Board of Directors

Rainer Fuchs is a molecular biologist by training, with a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and a Masters in Microbiology. He has been with Biogen Idec since 2000 in various executive leadership roles, including co-head of Discovery Research and VP Informatics and Operations. He is currently VP of R&D IT and the Executive Director of bi3. Before joining Biogen, Dr. Fuchs was Global Head of Lead Generation Informatics for Aventis Pharma. His experience in the biopharmaceutical industry includes senior leadership positions at Ariad Pharmaceuticals and Glaxo Wellcome. Prior to industry, Rainer was staff scientist at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

Roger Kitterman, an experienced venture capital investor with more than 15 years in the industry, is Managing Partner of Partners Healthcare Innovation Fund. Mr. Kitterman has been the startup CEO for three venture-backed companies, and has guided many more through the earliest stages of development. Previously, Mr. Kitterman was a general partner at Mi3 Venture Partners, an early stage, bioengineering focused fund. Prior to joining Mi3, he was a managing director at Lee Munder Venture Partners, the venture capital arm of Lee Munder Capital Group. He joined Lee Munder from Boston University’s Community Technology Fund, where he made venture capital investments in the life sciences and developed and managed spinouts from the university and Boston Medical Center. Roger began his venture capital career in Eastern Europe with the Bulgarian- American Enterprise Fund, a $55 million venture capital fund. He is a founding member of the executive committee of the Institute for Pediatric Innovation. He also advises early stage companies as part of NIH’s Commercialization Assistance Program. Roger holds an MBA in Finance and Business Development from the Columbia Business School and an AB from Harvard College. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of Daktari Diagnostics, Provasculon, VisionScope and Targanox, and represents Healthcare Innovation Fund  at the Boards of Synovex and Sebacia.

Rich Lee is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in cardiovascular disease and is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. He is Leader of the Cardiovascular Program of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.  He is a member of the Editorial Boards of the journals Circulation Research, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Circulation.   Dr. Lee has published over 180 peer-reviewed articles based on his research, which combines approaches in biotechnology and molecular biology to discover new avenues to manage and treat heart disease and diabetes.  Dr. Lee is a 1979 graduate of Harvard College in Biochemical Sciences and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1983.  Dr. Lee completed his residency in 1986 and cardiology fellowship in 1989, both at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and performed post-doctoral training at MIT in Bioengineering.   Dr. Lee is an active clinician; he regularly treats patients as a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, teaches physical diagnosis to Harvard Medical students, and volunteers his time for medical care to the homeless at a Boston-area shelter.

Barry Ticho has been with Biogen Idec for over 10 years.  He leads Clinical Development for the Tysabri program, which is approved for use in Multiple Sclerosis, and is Program Executive for the BART program, which is in development for Alzheimer’s Disease.  Barry previously led the Cardiopulmonary and Emerging Therapeutic Areas, and was involved in in-licensing several pipeline programs.  Dr. Ticho obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago and completed Pediatric Cardiology training at Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA.  He currently maintains a position at Massachusetts General Hospital.  Dr. Ticho held a previous position in Clinical Pharmacology at Merck & Co.

Susan Ward is an experienced leader in drug discovery and drug development in both large Pharma and growing Biotech companies.  She has served as an interim executive or advisor since 2003 for several biopharmaceuticals and Life Sciences software companies, including Alnylam, Novartis, and GNS Healthcare, and served 5 years as the independent Director for SelectX Pharmaceuticals.   Previously, Dr. Ward held corporate leadership roles at Infinity Pharmaceuticals and Millennium, and was VP Project Management for Wyeth’s global development portfolio overseeing approvals for Rapamune, Enbrel, Protonix, Sonata and Mylotarg, a pioneering toxin-conjugated antibody.  Dr. Ward first joined Wyeth as VP R&D for Wyeth UK and global VP CNS Research after having begun her career as a researcher in the pain field at Sterling Winthrop (now Sanofi).  Dr. Ward has a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Manchester (UK), has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles in opioid and cannabinoid research, and is the holder of 9 patents.  She is a frequent guest lecturer for MBA students at Boston University, and a Trustee (and Treasurer) for a leading non-profit in progressive education.