Dr. Kai Wang
Dr. Wang is a distinguished molecular biologist whose research efforts focus on one of the most significant areas in modern biology, gene expression. In over 100 published works, his seminal findings and ongoing research on microRNAs found outside the cell (extracellular) in blood and other bodily fluids have fundamentally altered the understanding of microRNAs as keys to the etiology of disease and human health. The potential of “circulating” microRNAs to act as non-invasive biomarkers for cancers and diseases of the liver, lung, and kidney is being validated and may serve as a springboard for new diagnostic platforms and, eventually, clinical therapies. The understanding of microRNAs can also serve human health and well-being in non-clinical applications, and this is the purpose of the formation of miRcutis.
After completing a BS degree in chemistry and an MS in molecular biology in Taiwan, Dr. Wang entered Oregon State University from which he received his PhD in biochemistry. Dr. Wang became a Research Fellow at the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena), and then assistant professor of Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Washington (Seattle). He moved to industry, joining Darwin Molecular Corp (acquired by Celltech PLC) as senior research scientist in 1995, and was co-founder and president of PhenoGenomics Corp. in 2001, formed to develop an optical biosensor for drug candidate assessment.
In 2007, he joined the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), a leading nonprofit research organization in Seattle whose goals include the integrating of multiple scientific silos to converge on human health solutions. Dr. Wang is now Principal Scientist at ISB. Among his numerous professional and professional affiliations, he has the distinction of receiving the Diplomate certificate in General Toxicology from the American Board of Toxicology. Dr. Wang serves on the board of Lifespan Biosciences in Seattle.
James K. Chiu
Mr. Chiu has been engaged in corporate finance for over 25 years, initially as an investment banker on Wall Street to large companies and institutions, then as an advisor and consultant to innovation-driven businesses developing enterprise-level technology used by large corporate and government networks. In recent years, he has worked on China-related projects seeking offshore investment, including projects such as a joint venture with a state-owned enterprise (SOE) in flywheel energy storage for rapid transit systems, a nationwide pharmaceutical distribution company, and equity capital for the noted advanced materials company, Tsinghua University-affiliated Innova Superconducting Technology (InnoST). He also co-founded a professional journal in China-related economics, which is now based at Beijing International Studies University.
Mr Chiu completed a BSE in Civil Engineering, with a minor in Chemical Engineering, followed by a masters in Architecture, both from Princeton University. After working for the New York office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) on Jeddah International Airport (Saudi Arabia), he entered Harvard Business School, receiving an MBA in finance. He worked for a decade in investment banking on Wall Street, at Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) in natural resource project finance (Powder River Basin coal), and then Merrill Lynch Capital Markets, where he originated lead-managed financings ranging from initial public offerings (IPOs) to eurodollar convertible bonds (ILFC). He became Senior Vice President, International Marketing, at PacifiCorp FS (Portland, OR), forming US-Asia joint ventures in financial services, and then formed the San Francisco-based consulting firm Sirius Associates, providing financing and strategic advice to young companies. Sirius acted as financial advisor to Photobit, the Jet Propulsion Lab/Caltech spinoff which developed the world’s first CMOS semiconductor image sensor.
