley Innovation District and overseeing SDSU’s research advancement, research support services and technology transfer efforts, and the SDSU Research Foundation. She also manages the university’s start-up incubator, the Zahn Innovation Platform Launchpad. Dr. Madanat is a distinguished professor of health promotion and behavioral sciences. Her research addresses health disparities through community-engaged research. She is a core investigator of SDSU’s Institute for Behavioral and Community Health and serves as the lead principal investigator on the $12 million SDSU and UCSD Cancer Center Partnership, funded by the National Cancer Institute. She has led the evaluation of several National Institutes of Health-funded grants and published nearly 90 peer reviewed publications, book chapters and books. Dr. Madanat has a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Jordan and received her M.S. in Community Health Sciences and Ph.D. in Sociology, with a minor in Public Health, from Brigham Young University.

Mr. Briggs is a partner at Jones Day, where he negotiates technology-based transactions such as licenses, strategic alliances, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures in the life sciences industry, among others. He was a founder of the IP Licensing and Technology Transactions team. Mr. Briggs has deep experience representing clients in cross-border transactions, including representing companies in the USA, China, and Japan in pharmaceutical, veterinary, and biotechnology deals. Mr. Briggs also serves as the firm's head of transactions for California, where he acts as cross-practice leader of transactional lawyers in the IP, M&A, private equity, real estate, health care and life sciences, and financial market practices. He has served as chief intellectual property officer and assistant general counsel of M.A. Hanna Company, now known as PolyOne Corporation. Prior to his career as a lawyer, Mr. Briggs spent 10 years as a practicing chemical engineer and plant supervisor with Praxair.

About Biocom California

Biocom California is the leader and advocate for California’s life science sector. We work on behalf of more than 1,600 members to drive public policy, build an enviable network of industry leaders, create access to capital, introduce cutting-edge STEM education programs and create robust value-driven purchasing programs.

Founded in 1995 in San Diego, Biocom California provides the strongest public voice to research institutions and companies that fuel the local and state-wide economy. Our goal is simple: to help our members produce novel solutions that improve the human condition. In addition to our San Diego headquarters, Biocom California operates core offices in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, with satellite offices in Sacramento, Washington, D.C. and Tokyo. Our broad membership benefits apply to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, genomics and diagnostics companies of all sizes, as well as to research universities and institutes, clinical research organizations, investors and service providers.

For more information on Biocom California, please visit our website at www.biocom.org. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter (@BIOCOMCA).

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