The Office of Innovation Advisory Board brings together accomplished leaders from within the University of Iowa and across the biotech and medtech sectors to offer strategic insights, foster collaboration, and strengthen the university’s innovation ecosystem.
External
Mark Day, PhD, MBA
Retired Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development
Dr. Mark Day, with over 20 years of experience in healthcare innovation, led two successful startup exits with iRhythm Technologies, Inc. and CarePages, Inc. At iRhythm, he grew a seven-person team into a public company, overseeing R&D, manufacturing, and quality operations. Previously, he worked at Medtronic’s Cardiac Rhythm Disease Management and was CTO at CarePages.
Debi Durham, BS
Director
A transformative leader in public-private partnerships, Debi has brought multi-billion-dollar economic development projects to Iowa. She champions innovation, entrepreneurship, and global trade opportunities for the state.
Matthew Garrett, MBA
Founder
Matthew brings over 25 years of financial leadership in the medical technology and biotech sectors, including leading iRhythm Technologies through a successful IPO. Now retired, he most recently served as CFO at Imperative Care, a company focused on stroke and peripheral vascular interventions, and previously held the CFO role at iRhythm Technologies. Matt earned his MBA in Finance from the Kelley School of Business and a BA in Finance with a minor in Sociology from the University of Iowa.
Mark Kaufman, MS
Founder and Executive Chairman
Mark is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Athletico, one of the nation’s largest physical therapy providers with over 900 locations. A passionate advocate for health, wellness, and sports partnerships, he remains active in community service. Mark earned his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from the University of Iowa and continues to stay engaged with both the university and the Iowa City community.
Art Krieg, MD
Founder
A pioneer in oligonucleotide therapeutics, Dr. Krieg is a physician-scientist and biotech entrepreneur with more than 250 publications and 50 patents. He previously founded Coley Pharmaceutical Group (acquired by Pfizer), RaNA Therapeutics, and Checkmate Pharmaceuticals. From 1991-2001, Krieg worked at University of Iowa Health Care as a Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology.
Michael Mirro, MD
Chief Academic Research Officer and Founder and Director of the Mirro Center of Research and Innovation at Parkview Health.
Dr. Mirro, a physician and expert in cardiac electrophysiology, clinical innovation, and medical informatics, served as Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa (1979–1981), founding its Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory. He was on the Indiana University Board of Trustees for nine years, including as board chair, until 2023.
Judy Lenane, RN, MHA, BSN
CEO and Co-Founder, NeuroInsights, Inc
Principal, CEO, and Co-Founder, Digital HealthTech Consulting
Judy is a healthcare executive with a clinical background and entrepreneurial passion. She has created four successful cardiovascular medtech / digital health service companies. During her 14 years with her last company, iRhythm Technologies, Judy served as the Chief Clinical Officer responsible for clinical evidence generation that drove reimbursement, as well as COO, EVP, Clinical Operations and EVP, Products.
Steven Mickelsen, MD
CEO, Field Medical and formerly founder of Farapluse (acquired by Boston Scientific)
Dr. Mickelsen is a cardiac electrophysiologist and medical device innovator who pioneered pulsed field ablation technology. While practicing at University of Iowa Health Care, he invented a pulsed electric field system designed to more effectively treat atrial fibrillation. He licensed the technology in 2012 and went on to found FARAPULSE, which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2021. Dr. Mickelsen now leads Field Medical, a company focused on advancing next-generation cardiac care technologies and continues to serve University of Iowa Health Care as a professor emeritus.
Paulo Simas
Managing Partner
Paulo Simas is a trailblazer in marketing and brand transformation, blending over 30 years of agency experience with a sharp creative vision. As Managing Partner of Kadiko, he drives impactful brand strategies that bridge business objectives with compelling storytelling. Previously Chief Creative Officer at Real Chemistry and Founder of ODA, Paulo has led more than 200 brand launches and has driven marketing success for global brands such as Abbott, Amazon Pharmacy, CVS Health, and Medtronic.
Carl Stamp, BS/BME
Principal and CEO
Carl is a veteran med-tech executive and investor with leadership experience at Medtronic, Wright Medical, and Smiths Medical. He has led global functions in Marketing, Business Development, Operations, Sales, Strategy, and R&D for companies ranging in size from multi-nationals to small cap. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biomedical – mechanical engineering at the University of Iowa.
William Starling, MBA
Former Co-Founder and Managing Director, Synergy Life Science Partners
William N. Starling, former co-founder and Managing Director of Synergy Life Science Partners, LP, a $143 million venture capital partnership, achieved a 1.75X net return by December 2020. As CEO of Synecor, he co-founded BaroSense, Inc., Bioerodible Vascular Solutions, Inc. (acquired by Guidant/Abbott in 2003), InnerPulse, Inc., Asensus Surgical, Inc., Interventional Autonomics Corporation, NeuroTronik Limited, and Conveyor Cardiovascular Limited.
Leslie Williams, MBA, BSN
Former Founder and CEO of ImmusanT and HC Bioscience
Leslie Williams is a serial entrepreneur and experienced biotech CEO with a strong track record in building companies, raising capital, and negotiating strategic collaborations both domestically and globally. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing and biology at the University of Iowa, led sales and marketing efforts at major pharmaceutical and medical device companies, worked in venture capital, and has held leadership roles at HC Bioscience and ImmusanT.
Konna Zoga, PhD
Development Engineer
Konna Zoga is a Research and Development Engineer at Field Medical, where she designs and executes preclinical studies to advance the FieldForce ablation system for treating heart arrhythmias. She earned her PhD in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from the University of Iowa, leading research on thermal treatments for bacterial biofilms on medical implants. Konna was in the first cohort of the Office of Innovation’s Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows program.
Internal
Sheila Baldwin, BBA
Senior Vice President for Development
Sheila oversees all strategies and fundraising teams who work to secure philanthropic support for University of Iowa Health Care enterprise, Intercollegiate Athletics, six academic colleges, five health science colleges, and all arts and non-collegiate programs at the University of Iowa.
Marlow Hicks, MS
Managing Director
Marlow, with over 30 years in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, has managed 10 global manufacturing sites. He now leads UI Pharmaceuticals, Iowa’s contract organization specializing in early-stage formulation, sterile and non-sterile clinical manufacturing, small-scale commercial production, and comprehensive analytical services, including method development, ICH-compliant validation, and product release/stability testing.
Matthew Howard, MD
Chair and DEO
Dr. Howard, a globally recognized neurosurgeon and inventor, holds over 30 U.S. patents and co-founded four university spin-off medical device companies, including Stereotaxis, Inc., a publicly traded company producing robotic systems for minimally-invasive endovascular procedures like electrophysiology studies and cardiac catheter ablation. He has led NIH-funded research for decades and is a National Academy of Inventors fellow.
Jill Kolesar, PharmD
Dean and Professor, Jean M. Schmidt Chair in Drug Discovery
A precision medicine and oncology drug development researcher, Dr. Kolesar has secured over $25M in research funding, has 9 patents or patents pending, and has founded two startup companies, Helix Diagnostics and VesiCure Technologies, based on technologies developed in her laboratory. She is a national leader in clinical pharmacy and cancer drug development.
Kevin Kregel, PhD
Executive Vice President and Provost
Dr. Kregel, a distinguished University of Iowa physiologist, has served as Provost since 2021, with extensive experience in faculty affairs and interdisciplinary research. He has held key leadership roles in university committees and runs an extramurally funded lab studying physiological responses to exercise, aging, and environmental challenges. A national leader in biomedical science policy, he recently served as president of the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology.
Ann McKenna, PhD
Dean, Roy J. Carver Professor of Engineering, and Professor of Mechanical Engineering
An award-winning engineering education leader, McKenna’s research focuses on entrepreneurial thinking in the context of engineering faculty mentorship and curricular innovations, design teaching and learning, and the role of adaptive expertise in design and innovation. Prior to joining the University of Iowa in 2023, McKenna was vice dean of strategic advancement in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU).
Aliasger Salem, PhD
Associate Vice President for Research
Lyle and Sharon Bighley Endowed Chair & Professor (College of Pharmacy)
Dr. Salem, an internationally recognized expert in nanotechnology, drug delivery, gene therapy, and vaccine development, has co-founded biotechnology companies and licensed technologies to advance immunotherapy, cancer treatment, and regenerative medicine. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, he drives innovation in biotech.
Liz Tovar, PhD
Director of Strategic Partnerships (Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost)
Senior Associate Athletics Director (Student-Athlete Academic Services)
Dr. Tovar leads strategic academic initiatives and supports Hawkeye student-athletes’ academic success. Under her leadership, graduation rates hit record highs, and the Hawkeye Life program was launched to support holistic student development.
Emily Ward, DNP, RN, MBA, NEA-BC, CCRN-K
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, North Liberty Campus
Dr. Emily Ward is a nationally recognized nursing leader with extensive clinical and administrative expertise, currently serving as Associate Chief Nursing Officer at University of Iowa Health Care’s new orthopedic-focused campus in North Liberty. A recipient of honors including 100 Great Iowa Nurses and CBJ’s Forty Under 40, she holds a DNP and MBA from the University of Iowa and was instrumental in launching the Iowa Nurse Innovators program, championing excellence and innovation in the healthcare workforce.
Patricia Winokur, MD
Executive Dean
Dr. Winokur is the Executive Dean of the Carver College of Medicine, a nationally recognized researcher on the molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance and leads an active clinical research program focused on vaccine development and infectious disease diagnostics and treatments. Winokur has been a UI faculty member since 1993 and was appointed executive dean in 2016.