The panel comprising senior healthcare industry professionals guides all aspects of our Business of Healthcare Initiative. They help us design and deliver our curriculum, support students’ placement efforts, encourage faculty scholarship and review our long term plans.

Allan T. Bombard, M.D., MBA '09 Chief Medical Officer of Sequenom Inc.

Allan T. Bombard, M.D., FACOG, FACMG has been the Chief Medical Officer of Sequenom Inc., since January 2009. Dr. Bombard oversees Sequenom's clinical and medical affairs, including clinical strategy, operations and clinical advocacy. He is a Visiting Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is on the clinical faculty in the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. Earlier, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Lenetix Medical Laboratory of Mineola, New York from October 2008 to January 2009. Between April 2005 and October 2008, he served as Chief Medical Officer of Sharp Mary Birch Hospital in San Diego, California.

Dr. Bombard is an established leader who has worked to bridge the fields of Ob/Gyn and genetics, improving and increasing access to healthcare services. He is board-certified in both clinical genetics and obstetrics/gynecology. He retired from the USAF Reserves in 2002 with the rank of Colonel, and served in Operation Desert Storm. Dr. Bombard has lectured extensively on a variety of women's health issues including genetic counseling, prenatal screening and diagnosis, the business of medicine, and BRCA screening. Dr. Bombard is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG), a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG), and a life member of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE).

He received his Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University and his Doctor of Medicine from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dr. Bombard completed a residency in Ob/Gyn at the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and his fellowship in Human Genetics at Northwestern University. He earned an MBA from the University of San Diego in 2009.

 

Kenneth M. Cohen, Chairman of Pier Pharmaceuticals

Kenneth M. Cohen is an independent advisor to companies, entrepreneurs and investors in the Life Sciences industry, and currently Chairman of Pier Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical venture. From 2003 through 2007, Ken was cofounder, President and CEO of Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, a Nasdaq-listed specialty pharmaceutical company developing treatments for insomnia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Ken led Somaxon from its inception through the completion of a 1400-patient clinical development program and submission of a New Drug Application to the FDA, and raised $145 million in equity capital, including an IPO in December 2005.

From 1996 to 2001, Ken was President and Chief Executive Officer of Synbiotics Corporation, a veterinary diagnostics company. Under his leadership, Synbiotics completed five acquisitions, including the 1997 purchase of Rhône Mérieux Diagnostics (Lyon, France), which presented special challenges regarding international contracts, finance & the integration of culturally diverse teams & operations. During this period, the company raised $12 million in debt financing, launched multiple new products, nearly tripled its sales to $31 million, and increased its operating cash flow nearly tenfold.

Mr. Cohen began his career at Eli Lilly and Company, where, among many different responsibilities over ten years, he directed business planning for the Medical Instrument Systems Division (which became Guidant Corporation) and managed the launch of Prozac®, one of the most successful new drugs in history. Ken received an A.B. in biology and chemistry from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania. In 1999, in recognition of his contributions to French-American business, the President of the Republic of France named him a Chevalier of the National Order of Merit.

 

Thomas P. Cooper, M.D. General Partner, Aperture Venture Partners, LLC.

Thomas P. Cooper, is a nationally recognized healthcare entrepreneur, having used his medical training and business experience to found and manage several companies which have become the national leaders in their respective fields. He is a partner of Aperture Venture Partners, a venture capital firm. His experience and relationships help Aperture’s portfolio companies in a variety of valuable ways (operations, strategy, recruiting, regulatory, reimbursement). Companies that Tom has founded and managed include a national emergency physician company (Spectrum Emergency Care: Acquired by Laidlaw, Inc.), the largest correctional facility healthcare company (Correctional Medical Services) and the largest provider of X-Ray/EKG to nursing homes (Mobilex USA: Acquired by Integrated Health Services). From 1991 to 2006, Dr. Cooper was the Chief Executive Officer of VeriCare Management, Inc., which provides mental health services to patients in long-term care facilities. From May 1989 to January 1997, Dr. Cooper served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mobilex U.S.A., a provider of mobile diagnostic services to long-term care facilities. These companies have had combined revenues of over $2 billion, serve over five thousand facilities, are located in all 50 states and reach more than four million patients. Tom serves on the Boards of Cardiocore Lab, IPC The Hospitalist Company and Kindred Healthcare and is actively involved with other portfolio companies of Aperture. He is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School teaching courses on entrepreneurship. He received his M.D. from Indiana University and his B.A. from DePauw University.

 

Robert W. Keith, Founder, President & CEO, Catalyst Growth Partners

Mr. Keith is a broad-based executive with 25 years of experience and a demonstrated record of achievement in building and growing high-impact life science companies.  His professional journey has included roles at multinational companies, emerging growth companies, and venture-backed startups.  Currently, he is advising and mentoring startup companies while also exploring new business models & alternative financing sources for “failed market” situations.

Most recently, Mr. Keith was a cofounder, President & CEO of Verus Pharmaceuticals, a private specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel products for pediatric diseases.  Verus raised $153M in total capital including an initial $98M raise, the largest Series A round ever for a San Diego company and the 2^nd largest ever in the global life science industry.  Via a series of divestitures and spin-outs, Verus monetized the value of its three therapeutic franchises with a potential total payout of $350M plus an equity stake in a new company.  In 2005, Verus was named one of the top new companies by FierceBiotech and one of the best and brightest new firms by Start-Up.

Prior to Verus, Mr. Keith was a member of the senior management team at Dura Pharmaceuticals, a public specialty pharmaceutical company.  From a functional perspective, he was a key architect in the establishment and growth of three different commercial businesses, including the launch of numerous brands and the management of various pipeline generation initiatives.  Dura was acquired by Elan Corporation for $1.8B.

Mr. Keith began his career with Pfizer and Merck, before moving to Abbott in a management capacity.  In addition to various executive positions, he has held Board positions in public, private, and not-for-profit organizations. 

Mr. Keith earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, a MCP degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from The George Washington University.  In addition, he has attended numerous leadership development programs and lectured at a variety of universities and business conferences.

Dr. Ajai Khanna, MD, PhD, MBA Professor of Surgery, USCD    

Dr. Ajai Khanna is a leading transplant and hepatobiliary surgeon who specializes in adult and pediatric liver surgery, multi-organ, liver, small bowel, kidney and pancreas transplantation. As Director of the UCSD-Rady Children’s Hospital Pediatric Abdominal Transplant Program, he performs complex and innovative transplant surgeries for young patients. Dr. Khanna is certified in Multiorgan Transplantation by the American Society for Transplant Surgeons.

Dr Khanna is widely published in Liver Surgery, Liver and Kidney Transplantation and Immunology, Laparoscopic Surgery and is a member of several national and international societies like the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Dr. Khanna is active in training new specialists in transplantation at UCSD. He heads the Department of Surgery’s fellowship training program in multi-organ transplant surgery, and has mentored and trained transplantation surgeons from around the world.

Dr. Khanna devotes his research to developing methods for improving the success and safety of organ transplants. He is recognized for his research on artificial liver and bone marrow augmentation of organ tolerance. His current studies include investigations of anti-rejection drugs and the prevention of reinfection in Hepatitis-B related transplants. He is involved in a number of clinical trials, including a study of split liver transplantation to improve organ viability in children.

Dr. Khanna earned an MBA from the Rady School of Management at University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D in Biological Sciences/Immunology from the University of Manchester, UK. He received his M.D. and M.S. Residency from the University of Allahabad, India and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Eng) in 1990.

David Parker, MBA, General Partner, Ampersand Capital Partners

Mr. David J. Parker is General Partner at Ampersand Capital Partners. He joined the firm in 1994 and is based in the San Diego office. Mr. Parker has more than 15 years of private equity experience. Prior to joining the firm, he spent five years consulting at Bain & Company and Mercer Consulting. Mr. Parker also spent four years in corporate lending at Bank of Boston. He served as the Chief Financial Officer at ACLARA BioSciences, Victory Pharma, NOVEX, Blackstone, LightPointe Communications, and Viadux. Mr. Parker was also the Chief Financial Officer and Director at LTI Lighting and the Chief Financial Officer and Chairman at IBT Reference Laboratories.

He is a Director of Signature Genomic Laboratories, LLC, Blue Sky Biotech, and Victory Pharma. Mr. Parker was a Director of Stereotaxis Inc. since June 2000, IBT Laboratories, LTI, and LightPointe Communications, Inc. He served as the Chairman at Ortho Organizers, Inc. since August 2005 and Assay Designs, Inc.

Mr. Parker earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Novel Experimental Technology and a B.A. in Government and Economics from Dartmouth.

 

Jonathan H. Scheff, M.D, MBA '92, Chief medical officer for Health Net, Inc.

Jonathan H. Scheff is chief medical officer for Health Net, Inc. Dr. Scheff is responsible for medical management programs for all Health Net health plans. He has direct authority over the company’s Health Care Quality, Medical Directors and Health Care Services.

Dr. Scheff joined the company in 1992 and served in a series of positions with increasing responsibility for a predecessor company, Foundation Health Corporation, including Vice President, Government Health Affairs and Senior Vice President, Health Care Operations. He led the company's California health plan through its National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation survey as well as medical surveys for Medicare and Medicaid.

Prior to his appointment as Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Scheff served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of TRICARE Medical Management for Health Net Federal Services, Inc. (HNFS). He was responsible for medical management activities for all HNFS business and oversaw the medical management of more than 1.7 million TRICARE beneficiaries receiving care under three contracts in 11 states.

Dr. Scheff has served as the President and Chairman, Board of Directors for Foundation Health Medical Group, Inc. in Sacramento, California, and was the Chairman, Board of Directors for Thomas Davis Medical Centers in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to joining Health Net, Dr. Scheff was regional medical director for Aetna Health Plans, CHAMPUS Division in San Diego, California. He also was a consultant for Milliman & Robertson in San Diego, California and medical director at the Southbay NavCare Clinic.

Dr. Scheff received his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. He is board certified in Internal Medicine. Dr. Scheff holds a bachelor's degree from Amherst College in Massachusetts, an MBA from the University of San Diego, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts.