BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Biographies
Olga Genbacev, Ph.D.
Martin Velasco, MBA.
Russel A. Foulk M.D.
Carlos Simón, M.D. Ph.D.
Ana Krtolica, Ph.D., CEO, CSO
Olga Genbacev, Ph.D. President, Board of Directors
Olga Genbacev Ph.D., cofounder and president, Board of Directors for StemLifeLine, brings a rich set of analytical skills and more than 25 years of experience in reproductive medicine and research. She spearheaded one of the first human embryonic stem cell derivations on human feeders, and has had an extensive career as a lecturer, educator and researcher while serving as the head of the Reproductive Biology group at the national research institute – INEP in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Currently, Dr. Genbacev holds the position of senior scientist at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. She has served on the editorial board of Trophoblast Research and since 2005 has acted as the associate editor of the peer-reviewed journal Regenerative Medicine. She is the author of more than 100 research publications on the biology of human reproduction, including a 2003 article in Science which describes L-selectin as a molecular glue that supports embryo implantation and her most recent book chapter, “Role of oxygen in early development and embryonic stem cell derivation” in Stem Cells in Reproductive Medicine: Basic Science & Therapeutic Potential, published in 2006.
Dr. Genbacev holds a Ph.D. in biology and a master’s degree from the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Martin Velasco, MBA. Member, Board of Directors
Martin Velasco is a business angel and entrepreneur with extensive experience in the electronic, medical and biotech areas. As cofounder and member of StemLifeLine’s Executive Board, Velasco provides practical business experience and supports the company launch strategy.
Mr. Velasco directs and serves on the boards of several high-tech start-ups, is cofounder and director of Sumerian Networks, acting chairman of AC Immune, director of NovImmune, and cofounder, chairman and CEO of Anecova. He is also the founder and chairman of Infantia Foundation, a philanthropic organization that aids children in the developing world. He is a member of the executive committee of the Positive Investment Initiative Association and a member of the board and the executive committee of BlueOrchard, a leading microfinance investment advisory company.
Velasco obtained his Electrical Engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland and a master’s of business administration from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
Russell A. Foulk, M.D. Member, Board of Directors
As cofounder and member of the executive board, Russell A. Foulk, M.D., provides strategic guidance and extensive in vitro fertilization (IVF) expertise to StemLifeLine. Dr. Foulk is the medical director of the Centers for Reproductive Medicine in Nevada and Idaho. As the only board-certified reproductive endocrinologist in Northern Nevada, Dr. Foulk has expertise in all areas of reproductive medicine and advanced reproductive technologies.
An internationally recognized speaker and fertility expert, Dr. Foulk has been interviewed and quoted in articles for top tier news outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters, and the Wall Street Journal among others, and has appeared on television programs internationally.
Dr. Foulk received a M.D. from the University of California, San Diego and completed a fellowship in reproductive medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Foulk has been the recipient of a prestigious National Institute of Health (NIH) grant, published numerous peer-reviewed papers and presented his expertise to numerous national organizations.
Carlos Simón, M.D. Ph.D. Member, Board of Directors
As cofounder and chairman of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board, Carlos Simón M.D., Ph.D., brings expertise in stem cell research, medical feedback and clinical information to StemLifeLine. Dr. Simón is the youngest professor at the University of Valencia, where he teaches obstetrics and gynecology. He is also the scientific director of the Valencian Infertility Institute (IVI), the head of the Stem Cell Bank for the Prince Felipe Research Centre (a non-profit organization devoted to stem cell derivation and research), and the scientific coordinator for the Regenerative Medicine Program of the Prince Felipe Research Centre, all located in Valencia, Spain.
Dr. Simón’s group at the Prince Felipe Research Centre and StemLifeLine cofounders Dr. Genbacev and Dr. Krtolica, collaborated to produce the first two embryonic stem cell lines in Spain, Valencia 1 and 2 (VAL1 and VAL2). Dr. Sim�n is an internationally recognized physician and speaker, and his extraordinary level of world-wide collaboration keeps him at the scientific forefront of regenerative medicine techniques.
Dr. Simón has held teaching posts at Stanford University and has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and 11 books. He received an M.D. and a Ph.D. from Valencia University, Valencia, Spain.
Ana Krtolica, Ph.D., CEO, CSO Member, Board of Directors
Ana Krtolica Ph.D., cofounder, CEO and chief scientific officer (CSO), formed StemLifeLine in 2006 to offer individuals who have undergone in vitro fertilization a unique option to develop stem cell lines from their remaining stored embryos. As an expert in the development of appropriate microenvironments for cell culture and embryonic stem cell derivation, Dr. Krtolica oversees all scientific processes at StemLifeLine, including the derivation and cultivation of stem cell lines.
Prior to establishing StemLifeLine, Dr. Krtolica held a joint appointment as a career scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at the University of California, San Francisco. She has published more than 20 research papers in peer-reviewed journals, is a member of the editorial board of Regenerative Medicine and has written two book chapters for Stem Cells in Reproductive Medicine and Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology. Dr. Krtolica recently co-authored a study on human embryonic stem cell derivation using human feeders with Olga Genbacev, Ph.D., President of the Executive Board of StemLifeLine. Dr. Krtolica’s other professional activities include teaching courses for California’s Buck institute and the National Institutes of Health at Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California and University of Pittsburg in Pennsylvania.
