Board of Directors and Governance

Steven M. Paul, M.D., Chairman
Dr. Paul is a member of various professional and honorary societies, including Phi Eta Sigma; Alpha Epsilon Delta; Sigma Xi; Phi Beta Kappa; and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Medical Society. He is the recipient of many honors and scientific recognitions, including: The Distinguished Service Medal of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and the Chief Scientific Officer of the Year Award. In 1997, Dr. Paul was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2004, Dr. Paul was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Dr. Paul has authored or co-authored over 500 papers and invited book chapters and was listed as one of the most highly cited scientists in the world (top 50 in Neuroscience) (1980-2000) by the Institute for Scientific Information (I.S.I.), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He holds 9 patents on inventions made at both NIH and Lilly. His current work has focused on the role of apoE in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. He is also a co-inventor of solanezumab, a humanized anti-Aβ monoclonal antibody currently in late-stage clinical testing by Lilly as a potential disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Paul is on the boards of several publicly traded and private biopharmaceutical companies, including Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Sage Therapeutics, and the Sigma Aldrich Company, and is also a founder of Sage Therapeutics, Voyager Therapeutics, and Tal Medical, dedicated to discovering and developing novel therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric disorder.

Julie Louise Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H.
Previously, Dr. Gerberding was Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she led the agency through 40 emergency responses to public health crises, including the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak. She serves on the boards of the Mayo Clinic, National Health Council, Cerner Corporation, Case Western Reserve University, AfterNext HealthTech, and HilleVax. She also co-chairs the Center for Strategic and International Studies Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security.
Dr. Gerberding received her undergraduate and M.D. degrees from Case Western Reserve University and a Master of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. She completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Clinical Pharmacology and Infectious Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco, where she is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine.
Phone: (301) 443-1811

Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., Vice Chairman
Dr. Snyder completed his undergraduate work at Georgetown College and received his M.D. from the Georgetown Medical School. After further studies at the National Institutes of Health, he completed a residency in psychiatry at Johns Hopkins.
Among dozens of professional and academic honors, Dr. Snyder has received the U.S. National Academy of Science Award in Neuroscience, the Albany Prize in Medicine, the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Foundation Prize in Medicine, and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Biomedical Research. He holds Honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Northwestern University, Georgetown University, Ben Gurion University, and the University of Maryland, among others.
Over the course of his distinguished career, he has authored or co-authored more than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications and seven books. He currently serves as Associate Editor of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S., and is a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Steven C. Mayer, Treasurer

Mrs. William McCormick Blair, Jr., Secretary
Since 1982, Mrs. Blair has had a deep involvement in the Harvard School of Public Health, with a focus on Basic AIDS research. She is Co-Chairman of the Harvard AIDS Initiative International Advisory Council. She also serves as an Advisor to the Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease Through her time living in Asia and Europe as the wife of Ambassador William McCormick Blair, Jr., Mrs. Blair developed an abiding interest in the global approach to the prevention of infectious diseases and the development of vaccines. She worked as a longtime advisor to Sandoz/Novartis in developing academic collaborations and biotech alliances. She was a consultant to Health Care Ventures for a number of biotech companies.

Marijn Dekkers, Ph.D.
From 2010-2016, Dr. Dekkers served as Bayer AG’s CEO. He was the first Bayer CEO to be appointed from outside the company. During his tenure, Bayer acquired the consumer care business of Merck & Co., Inc., floated the material science subgroup on the stock market under the name “Covestro,” and systematically focused on the life sciences businesses. Under Dr. Dekkers’ leadership, Bayer’s previous structure – comprising a strategic management holding company and operational subgroups – was replaced by an integrated organization under the umbrella of the Bayer brand. While there, he served for two years as President of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), Frankfurt.
From 2002-2009, Dr. Dekkers served as CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific (he was COO from 2000-2002). As CEO of Thermo, he initiated extensive restructuring measures, divesting various organizational units, and strengthening the company’s core business by means of targeted acquisitions, including the purchase in 2006 of the significantly larger laboratory consumables supplier Fisher Scientific. This created a global life sciences company which now employs 55,000 people and generates annual sales of $18 billion.
Dr. Dekkers began his career in 1985 as a research scientist at General Electric, gaining experience in various units of the company before joining Honeywell International in 1995.
Dr. Dekkers received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Eindhoven and his B.S. in Chemistry from the Radboud University, both in The Netherlands. He holds dual U.S. and Dutch citizenships.

James H. Donovan
Mr. Donovan earned his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School in 1989. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1993. Mr. Donovan lives with two daughters, two sons and his mother in Virginia. An avid runner, he participates in road races to raise money for cancer prevention and treatment.

Paul L. Herrling, Ph.D.
“Paul’s expertise with tropical infectious diseases will be vital to us as we continue our relationship with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and on other global health initiatives,” said Charles A. Sanders, M.D., former FNIH chairman. “Bettering global health is a priority for the FNIH.”
Prior to his current position, Dr. Herrling was head of both Novartis Institutes for Developing World Medical Research, supervising four institutes. In addition to the FNIH, he serves on boards of The Scripps Research Institute, University Council of the University of Basel, Scientific Advisory Committee of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative, and is Vice President of the Board of Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology. He is active as Secretary of the Board of DNDi, Drugs for Neglected Diseases in Geneva, Advisor to the Wellcome Trust. He serves on the SAB of H3D a drug discovery initiative at Cape Town University, on the Board of Neurobio in Oxford, and as Chair of the Selection Committee of the RIGHT Fund in Seoul, South Korea.
“Paul’s strong global network and deep understanding of neglected diseases will make him an invaluable board member,” according to Kathy Bloomgarden, FNIH board member. “He’s dedicated himself to advance biomedical research and provided innovative thinking to the access to medicines debate. He will be an asset in helping to overcome some of the most challenging and integral health issues of today.”

Thomas R. Insel, M.D.

Judy Lansing Kovler, Ph.D.

Ronald L. Krall, M.D.
Former Chief Medical Officer for GlaxoSmithKline (Retired), Dr. Krall worked for four companies (Lorex Pharmaceuticals, Abbott Laboratories, Zeneca/AstraZeneca, and GlaxoSmithKline) over 25 years. His areas of expertise include the ethics of human subject experimentation, drug development, regulatory science, and the safety of medicines. Dr. Krall was a founding member of the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership, served on its Executive Committee, and led its research subcommittee.
Dr. Krall is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy, holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Swarthmore College, an M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh, was a Staff Associate in the Epilepsy Branch of the National Institutes of Health, and completed his training in Neurology and a fellowship in Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Rochester.
Dr. Krall currently makes his home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he serves as Chair of the Board of the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, is President of the Timbers Water and Sanitation District, and serves as advisor and ranch manager for BookTrails, a 501(c)3 literacy organization for children. Dr. Krall and his wife own and operate Off the Beaten Path, an independent bookstore, coffeehouse, and bakery café (www.steamboatbooks.com) – one of the 28 “coolest” independent bookstores in America (https://matadornetwork.com/read/28-coolest-independent-book-stores-us/).

Freda C. Lewis-Hall, M.D., DFAPA
Before joining Pfizer, Dr. Lewis-Hall held senior leadership positions of Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Medicines Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals; Senior Vice President, US Pharmaceuticals at Bristol Myers Squibb; Vice President, Research and Development, Product Development at Pharmacia Corporation; and Product Team Leader and Director at Eli Lilly and Company.
Dr. Lewis-Hall currently serves on the Board of Fellows of The Harvard Medical School, the Board of Advisors of the Dell Medical School, and the Board of Governors for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. She currently serves on the corporate boards of Milliken and Company, a global diversified industrial manufacturer; 1Life Healthcare, Inc., a health services company; Exact Sciences, Inc., a molecular diagnostics company; and SpringWorks Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company.
Prior to joining the biopharmaceutical industry, Dr. Lewis-Hall served as vice chairperson and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Howard University College of Medicine and was an advisor to the National Institute of Mental Health. She earned a B.A. in Natural Sciences from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.D. from Howard University College of Medicine. She launched her medical career as a practicing physician and then focused her academic research on the effects of health care disparities and the impact of mental illness on families and communities.
Dr. Lewis-Hall is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom. She is a frequent speaker on issues such as improving patient safety and health outcomes, reducing stigma and health care disparities, women’s health, public health, corporate leadership, and diversity. Dr. Lewis-Hall is an accomplished developer of consumer education and medical outreach programs, including national television and radio shows such as segments on Dr. Phil, The Doctors, THE REAL, TEDMed, The Urban Health Report, and multiple online sites.

Julie Bell Lindsay
Prior to her time at CAQ, Ms. Lindsay served as Managing Director & Deputy Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at Citigroup Inc. and as Counsel for Hogan Lovells. In addition, among other endeavors, she served as Counsel to Commissioner Cynthia Glassman at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ms. Lindsay holds a B.A. in Political Science from The Ohio State University as well as a J.D. from Vanderbilt Law School.

Edison T. Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

Joel S. Marcus
Mr. Marcus also founded and continues to lead Alexandria Venture Investments, the company’s strategic venture capital platform. Since its inception in 1996, it has strategically invested in disruptive life science, agrifoodtech, climate innovation, and technology companies advancing transformative new modalities and platforms to meaningfully improve human health. With nearly $2 billion in carrying value, Alexandria Venture Investments has been recognized by Silicon Valley Bank as the #1 most active corporate venture capital investor in biopharma by new deal volume for five consecutive years and by AgFunder as one of the top five most active U.S. agrifoodtech investors for the second consecutive year.
Prior to co-founding Alexandria, Mr. Marcus had an extensive legal career specializing in corporate finance and capital markets, venture capital, and mergers and acquisitions with special expertise in the biopharmaceutical industry. He serves on the boards of directors of several public and private companies, including Applied Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: APLT), Frequency Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FREQ), Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITCI), and MeiraGTx Holdings plc (NASDAQ: MGTX). In addition to the FNIH, Mr. Marcus serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Emily Krzyzewski Center, the National Medal of Honor Museum, the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. He received his undergraduate and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Gilbert S. Omenn, M.D., Ph.D.
He was a Research Associate with Christian B. Anfinsen at the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases (NIAMD); a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator at the University of Washington (UW); and a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board; the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Council, the Society of Fellows of the National Center for Minority Health & Health Disparities, and the Scientific Management Review Committee for the National Institutes of Health. He was Dean of the School of Public Health & Community Medicine at the UW and Executive Vice-President for Medical Affairs and CEO of the Health System at the University of Michigan. He served as a White House Fellow at the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Associate Director of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and the Office of Management & Budget, and President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In the 1990s, he chaired the Presidential/Congressional Commission on Risk Assessment & Risk Management. He served on the boards of Amgen, Inc. and Rohm & Haas Company. He currently serves on boards of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Hastings Center for Bioethics, the Center for Public Integrity, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and biotech firms.
Dr. Omenn is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the Association of American Physicians and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, the National Academy for Social Insurance, and the AAAS. He received the Walsh McDermott Medal from the National Academy of Medicine and the David E. Rogers Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges. He holds a B.A. from Princeton, an M.D. from Harvard, and a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Washington. He has three children and eight grandchildren. He is a musician and tennis player.

Jillian Sackler, D.B.E
Dame Sackler has served as a Trustee of Tufts University, American Film Institute, Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, and Royal Academy of Arts. She is an alumni member of the Rockefeller University Council, the Trustee Council of the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian National Board. She served as International Chairman for the Edinburgh Festival Committee and on the American Committee of UNICEF.
Dame Sackler received the China Institute Blue Cloud Award 2018; Foreign Policy Association Medal 2014; Royal Academy of Arts Benjamin West Award (Anglo-American Friendship) 2009; The National Academy of Sciences Einstein Award 2005; Smithsonian Institution Benefactor of the Year Award 1993; Hahnemann University President’s Award for Contributions to the Arts 1985. In 1994, she became Dame of Malta with Crown, and in 2005, was awarded a D.B.E. (Dame of the British Empire).

Charles A. Sanders, M.D.
Previously, Dr. Sanders was General Director of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sanders is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Chairman Emeritus and Board Member of Project HOPE, and a member of multiple corporate boards. He is past chairman of the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), the Commonwealth Fund, and the Overseers Committee to Visit the Harvard Medical School. A native of Dallas, Dr. Sanders is a graduate of Southwestern Medical College of the University of Texas. Dr. Sanders and his wife, Ann, live in Durham, North Carolina.

Fred Seigel

Ellen V. Sigal, Ph.D.
In her more than twenty years of commitment to advancing the war on cancer, Dr. Sigal has served in numerous critical public positions. Dr. Sigal was a Presidential Appointee to the National Cancer Advisory Board from 1992-1998, where she chaired the Budget and Planning Committee, which oversees the federal cancer budget. Additionally, Dr. Sigal also serves on the National Dialogue on Cancer's research advisory panel and previously held leadership positions with the Foundation for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
In 1998, Dr. Sigal was named Vice Chairman of the Board of The March – a national grassroots advocacy group that brought thousands of volunteers to Washington to liaise with Congress and set a new advocacy agenda for cancer research and treatment. Dr. Sigal has also been instrumental in harnessing the energies of Hollywood on behalf of cancer research—serving as President of The Creative Community Task Force for Cancer Research.
Prior to her work in cancer research advocacy, Dr. Sigal enjoyed a highly successful and influential business career in commercial real estate. Her firm, Sigal Development, financed and developed major projects throughout the Washington and mid-Atlantic region—a portfolio in excess of one billion dollars. For her efforts on behalf of cancer research advocacy, Dr. Sigal received the 1998 American Association for Cancer Research National Leadership Award, the 1999 Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center National Leadership Award, and the 2002 American Society of Clinical Oncology Special Recognition Award.
Dr. Sigal received her Ph.D. from Rutgers University in Russian History.

Russell W. Steenberg

Paul Stoffels, M.D.
In 2002, he joined Johnson & Johnson with the acquisition of Virco and Tibotec, where he was Chief Executive Officer of Virco and Chairman of Tibotec, and led the development of several breakthrough products for the treatment of HIV, which helped to transform this devastating disease from a death sentence to a chronic and treatable condition. Dr. Stoffels retired from his post at Johnson & Johnson in 2021.
Dr. Stoffels studied Medicine at the University of Diepenbeek and the University of Antwerp in Belgium and Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. He began his career as a physician in Africa, focusing on HIV and tropical diseases research.

Elias Zerhouni, M.D.
Dr. Zerhouni’s academic career was spent at the Johns Hopkins University and Hospital where he was professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering and senior adviser for Johns Hopkins Medicine. He served as Chair of the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vice Dean for Research, and Executive Vice Dean of the School of Medicine from 1996 to 2002, before his appointment as Director of the National Institutes of Health from 2002 to 2008.
In 2009, President Obama appointed Dr. Zerhouni as one of the first presidential U.S. science envoys.
Dr. Zerhouni also served as senior fellow to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation from 2009 to 2010. He authored more than 200 scientific publications and is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
Ex Officio Directors
Robert Califf, M.D., MACC Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D. Performing the Duties of the NIH Director
Directors Emeritus
Paul Berg, Ph.D. Cahill Professor in Biochemistry (Emeritus), Stanford University School of Medicine
Sherry Lansing Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Sherry Lansing Foundation
Paul M. Montrone, Ph.D. Chairman, Perspecta Trust
Honorary Directors
Ann Lurie President, Lurie Holdings; President and Treasurer, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Foundation
Samuel O. Thier, M.D. Professor of Medicine and Health Care Policy, Emeritus, Harvard Medical School; Member of the Center for Assessment Technology and Continuous Health, Massachusetts General Hospital
Patrick C. Walsh, M.D. University Distinguished Service Professor, James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine