BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kathryn Bayne

MS PhD, DVM, DACLAM, DACAW, CAAB

Dr. Bayne is Chief Executive Officer for AAALAC International, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary assessment and accreditation programs. Prior to this position she worked at the National Institutes of Health leading a research program on nonhuman primate psychological well- being and environmental enrichment programs for primates, dogs, cats and swine. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and of the American College of Animal Welfare. She is also a certified applied animal behaviorist and has published extensively in laboratory animal behavior and welfare. Dr. Bayne has held several leadership positions including service as President of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, the Association of Primate Veterinarians, as well as the District of Columbia Veterinary Medical Association. She is past Chair of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Committee and was the inaugural Chair of the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioner’s Animal Welfare Committee. Dr. Bayne was the 2009 recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Award and Washington State University’s 2009 Excellence in Research and Teaching Award. In 2012 she was awarded the Charles River Prize for her international efforts in advancing laboratory animal welfare.

Valerie Bergdall

Valerie Bergdall is the Institutional Attending Veterinarian at The Ohio State University and also serves as the Director of the University Laboratory Animal Resources housing core. She completed her veterinary degree at Purdue University, a laboratory animal medicine residency at the University of Michigan and joined OSU in 1994. She is board certified by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. In addition to overseeing the veterinary care program, she also is a Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and involved in teaching both professional, graduate, and undergraduates. Her research interests center around animal model development especially in the field of wound healing. She has over 45 publications and has served as a co-investigator on several program project grants.

Donna Clemons

DVM, MS, DACLAM

Donna Clemons joined Abbvie (formerly Abbott) in November 2011 as Global Director of Comparative Medicine, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the area of biomedical science and research to her current role. As Global Director, she is responsible for animal care and animal research support for all AbbVie animal research functions. She received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Missouri in 1989. After completion of a residency program in Laboratory Animal Medicine, and a master’s degree in Laboratory Animal Science at the University of Missouri, she joined Covance Laboratories as a clinical laboratory animal veterinarian. From that point, she held various management positions with oversight of animal care programs and veterinary medical staff at Covance. Before leaving Covance, she served as VP and Global Chief Scientific Officer for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Welfare and was responsible for leadership in animal care at Covance facilities across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Dr. Clemons is board certified in Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) and has extensive experience in research colony health management, regulatory driven toxicology, national and international regulatory compliance, and facility operations.

Timothy M. Fan

DVM, PhD

Dr. Fan is an associate professor of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After receiving his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1995, Dr. Fan trained in the clinical disciplines of Internal Medicine at Cornell University and Oncology at the University of Illinois. Following the completion of Dr. Fan’s clinical training, he pursued and completed a PhD in Tumor Immunology at the University of Illinois, whereby he investigated the anticancer effects of cytokine manipulation strategies for the treatment of locally-invasive and metastatic tumors in mouse models of disease. Upon completion of his PhD in 2007, Dr. Fan now serves as the principal investigator of the Comparative Oncology Research Laboratory housed in the Small Animal Clinic, Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine. Dr. Fan’s laboratory works closely with other basic scientists for evaluating novel drugs or drug delivery strategies for the treatment of cancer. Uniquely, Dr. Fan’s training as a scientist and veterinarian, has allowed him the opportunity to rapidly investigate and translate novel treatment strategies in dogs with spontaneously-arising cancers, and conduct meaningful comparative oncology research which is hoped to eventually aid in treating cancer in not only companion animals, but also human beings.

Gloria Gaito

Gloria Gaito is currently the Executive Director of Global Animal Welfare and Compliance for Comparative Medicine at Pfizer, Inc. In this role, she is responsible for oversight of the animal care and welfare programs across Pfizer, ensuring compliance with regulatory expectations and internal standards. She also handles internal and external communications on animal issues and monitors legislative and regulatory activity globally. In addition, Gloria is a member of Pfizer’s cross-divisional Animal Care and Welfare Board, which promotes humane research, advancement of the 3Rs, and a high standard of animal care and welfare in all of the company’s animal based activities. Gloria is actively engaged in outreach and public education on the importance of biomedical research and our industry’s commitment to the care and welfare of research animals. She holds membership in several professional organizations covering the scope of laboratory animal science and welfare. Currently, Gloria serves on the Board of the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research and is a member of the IQ Consortium’s 3R Leadership Group. Gloria received her undergraduate degree in Laboratory Animal Science from Quinnipiac University. She earned her Master’s of Business Administration degree from the University of Rhode Island in the Executive Master of Business Administration program and her Master of Science degree in Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs from Temple University.

Nancy Haigwood

Dr. Nancy Haigwood is a professor of Pathobiology & Immunology at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) at Oregon Health & Science University. She has over 39 years’ experience in molecular biology and immunology research in the area of global health, both in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, and for the last 34 years she has been actively engaged in vaccine discovery and immunotherapy research for in nonhuman primate (NHP) models for HIV/AIDS. In the 1980s, her team co-developed one of the first HIV vaccine candidates, an Envelope gp120 subunit vaccine, and she has maintained a commitment to HIV/AIDS research. Expertise in the laboratory extends to DNA delivery and viral vectors, and recombinant HIV Envelope antigen design for use in vaccine studies. She has recently shown that passive immunotherapy using potent human neutralizing monoclonal antibodies can change the course of SHIV infection in infant macaques, preventing the establishment of a permanent viral reservoir. In her position as Director of the ONPRC, Dr. Haigwood oversees senior scientific, veterinary, and administrative leadership to provide expertise and guidance to manage the Center, with a focus on discovering improvements for human health. Her office is responsible for strategic planning, assuring outstanding animal care, access to scientific models, nonhuman primate resources, and expertise, as well as outreach to the public. Dr. Haigwood has served on numerous review panels and advisory committees, including the NIH Council of Councils, as well as on international and local non-profit boards. She was inducted into the American Academy of Microbiology in 2014.

Donna Matthews Jarrell

DVM, DACLAM

With over 30 years of experience, Donna Matthews Jarrell has managed laboratory animal-based research programs in government (NIH), the biotech industry (Millennium Pharmaceuticals), and academia (MGH/HMS). Donna joined Mass General Hospital (MGH) in 2002 and was promoted to Director, Center for Comparative Medicine (CCM) and the Attending Veterinarian for MGH in January 2013. She is recognized as the first laboratory animal veterinarian to adapt the principles, practices and tools of lean management in a research animal setting which has results in more efficient, less costly and safer vivarium operations. During the summer of 2017, CCM was recognized as a lean organization tour site for the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) annual meeting held in Boston, MA. CCM supports approximately one third of MGH’s $800M research program with over 1000 research protocols lead by more than 350 principal investigators and conducted by 3000+ research staff customers. CCM also assures that all practices associated with this research meets or exceeds associated government regulations while constantly controlling costs and improving care quality. As the Director, she leads a department of ~130 staff including a senior leadership team, veterinary professionals, program and facility managers, veterinary technicians, animal care staff and administrative staff. Her program is spread across three campuses and she is fiscally responsible for ~$17M operating budget that has grown continuously during her tenure in the face of a decline in hospital subsidy annually. Donna is board certified with the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM), served on the BOD from 2015-2018 and currently serves on the Vice President for the organization. She served on the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources (ILAR) Workshop Committee focused on improving laboratory animal welfare standards from 2015-2019. Lastly she currently serves as the President of the Vivarium Operations Excellence Network’s and was one of the 3 founding members of the organization. Donna has made numerous presentations at the regional, national and international levels on the topics of minorities in biomedical careers, Continuous Improvement/Lean Management in a clinical research & development arena as well as application of active learning for effective regulatory education and compliance. Donna received her undergraduate (BA, Chemistry) and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. As an officer in the Public Health Service (PHS), she rose to the rank of Lt Commander and was granted an early exceptional capability (EC) promotion during her time in the PHS. Has an officer in the PHS, she was recognized as the first African-American female officer to become board certified in any veterinary specialty (ACLAM). After leaving the Corp and moving to Massachusetts, she continued her life-long learning by earning an Executive Education Certificate from The General Managers Program (TGMP) at the Harvard Business School in 2006. She has 4 children, two guinea pigs and two dogs.

Ross McKinney

MD

Dr. Ross McKinney currently serves as chief scientific officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), a position to which he was appointed in September 2016. Prior to joining the AAMC, Dr. McKinney spent more than three decades as a faculty member at the Duke University School of Medicine. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1975 and received his MD degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1979. Dr. McKinney did his pediatric residency and pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at Duke and joined the Duke faculty in 1985. At Duke, he rose through the ranks, eventually achieving the academic rank of Professor of Pediatrics. From 1994 to 2003 he served as chief of the division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, and 2002 he was appointed the Vice Dean for Research in the School of Medicine. In this role, he was an instrumental member of the team responsible for securing an NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) at Duke in 2007, one of the first institutions so awarded. Dr. McKinney later served as chair of the Clinical Research Ethics Key Function Committee of the NIH CTSA collaborative consortium. In 2007 he switched roles at Duke and became the director of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities and History of Medicine, a position he held until 2016 when he moved to the AAMC. Dr. McKinney’s research was on the treatment of children with HIV infection, with parallel work in the natural history of pediatric HIV disease and the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission. At the Trent Center, he worked on the ethics of human subjects research, informed consent, and the nature of conflicts of interest in research.

Guy Mulder

DVM, MS, MBA, DACLAM

Dr. Mulder is the Executive Director of Veterinary and Professional Services for Charles River Research Models and Services. His responsibilities include regulatory, technical, and biosecurity oversight of commercial rodent and rabbit production and surgical services. Dr. Mulder is active in numerous professional organizations including American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners, the North America Laboratory Animal Breeders Association, International Air Transit Association, and he serves as an ad hoc site visitor with AAALAC, International. Prior to joining Charles River Laboratories, Dr. Mulder was Director and Attending Veterinarian for University Laboratory Animal Resources at the University of California, Irvine. Before entering the field of laboratory animal medicine, Dr. Mulder practiced small animal medicine in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Mulder is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. He completed postdoctoral training and received his Master of Science degree in Comparative Medicine from the University of Washington, his DVM degree from Washington State University, his MBA degree from Suffolk University, and his Bachelor of Science degree from Willamette University.

Boris Predovich

Boris is an innovative entrepreneur with a 30-year proven track record in organization building, commercialization, and accelerated growth in the biomedical research industry. As co-founder and CEO of PreLabs, he pioneered and commercialized strategic non-clinical solutions with pharma, academia, governmental and non-profit research organizations. Prior to establishing PreLabs, Boris served in various capacities, including Vice President at Covance and serving on the board of directors at California Biomedical Research Organization and California Society for Biomedical Research. Boris’ industry expertise and passion for problem solving, team building and results-driven approach has enabled him to successfully lead teams to optimal outcomes.

David Schabdach

DVM, DACLAM

David Schabdach is the Attending Veterinarian and Sr. Executive Director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Resources at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his DVM from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, MS in Laboratory Animal Medicine from the Pennsylvania State University, and is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Medicine. David spent three years in private practice prior to entering the field of laboratory animal medicine where he has worked for the past 28 years in both large pharma and academia. Dr. Schabdach serves on the Council for Accreditation for AAALAC International, the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research, and as the IACUC chairperson for the American Veterinary Medical Association. David Schabdach recently joined Virginia Tech as an associate vice president for research and innovation, serving as the attending veterinarian and directing the university program for laboratory animal resources in the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Ara Tahmassian

PhD

Ara Tahmassian, Ph.D., is currently the University Chief Research Compliance Officer at Harvard University within the Office of Vice Provost for Research and is broadly responsible for the oversight of the review, development, and implementation of policies related to the life cycle management of research administration and compliance activities across the University. Additionally, Dr. Tahmassian serves at the Institutional Official for a number of Regulatory areas and works toward the overall effort to manage potential risks at the University by integrating and coordinating the significant compliance requirements across the University. He also serves as the Project Director for BMENA Bioethics Forum, a project dedicated to implementing a comprehensive responsible conduct of science and a mentoring program for young and early career scientists from the Broader Middle East and North African (BMENA) Region (originally funded by the U.S. Department of the State – Bioengagement Program). Prior to being named University Chief Research Compliance Officer at Harvard in 2013, he was the Associate Vice President for Research Compliance at Boston University and Boston Medical Center from October 2006 to July 2014. Included in his portfolio were human and animal research protection programs, Laboratory Animal Science Center, Environmental Health and Safety and Emergency Preparedness; Office of Sponsored Programs; Institutional Biosafety, Radiation Safety and Laboratory Safety Committee; Individual and Institutional Conflicts of Interest; and Export Control. He also served as the Research Integrity Officer; the Principal Investigator for the Core BSL-3 Select Agent Laboratory and as one of the Associate Directors of the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) at the BU Medical Campus. Dr. Tahmassian holds a B.Sc. in nuclear engineering and a Ph.D. in radiobiology from Queen Mary College, London University, and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Sciences in Nuclear Medicine. He has been active in national and international efforts and has served, and continues to serve on many committees including: two terms on the Board of Directors of the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR), Chairing the Research Compliance and Administration Committee; served on the NUCRA Professional Development Committee and as a Contributing Editor for the NCURA Magazine; he is currently a member of the Interim Executive Committee of Broader Middle East and North Africa Biosciences Forum, COGR’s Research & Regulatory Reform, Co-Chair of FDP Animal Subject’s Subcommittee, Chair-NCURA Select Committee on Peer Programs, and Select Committee on Global Affairs.

Ann Turner

PhD, FASAE, CAE

With over 40 years of experience in association management, health care administration, and education, Dr. Ann Turner has served her communities in various manners. She is currently the executive director of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) in Memphis, TN. Prior to her current position, she served in various capacities for healthcare, rehabilitation and educational associations. She began her career in the educational arena and has taught and conducted research at the secondary school and university levels as well worked in community-based services and adult continuing education programs. Dr. Turner earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, a Master of Education from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Community Systems Planning and Development also from Penn State. Dr. Turner has been a Certified Association Executive (CAE) since 1989 and was awarded Fellow status in the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)in 2006. She served on the Board of Directors for ASAE and the ASAE Foundation 2011 – 2013 and currently serves on the ASAE 2020 Centennial Research Initiative Task Force. Ann served as a community member of the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center IACUC from 2006 - 2016. She has published in scholarly journals as well as practice-oriented publications and is a frequent speaker on association administration, leadership, management, professional development and strategic planning. She currently serves as Chair of the Elders in her church and sings in the church sanctuary choir.

Sherry Vaughn

DVM

Sherry have been fortunate to live her passion during a lengthy career. Her love of animals, animal science, and biology led her to complete a Bachelor of Science at New Mexico State University, and later a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Colorado State University (1982). Working with animals and people in private veterinary practice, emergency practice, academia, the pharmaceutical and animal health industry has taken Sherry from Colorado to New Mexico to Connecticut to Michigan. She has worked with pet animals, equines, reptiles, farm animals, non-human primates, chimpanzees and laboratory animals. Her current position is at Zoetis, one of the largest animal health companies. Zoetis works to make the job of veterinarians, pet owners, and livestock producers, easier. As a veterinarian, Sherry’s job feels like a career “home”. Her Associate Director role as the global lead for animal welfare compliance has taken her from North America to South American to Europe and Asia. Her position focuses on helping to improve the lives of research animals by adopting the most humane practices, promoting the 3Rs, and enhancing a culture of caring. Sherry’s passions continue to be animal health, veterinary science, and ethics.”

Wanda West

DVM, PhD, DACLAM

Dr. Wanda L. West has over 25 years of experience as a board-certified laboratory animal veterinarian. She is currently the Director and Attending Veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. located in Ridgefield, CT and she also serves as the Global Animal Welfare Officer for Human Pharma Innovation Unit. Dr. West previously worked in various roles up to the Associate Director level at DuPont Pharmaceuticals Company, Wilmington, DE and as a Veterinary Research Fellow at Bristol-Myers Squibb Biopharmaceutical Company, Princeton, NJ. Dr. West earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Mississippi State University, Miss. State, MS. She completed a Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at North Carolina College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, NC and completed a three-year residency program in Laboratory Animal Medicine at University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL. Dr. West also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacology with a specialization in Neuroscience from Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. Dr. West has been a Diplomate in the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine since 1994. Wanda has served on several ASLAP and ACLAM committees during her career, including an appointment on the ASLAP Board of Directors during 2009-2012, and serving as President during 2013-14. Dr. West has apassion for education and is a lecturer at Drexel University teaching courses in the Master of Laboratory Animal Science Program. She has also taught laboratory animal courses at the University of Pennsylvania. Wanda has served as a thesis advisor for students at Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University. Dr. West has recently accepted an appointment on a newly formed Dean’s Advisory Board at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and she currently is a reviewer for JAALAS and Jove. Her other professional interests include neuropharmacology, pain management, and surgical model development.