Our team
Christian Loucq, MD
Director
Christian Loucq directs the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI), which seeks to accelerate the development of promising malaria vaccines and ensure their availability and use in developing countries. Christian has more than 30 years of experience in medicine, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and global health.
His professional experience spans the globe: Born and educated in France, he has lived and worked in Algeria, Belgium, Chad, China, India, the Netherlands, Niger, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Christian has managed vaccine businesses in China, India, and Thailand and has been involved in most stages of vaccine development. He has worked with large vaccine companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur, and biotech companies including Rhein Biotech and Acambis. He has extensive experience partnering with local governments, building public-private partnerships, and setting up local private collaborations.
Christian earned his State Doctorate of Human Medicine at the University of Paris X and a Diploma of Public Health and Tropical Medicine from the University of Aix-Marseilles.
Alex Adjagba, MD, MSc
Program Officer
Alex Adjagba leads MVI's economic activities, in collaboration with partner institutions, to conduct analyses in parallel with vaccine trials in developing countries to provide national authorities guidance on making a decision on malaria vaccines. He also leads activities aimed at generating, through modeling, data identified in the Decision-Making Framework for Malaria Vaccines to provide national malaria and immunization programs with information to inform policy decisions.
Before joining MVI, Alex worked as a physician and conducted research on tuberculosis at the Benin National Tuberculosis Program. He also worked as a junior consultant in health economics for Leader Health Group.
Alex earned his MD at the University of Cotonou and completed his MSc in health policy planning and financing at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Galina Agoureeva
Network Administrator
Galina Agoureeva provides network and computer support for the MVI team. She has more than 17 years of experience in the networking field. She holds several industry certificates and has worked in similar positions for nonprofit, educational, and private sectors in Russia, Australia, and the United States.
She holds a BS in electrical engineering from Moscow Technical University and a BS in mathematics from Moscow State Institute of Electronics and Mathematics in Russia.
Antoinette Ba-Nguz, MD (Ped), MS
Senior Program Officer for Africa
Antoinette Ba-Nguz ensures that national governments and regional partners in Africa are engaged in the malaria vaccine clinical trials process and are considering or planning for the eventual introduction of licensed malaria vaccines into their health systems.
Prior to joining MVI, Antoinette worked in the Malaria Unit of the World Health Organization's regional office, where she provided technical support to countries to assist them in the adoption and implementation of malaria prevention policies.
She earned her MD at the University of Dakar in 1987. Since then, she has earned a Certificate of Special Studies in pediatrics from the University of Dakar as well as an MS in tropical biomedical sciences from the Tropical Diseases Institute in Antwerp, Belgium.
Ashley Birkett, PhD
Director, Pre- and Early-Clinical Research and Development
Ashley Birkett directs the identification of promising malaria vaccine technologies and implementation of development partnerships with for-profit and non-profit partners. In addition to leading the Pre- and Early-Clinical Research and Development Unit (R&D), he serves on MVI's Leadership Team and is the primary liaison with MVI's Vaccine Science Portfolio Advisory Council, an advisory body comprised of world leaders in malaria research, vaccine development, and public health.
He has 15 years of vaccine development experience, primarily with biotechnology companies where he successfully advanced novel influenza and malaria vaccine candidates from research through first-in-human clinical studies. Prior to joining PATH in 2008, he was senior director of preclinical research at Acambis (now Sanofi Pasteur Biologics Co.).
Ashley sits on several advisory boards, including for PATH's Influenza Vaccine Program and the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program. He currently serves as a reviewer for several biomedical journals, including Science Translational Medicine and Vaccine. Ashley holds a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BS (Honors) in applied biological sciences from the University of the West of England in the United Kingdom.
Melissa Bolla, MPH
Clinical Trials Program Officer
Melissa Bolla serves as a program officer within MVI's Pre- and Early-Clinical R&D Unit. She manages the clinical operations of at least three concurrent early-clinical trials (Phase 1/2) conducted at various research centers. She has a strong interest in all phases of clinical research and provides additional support to other studies as needed.
Melissa has more than eight years experience working at various government and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining MVI, Melissa was a project manager at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and managed multiple research studies conducted in Tanzania in pregnant women and children to identify the relationship between malaria during pregnancy and outcomes in children. She has also worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on the Grand Challenges Explorations initiative. She is passionate about working in the field of global health and contributing to the development of malaria vaccines.
Melissa received her MPH in epidemiology from the University of Washington with a focus on maternal and child health and infectious disease.
Carla Botting
Director, Product Development and Access
Carla Botting serves as head of the RTS,S Program and directs the Product Development and Access Unit. The unit works to integrate the needs of developing country health systems into MVI's product development activities, and ensure that vaccines, once developed, will be available and accessible to those in need.
Carla has more than a dozen years of industry experience in business development and in the development and approval of biologics. Prior to joining MVI, Carla was the director of government business development at Cangene Corporation, where she oversaw program management, business development, and government relations with regard to the United States and other industrialized countries. At Cangene, Carla also served as project director for Vaccinia Immune Globulin, taking it from R&D to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Over the last seven years, Carla has worked on joint biological development programs with such partners as the Centers for Disease Control, NIH, the Department of Defense, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Carla has served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for BioSecurity and as a member of the Board of Regents at the University of Winnipeg in Canada.
Carla has an honors degree in commerce from the University of Manitoba and has studied French at the University of Caen in France. She has worked in Russia, Ecuador, and the United Kingdom.
Walter Brandt, PhD
Senior Program Officer, Product Evaluation
Walter Brandt evaluates preclinical and clinical data for candidate malaria antigens, platform technologies and adjuvants. He reviews and comments on regulatory documentation for adequate characterization and testing of vaccine candidates.
Prior to joining MVI, Walt spent five years as a senior scientist at Science Applications International Corporation, ten years at the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), and twenty-five years at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). At WRAIR he served as microbiologist, supervisor, and assistant chief of the Department of Virus Diseases, studying viral infections in animals and humans, developing reagents for diagnostic tests, and establishing markers for live attenuated candidate vaccines. He served as project manager for the US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity at USAMRMC, managing the development, manufacture, and testing of vaccines and immune globulins, submitting regulatory documents to the FDA, and leveraging government resources to facilitate licensure or distribution of four vaccines.
Walt received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees in microbiology and immunology from the University of Maryland.
Afiya Brent-Kirk
Senior Technical Coordinator
Afiya Brent-Kirk provides technical assistance to preclinical vaccine development, assay and immunopotentiator projects.
Prior to joining the MVI team, Afiya was a molecular biology research technologist in the Division of Malaria Vaccine Development at WRAIR. Here, she gained experience in standard operating procedure development, immunoassays, malaria microscopy, and she coordinated preclinical safety/immunogenicity studies. She also has experience in scientific data management and budgeting.
Afiya holds a BS in anthropology (biology) from Howard University.
Alan Brooks, MS, RN
Director, Policy and Access
Alan Brooks works to integrate the needs of developing country health systems into MVI's product development activities, and ensure that vaccines, once developed, will be available and accessible to those in need. He works to prepare developing country governments, as well as global, regional, and national partner organizations, for an eventual malaria vaccine.
Prior to joining MVI in 2005, Alan served almost six years with PATH's Children's Vaccine Program (CVP), and worked as a consultant on policies relating to new vaccine introduction in developing countries. While with CVP, he worked on a wide range of global policy and innovative financing issues, burden of disease studies, economic analyses, health-system strengthening and capacity building, national-level planning for financial sustainability, and supply and procurement of vaccines. Alan has field experience in most parts of the world.
Alan has a nursing degree from the University of Washington, and MS in the Control of Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is based at PATH's office in Ferney-Voltaire, France.
Terrell Carter, MHS
Program Officer
Terrell Carter is a member of the clinical operations team within the RTS,S Clinical Unit. She provides project-management and technical assistance on various RTS,S related projects while also overseeing the clinical, operational, and financial aspects of RTS,S vaccine trials at designated African research centers. She is the MVI project manager and technical lead for the malaria transmission intensity and immunology ancillary studies to the RTS,S Phase 3 vaccine trial. Terrell recently became the team leader for the newest team at MVI: Malaria Elimination and Eradication Team.
Prior to joining MVI, Terrell served as a research coordinator in the Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research at the University of Florida College of Medicine, where she coordinated research projects studying vaccine policy and safety issues.
Terrell received her BS in biology from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX, and her MHS from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in international public health with a certificate in vaccine science and policy.
Elfrida Cline-Cole, MA
Project Administrative Officer
Elfrida Cline-Cole serves as the finance and administrative officer for several units and program areas at MVI. She has over ten years of experience in finance, contract administration, and project coordination.
Most recently, Elfrida worked as a senior finance and contract administrator for Abt Associates, Inc. in Bethesda. Prior to Abt, Elfrida served as project coordinator for the International Business Ethics Institute in Washington, DC.
Elfrida holds an MA in public policy from Howard University, a graduate diploma in institutional administration from Concordia University, and a BA in commerce and economics from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Elfrida has traveled extensively and is fluent in French.
Yvette Collymore, MA
Senior Communications Officer
Yvette Collymore brings global health communication and media experience to the MVI team. She is responsible for developing communication and advocacy strategies, managing MVI's publications and website, and leading communications activities for a number of vaccine projects. Yvette has written extensively on global population and health issues, including HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and cervical cancer. She has also worked as a print and radio journalist in developed and developing countries.
Yvette holds an MA in journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.
Ann-Marie Cruz, PhD
Program Officer
Ann-Marie Cruz serves as a program officer within MVI's Preclinical Research and Development unit.
Prior to joining MVI, Ann-Marie completed three years of post-doctoral training in the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at NIAID/NIH under the direction of Dr. Brian Murphy. Here, her work focused on the development of live, attenuated vaccine candidates against parainfluenza virus type 1 (PIV1), a leading cause of lower respiratory disease and croup in infants and young children in the United States. Specifically, she studied the function of PIV1 accessory C proteins in order to determine whether mutating these proteins could contribute to the development of suitable vaccine candidates. Potential candidates were evaluated in vitro, in rodents and in non-human primate models. Previously, Ann-Marie had carried out graduate work at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology in San Francisco, California, studying the immunology and pathogenesis of HIV-1, specifically focusing on co-receptor tropism in peripheral lymphoid tissues.
Ann-Marie holds a BS in Biology from Cornell University and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Francisco.
Virginia del Rosario
Program Assistant
Virginia del Rosario provides administrative support to the Research and Development units and Leadership team at MVI.
Her previous experience includes serving as business office coordinator for Healthsouth Rehabilitation Center in Lanham, MD, and pharmaceutical specialist for Boehringer Ingelheim, Philippines, Inc.
Virginia received a BA in communications from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.
Sally Ethelston, MA
Director, Communications and Advocacy
Sally Ethelston oversees the development and implementation of MVI's communications and advocacy strategy.
Prior to joining MVI, Sally worked in international reproductive health for more than 15 years, with an emphasis on communications, policy analysis, and advocacy. She directed the communications program at Population Action International for more than 10 years, followed by three years leading the group’s financing project, focused on tracking the policies, programs, and funding of the international donor community. She also has worked as a consultant to the World Bank and International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Sally has an interdisciplinary MA in Arab studies from Georgetown University, where she focused on economic and social development in the region and wrote on such issues as women and work in the Arab world and Egypt's agricultural development. Following graduate school, she worked for five years on Middle East peace and related issues. She speaks Spanish and Arabic.
Alex Golden, MBA
Commercialization Officer
Alex Golden leads and supports MVI's business negotiations for the development of collaborative commercial relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and government entities. His other roles include market research and demand forecasting.
Alex has more than 14 years of biotechnology industry experience, predominantly in the area of research and development. He has held positions in research, pre-clinical project management, and business development. Prior to joining MVI, Alex worked as a senior consultant at Wood Mackenzie, a firm that produces strategic consulting services for large pharmaceutical companies. Alex has also held a number of of business development positions in small and mid-sized biotechnology companies.
Alex holds a BS in biotechnology from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA from F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.
Scott Gregory
Scientific Coordinator
Scott Gregory provides organizational and technical support to the preclinical R&D unit.
Scott has over 12 years of experience in molecular and cell-based assay development, implementation and data management. Previously, he was at the NIAID Vaccine Immune T cell and Antibody Laboratory (NVITAL) where he was responsible for supervising and coordinating the ELISPOT testing activities. While working at NVITAL, he gained extensive experience performing vaccine immunogenicity studies, developing laboratory protocols, and validating testing methods for use in vaccine clinical trials. He has also served as a laboratory manager with SeraCare BioServices where he was assigned the task of providing logistical support and coordinating activities for NIAID-supported clinical trial laboratories, in addition to performing assay development studies.
Scott holds a BS in chemistry from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
Katherine Green
Program Assistant
Katherine provides administrative support to MVI's RTS,S Clinical Operations Team as well as to the Finance and Administration Unit. Her duties include managing projects, liaising with external partners, and coordinating logistics.
Prior to joining MVI, Katherine traveled extensively and worked in many capacities both overseas and in Colorado. She has a diverse skills set and has worked in an administrative capacity for an electrical and mechanical engineering firm, a photography firm, a nursing school, and a ski tune shop.
Katherine holds a BA in behavioral sciences, with a minor in art history from Metropolitan State College of Denver in Colorado.
Florence A. Kaltovich, MS, MHS, RAC
Senior Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance Officer
Florence Kaltovich guides and executes MVI's regulatory affairs and quality assurance strategy for the development of malaria vaccines and manages regulatory affairs activities for collaborative projects. She advises MVI and collaborators on current good manufacturing practices (GMP) and performs quality audits of manufacturing facilities.
Florence has over 19 years of experience as a regulatory affairs and quality assurance professional. Prior to joining MVI, she served as vice president for regulatory affairs and quality at Summit Drug Development Services, where she developed regulatory and quality-compliance strategies, prepared regulatory submissions, and interacted with regulatory agencies. While at Science Applications International Corporation, Florence managed multiple commercial and government contracts—including personnel resources, workload, and budgets—and managed a division of approximately 40 people, supporting contracts valued at over $50 million for biologics and drug development, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance. Florence has also worked at the FDA as a scientific review officer, reviewing numerous regulatory marketing applications for a wide variety of products, and as an investigator, conducting FDA inspections of manufacturing facilities.
Florence holds an MS in radiation health from Hahnemann University (now Temple University), an MHS in environmental/radiation health science from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a BS in chemistry from Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. Florence also holds Regulatory Affairs Certification from the Regulatory Affairs Professional Society.
Leander Lauffer, MS, PhD
Head of Business Development
Leander Lauffer leads and supports MVI's business negotiations for the development of collaborative commercial relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions and governmental entities. He also focuses on development and implementation of intellectual-property and commercialization strategies for MVI’s complex vaccine development projects.
Prior to joining MVI, Leander led the business development function at Trubion Pharmaceuticals, successfully negotiating a major strategic partnership with a global pharmaceutical company. Leander also brings to MVI extensive experience in the business development and commercialization of vaccines. He was formerly vice president of business development at Chiron and served as head of business Development for the Vaccine Business Unit at Behringwerke AG in Germany.
Leander received a PhD in biology from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, and a Master of Science degree in biology from Universität Konstanz, Germany.
Didier Leboulleux, MD
Associate Director, RTS,S Clinical Unit
Didier Leboulleux serves as Associate Director of the RTS,S Clinical Unit. Didier has extensive experience in vaccine and drug development, including clinical trials, vaccine policy, regulatory affairs, and licensure.
During 15 years in the global pharmaceutical industry, Didier held various leadership positions, most notably as Senior Medical Director in the Access to Medicines Division at Sanofi Aventis, where he led the coordination of the tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer Disease, and leishmaniasis global projects. While working at Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi Aventis, Didier led the medical affairs function in France, China, and Japan. In this capacity, he also managed processes for vaccine licensure, advocacy, and marketing. Most recently, he served as Director of Medical Affairs at Laboratoires Genevrier in France. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, he managed a medical research program in Senegal.
Didier holds an MD from the University of Tours, France; a degree in public health from the School of Public Health, Nancy, France; and a degree in epidemiology also from the University of Tours, France. He has published more than two dozen articles. Didier is based at PATH's office in Ferney, France.
Cynthia Lee, PhD
Director, Portfolio Management and Translational Projects
Cynthia Lee directs the Portfolio Management and Translational Projects Unit (P&T) which is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of MVI's portfolio projects and the management of translational projects in early clinical testing. She is Chair of MVI's Portfolio Management Committee and serves on the MVI Leadership Team.
Cynthia has more than 20 years of experience in the vaccine industry and brings to MVI extensive experience in multiple aspects of vaccine development. Her breadth of experience includes taking several bacterial and viral vaccines from early-stage research through development and manufacturing to clinical testing and process validation. Prior to joining MVI, she served as Vice President of Vaccine and Drug Development at Xcellerex, where she led the efforts on developing an inactivated yellow fever vaccine. She previously held various positions at Acambis, including Senior Director of Vaccine Research and Director of Clinical Research. While at Acambis, she served as project leader for multiple projects, including Vibrio cholera, Helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus, and Modified Vaccinia Ankara, and she was the Principal Investigator of several Small Business Innovation Research grants and biodefense contracts with the NIH. Prior to joining Acambis, she headed the bacterial genetics laboratory at the Massachusetts Biologics Laboratory, where she was first introduced to vaccine development.
Cynthia conducted her postdoctoral work at the Harvard Medical School on herpes simplex virus. She holds a PhD in microbiology from the University of Chicago as well as an MS in epidemiology and BS in microbiology from the University of Washington.
Nili Leffers
Senior Portfolio Manager
Nili Leffers oversees decision-making across MVI's vaccine portfolio and the alignment of individual projects within the overall research and development strategy
Nili has more than ten years of industry experience in project management and in the development of biologics. Prior to joining MVI, Nili was the Associate Director of Project Management at VIRxSYS Corp, where she helped to establish project management infrastructure and tools and to drive cross-functional project teams in the development of gene therapy products.
Prior to her stint at VIRxSYS, Nili worked at Advanced Bioscience Laboratories, where she directed preclinical projects that included vaccines and microbicides and involved government and industrial clients. At Emergent BioSolutions, she led the Anthrax Immunoglobulin product development team. Nili has also directed manufacturing projects at BioReliance and had worked at Entremed in the development of anti-angiogenic recombinant proteins.
Nili has a MS in cellular and microbiology from the Catholic University of America with a dissertation in malarial biochemistry.
Emily Locke, PhD, MPH
Program Officer
Emily Locke focuses on preclinical development of malaria vaccine candidates, with a particular interest in identifying assays that are predictive of protection in the field.
Prior to joining MVI, Emily spent two years as a project manager for the Biomedical Center in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she managed Johns Hopkins University’s involvement in an international effort to engage Russia in global HIV research and prevention. She also worked for five years as a structural biologist and yeast geneticist for the NIH.
She received an MPH and a PhD in biology from Johns Hopkins University.
Trevor Lutzenhiser
Project Administrative Associate
Trevor Lutzenhiser provides support to MVI's Legal and Finance and Administrative teams.
Prior to joining MVI, Trevor held the position of legal assistant at PATH. He has more than 12 years of experience providing support for legal and finance teams. Prior to that, Trevor worked at a national nonprofit healthcare corporation and a nonprofit legal rights organization.
Trevor holds a BA in history and philosophy from the University of Washington and has pursued graduate studies at Portland State University.
Gretchen MacLeod
Senior Finance Officer
Gretchen MacLeod supports the RTS,S and AMA1 vaccine project teams, bringing to MVI over ten years of financial experience working in the nonprofit environment, including extensive experience training finance staff in Africa and Asia.
Most recently, Gretchen served as a project administrator for the HIV, AIDS, and Malaria Strategic Program in PATH's Washington, DC, office. Prior to that assignment, Gretchen served as a finance officer/team leader for PATH in Seattle, where she managed and trained a team in donor financial reporting and USAID compliance. In addition to her role at PATH, Gretchen served as a trainer with the Association for PVO Financial Managers, where she developed curriculum and provided workshops on USAID compliance to nongovernmental organizations in developing countries.
Gretchen holds a BA in accounting and business management from Seattle Pacific University.
Kelsey Mertes, MPA
Communications Associate
Kelsey Mertes provides media relations, event planning, and project support to the Communications and Advocacy team at MVI.
Prior to joining MVI, Kelsey worked at GMMB—a strategic communication and issues advocacy firm—on account teams for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Washington State Department of Health. At GMMB, she gained experience in social marketing, public relations, and policy research. She also worked as a research assistant on a study of state-funded, early-childhood education programs, conducted jointly by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, and UCLA.
Kelsey holds a BA, with honors, in sociology and editorial journalism from the University of Washington, and a master's degree in public administration with an international development emphasis from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Julia K. Nunes, PhD
Program Officer
Julia Nunes focuses on modeling the impact of malaria interventions and using that knowledge to inform international policy decisions and new vaccine development.
Prior to joining MVI, Julia studied the immune response to malaria at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her doctoral dissertation focused on host immune system components and parasite immune evasion mechanisms. She also served as a Global Fund Technical Advisor for the Clinton Foundation in Ecuador, where she collaborated with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Public Health to submit a successful Round 9 HIV/AIDS proposal.
Julia holds a BA in Biology from Mount Holyoke College and a PhD in Immunology and Infectious Diseases from Harvard University.
Richard Okwanyo
Finance Officer
Richard Okwanyo is the Finance Officer in charge of monitoring the financial activities of partner organizations at 11 clinical research centers in Africa.
Before joining MVI, Richard worked as the finance manager at Mildmay International, based in Kenya, where he oversaw financial management and administration, including the management of sub-agreements and capacity building within partner organizations related to financial management and internal controls. Prior to that, Richard worked with VETAID as the regional finance and internal audit manager for Africa . He brings to MVI more than 15 years of hands-on experience and a wealth of financial management experience, working with projects funded by a range of donors, including USAID, Centers for Disease Control, UK Department of for International Development, and the European Community.
Richard holds a postgraduate certificate in business and finance from the London School of Business and Finance, a BA in commerce (accounting option) from the University of Dar es Salaam, and he is an Association of Chartered and Certified Accountant (ACCA) finalist.
Jennifer O'Reilly, MA
Senior Program Associate
Jennifer O'Reilly is a senior program associate currently working on the RTS,S malaria vaccine trial. In her role, she focuses on foreign technical assistance, partnership development, and organization of designated activities at 11 African field sites in support of developing and implementing work plans for a clinical trial network. Jennifer coordinates a number of RTS,S-specific activities at African clinical trial sites and works to implement new technologies, strategies, and logistical systems in support of the Phase 3 vaccine trial.
Prior to joining PATH, Jennifer worked as a production coordinator at the Boston Consulting Group.
Jennifer holds a BA from the University of Maryland and an MA in international affairs from Georgetown University. She specialized in development and has since received training in immunization solutions, logistics for health commodities, monitoring and evaluation fundamentals, and malaria.
David Poland, MPS
Senior Communications Officer
David Poland's focus with MVI is on communication activities related to the RTS,S vaccine.
He has worked in science communication for development—ranging from hands-on community outreach to mass media—since the mid-1980s, primarily in agriculture and biotechnology, notably in the arena of transgenic crops. David has worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer, as well as a videographer.
David holds a Master of Professional Studies in communications (with a concentration in intercultural communication) from Cornell University.
Theresa Raphael, MPH
Communications Officer
Theresa Raphael brings over 20 years of health-policy and communications experience to the MVI team. She plays a key role in developing content for MVI publications, reports and proposals for current and prospective donors.
Prior to joining MVI, she worked at Northrop Grumman Health Solutions where she served as the senior writer, responsible for the development of a wide range of materials—from fact sheets and talking points, to reports and proposals for funders. She also served as executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), where she managed all aspects of the organization's work, including communications, resource development, and external relations.
Theresa holds a BA in political science from Rutgers University and an MPH from Yale University.
Heather Richards
Senior Financial Officer
Heather Richards serves as senior financial officer working with MVI's Pre- and Early Clinical R&D Unit and translational programs, responsible for contracts management, financial management, and project administration. In addition, Heather works closely with the director of finance on financial matters relating to the overall MVI portfolio, including compliance and headquarters relations.
With PATH since 2001, Heather spent six years in PATH's finance division as finance officer in charge of donor financial reporting before joining MVI in 2007.
Heather holds a BA in business administration from Andrews University in Michigan, where she majored in accounting.
Barbara Savarese, RN
Program Advisor and Head of Clinical Operations Unit
Barbara Savarese joined MVI in early 2006 after a 19-year career at NIH. At MVI, Barbara leads a multidisciplinary team in the clinical development of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. She is passionate about the work, supporting the development of 11 African clinical research centers that will conduct a pivotal Phase 3 efficacy trial on RTS,S and carry out research on other MVI vaccine candidates as they enter the field.
Initially, Barbara worked in the NIH wards and clinic as a study coordinator on trials related to HIV, oncology, and sexually transmitted infections. Subsequently, she was appointed project officer and assisted in the development and administration of clinical trial networks, including the AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Unit and the Sexually Transmitted Infections Group. These activities involved setting up trial sites internationally.
Her background and training is in nursing and clinical research. She received a BS in nursing from Emory University and completed advanced training in clinical research at the NIH Clinical Center.
Shannon Shanahan, JD
Associate General Counsel
As associate general counsel for MVI, Shannon Shanahan is responsible for managing MVI's legal matters, including providing legal, business, and strategic counsel. Shannon brings 17 years of legal experience, having worked for multinational, public, and private companies in the biotech and technology sectors. Shannon’s legal experience includes taking a drug candidate from preclinical to market, developing and implementing compliance plans, risk management, and negotiating complex agreements with an intellectual property emphasis.
Prior to joining PATH, Shannon was director of Corporate Legal Affairs at Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI), a multinational, public, biotech company, where she managed the corporate legal department and all legal work for CTI and its six subsidiaries. Shannon supported CTI’s international Phase 3 clinical programs including US and European regulatory filings and product launch for Trisenox ™. Prior to CTI, Shannon worked as a corporate attorney for Chiroscience/Celltech, a UK multinational, public, bio-pharma company, where she provided legal counsel to senior management, subsidiaries, and department heads. Shannon also worked as legal counsel for technology companies in the internet and software fields. Shannon has lectured and presented on various legal topics including: legal risks in international clinical trials, contract drafting and negotiations, and litigation of intellectual property.
Shannon holds a JD from Gonzaga Law School and a BA in political science from California Polytechnic State University. Prior to obtaining her JD, Shannon worked in the nonprofit sector in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Lorena Sobhi
Administrative Assistant
Lorena Sobhi is the administrative assistant to MVI's director.
Prior to joining the MVI team, Lorena was a program assistant for the Pan American Development Foundation and the Inter American Development Bank in Washington DC. There, she gained experience in international development in Latin America and the Caribbean regions.
Lorena holds a BS in business management with a concentration in international business from Potomac College in Washington DC.
Katya Spielberg, MBA
Director, Finance and Administration
Serving as MVI's Chief Financial Officer, Katya Spielberg is responsible for overseeing MVI’s financial and administrative functions, including the oversight of MVI's grant funds. With PATH since 1989, Katya Spielberg has over 20 years of nonprofit accounting and financial management experience, including serving as PATH’s financial controller for four years. She also served as a personnel supervisor for United States Information Agency at the 1988 World’s Fair in Brisbane, Australia, and as a program coordinator for the University of Washington's Executive MBA program.
Katya holds an MBA from the University of Washington, with an emphasis on nonprofit management, and a BA in business administration from James Madison University in Virginia, where she majored in international business and Spanish.
Tiffany Spriggs
Office Coordinator
Tiffany Spriggs is responsible for a range of administrative duties that contribute to the smooth running of the MVI offices. Tiffany also serves as the program assistant for the Finance and Administration, Policy and Access, Communications and Advocacy and Commercial Affairs units and for the Portfolio Management Committee.
Prior to joining MVI, Tiffany worked in retail management. She also worked at NVR Building Products, where her administrative duties covered budgeting, project management, scheduling, customer relations, and event management.
Tiffany holds a BA in business administration from Kent State University.
Matthew Strausbaugh
Travel Assistant
Matthew Strausbaugh coordinates international and domestic travel for MVI staff.
Matthew has fifteen years of international travel-agency experience focusing primarily on the intricacies and needs of travelers from nongovernmental organizations. His experience includes airfare construction, flight routing, and USAID travel regulations. In addition, he has extensive personal travel experience.
Matthew was born and raised in Maryland and attended Loyola College in Baltimore.
Larry Sturgeon, MSLS
Manager, Washington, DC Operations
Larry Sturgeon works with Corporate Services Division Directors and teams in coordinating human resources, finance, information technology, and facilities functions at the PATH DC office. He also oversees the daily operations and staff at this PATH office, including the front desk and related general office support. Larry also oversees MVI's Bethesda facility. At MVI, Larry manages the annual budgeting system, compiles management reports for the leadership team, closely monitors travel and telecommunications expenses, and provides guidance in cost-saving measures.
Larry has more than 27 years of experience in administrative work. Prior to joining PATH, he was the administrator for the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, where he was responsible for managing key components in the areas of office services, human resources, and technology management.
Larry holds a BA in history and English from Georgetown College and a masters in library science from the University of Kentucky.
Dennis Taylor, MS, MBA
Program Area Leader
Dennis Taylor has more than 20 years of experience in drug discovery and development, having managed multiple discovery and development candidates, including the processes that led to approval and marketing of Baraclude (hepatitis B) and Reyataz (HIV).
Prior to joining MVI, Dennis spent seven years at Pfizer, Inc. in Groton, Connecticut, providing project and program management of clinical candidates in Phases 1 and 2 as well as outsourcing and vendor management.
Dennis has an MS in chemistry from the University of Bridgeport, an MBA from the University of New Haven, and a BS from the University of Connecticut. He also holds certification as a project manager from the Project Management Institute.
Preeti Vansadia, MHS
Program Officer
Preeti Vansadia provides technical support to clinical trials for the RTS,S vaccine program.
She comes to MVI with prior experience working for a contract research organization doing work in vaccine clinical trials. She has also worked on nutrition-related issues in Uganda, which involved rapid assessments, monitoring and evaluation, and survey research. While in India she worked with a nongovernmental organization conducting research on development and female health issues.
Preeti holds a BS from the University of Michigan and a Master of Health Science degree from Johns Hopkins University.
Corinne M. Warren, MPH, CPH
Senior Technical Coordinator
Corinne Warren provides project management and technical assistance for a variety of program initiatives, working primarily on translational projects in the MVI portfolio.
She joined MVI following an appointment as a research coordinator at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Dallas, TX, where she administratively managed health services and clinical research initiatives in the Department of Medical Services, Rheumatology Section. Prior to that, she served as a project manager for a consulting firm, specializing in qualitative- and quantitative-marketing research for clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Her experience in the medical device industry includes directing a sales group focused on international marketing and distributing neonatal and other electronic medical equipment. She also spent 15 years with Purdue Pharma, LLP, serving as marketing manager for the managed care and long-term care business segments, and subsequently as a senior product manager for a diabetes drug in development.
Corinne holds an undergraduate degree in education from the University of Florida and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. Her MPH concentration, health interpreting and health applied linguistics, explored the interrelationships between language, culture, and health, and her original thesis research explored intercultural communication issues and perceptions of quality of health care.
Ulrike Wille-Reece, PhD
Senior Program Officer
Ulrike (Ulli) Wille-Reece brings to MVI extensive experience in the design and immunological assessment of novel vaccine candidates. She has particular expertise in prime-boost immunization strategies using an array of delivery technologies, including adjuvanted recombinant proteins, viral vectors, and plasmid DNA. Her strong cellular immunology background is instrumental to critically evaluating novel vaccine candidates and immunization regimens in MVI's vaccine portfolio.
Prior to joining MVI, Ulli served six years as a research fellow in Dr. Robert Seder's group at the Vaccine Research Center at NIAID/NIH, where she worked on the development and preclinical evaluation of various novel HIV vaccine platforms. While working with Dr. Seder, she gained extensive knowledge in dendritic cell targeting, vaccine delivery, and evaluation of vaccine candidates in rodent and non-human primate models.
Ulli holds a PhD in biochemistry from the Universität Tübingen in Germany, and received post-doctoral training in Dr. Christopher Hunter's lab at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a 1997 graduate of the Marine Biological Laboratories course "Biology of Parasitism: Modern Approaches."
Colleen Woods, PhD
Program Officer
Colleen Woods serves as a program officer in MVI's Pre- and Early-clinical R&D unit.
Prior to joining MVI, Colleen served on active duty for three years in the US Navy Medical Service Corps. As a Navy microbiologist, she headed the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) Immunology Laboratory at the Naval Medical Research Center. In this position, she served as principal investigator for the Military Infectious Disease Research Program protocol, as associate investigator for a protocol funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and as associate investigator for several Phase 1 and 2 human clinical trials for ETEC vaccines. Colleen was previously employed at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Immunization Research, Department of International Health, where she managed laboratory activities, study planning, and implementation in support of Phase 1, 2, and 3 human clinical vaccine trials for various infectious disease agents, including ETEC, Shigella, anthrax, and HIV.
Colleen received her PhD in international health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and also holds a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in environmental health from Virginia Commonwealth University.
