The Wistar Institute Welcomes Three New Board Members

News | 11. 16. 2012

PHILADELPHIA—(November 16, 2012) – The Wistar Institute recently welcomed Van Billet, Joseph Goldblum and Art Pappas to its board of trustees.

Art Pappas has over 30 years of operating experience as a pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry executive and venture capital investor in life science companies. Currently, he serves as managing partner at Pappas Ventures, a life sciences venture capital firm with more than $300 million in capital under management. The firm has invested in over 50 biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical, drug delivery and medical device companies throughout the U.S.

Prior to founding Pappas Ventures in 1994, Pappas held a number of senior level leadership positions at several multinational pharmaceutical companies. He served as chief executive for international operations and as an executive member of the board of directors of Glaxo Holdings PLC, and served as vice president of commercial operations for Abbott International Ltd. He also held various executive and general management positions with Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals and the Dow Chemical Company, in the United States and internationally.

Pappas currently serves on the board of directors for Afferent Pharmaceuticals, CardioDx, Chimerix and TyRx Pharma. He was the founding CEO and is current chairman of CoLucid Pharmaceuticals.

Pappas serves on the North Carolina Biotechnology Center's Board of Directors and is a member of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) Medical Industry Group Advisory Board. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Pappas served as an officer in the US Army 101st Airborne Division and the Special Forces.

The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has long held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. The Wistar Institute: Today’s Discoveries – Tomorrow’s Cures. On the Web at www.wistar.org.

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