Life Science Washington Welcomes New Board Members as the State’s Life Sciences Industry Strengthens Its Position as a Top 10 US Cluster

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Life Science Washington, the state’s life sciences industry association, today announced the expansion of its board of directors with the addition of nine new members, representing distinguished leaders from across the state’s top life sciences and technology companies.

“Washington state’s life sciences industry has a rich history of fusing cutting-edge science with technology to produce life-changing medical breakthroughs,” said Marc Cummings, President and CEO of Life Science Washington. “Washington’s life sciences industry has seen significant growth in recent years that outpaces life sciences growth nationally. Our new board members represent many of the companies responsible for that progress, and their insights will be instrumental in ensuring our industry remains a global leader, while addressing the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of life sciences.”

Life Science Washington’s newly elected board members include:

• Kamran Ansari, Senior Vice President, Head of Clinical Development & Operations, Pfizer Oncology Division
• Jeff Cohen, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Philips Ultrasound
• Eric Dobmeier, Former President & CEO, Chinook Therapeutics; Former COO, Seagen; Venture Partner, Samsara BioCapital
• Yves Leurquin, CEO, Inventprise
• Snehal Patel, Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Sana Biotechnology
• Chris Preti, CEO & President, Jubilant HollisterStier
• Kathleen Sullivan, Senior Director, Strategy & Operations, Microsoft Research Health Futures
• Eric Tham, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Research Operations Officer, Seattle Children’s Research Institute
• Christina Yi, COO and Seattle Site Head, Vertex Pharmaceuticals

The addition of these board members is an important step in the continued growth of Washington’s $38.8B life sciences industry, a top 10 life sciences cluster in the US. In the last year, the region garnered a total of $2.6B in mergers and acquisitions and investment activity across 37 deals.

Life Science Washington’s new board represents many of the companies leading these expansions and acquisitions. Pfizer is now the state’s largest life sciences company, while Philips Ultrasound is Washington’s largest medical device company. After its current expansion is complete, Jubilant HollisterStier will be the largest manufacturer in Spokane. Sana Biotechnology and Vertex Pharmaceuticals represent the region’s leadership in cell and gene therapy, while Inventprise reflects Washington’s roots in global health and vaccines. Additionally, Seattle Children’s Research Institute is now one of the top five children’s research institutes in the country.

Eric Dobmeier is a longtime biotech leader who served as an executive at two of Washington’s most successful biotech companies, Seagen and Chinook Therapeutics, and is now an investor with Samsara BioCapital. Washington also continues to be a national leader in the convergence of technology and biotech, making it a fitting match for Microsoft to join a number of AI-driven life sciences companies on Life Science Washington’s board.

For a full list of Life Science Washington’s board members, click here.

About Life Science Washington

Life Science Washington connects its 500+ members to each other and to funding, talent, partners and essential business services and elevates the industry by promoting policies that strengthen the environment for ground-breaking research and product development that improves and saves lives. For more information, visit https://lifesciencewa.org/.