9 February 2021
Geneva Adds Four New Members to Scientific Advisory Board
Kent Kester, MD, is appointed as SAB Chair.
The Geneva Foundation (Geneva) announces today the appointment of four new members to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) which provides scientific consult, advisement, and direction to Geneva’s senior leadership, program directors, principal investigators, and research administrators.
“It is a great honor to take on the role of Board Chair,” said COL (Ret.) Kent Kester, MD. “Dr. Neil Vining served as the previous Chair with the utmost integrity and I intend to pick up where he left off alongside an esteemed group who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience working in various sectors of medicine.”
Geneva regularly evaluates the SAB’s composition to sure it includes the appropriate skills, experience, and perspective necessary to drive technical and scientific oversight for Geneva’s investigators. The SAB also provides programmatic evaluation and recognition, leveraging donor funds to recognize innovative military medical researchers. The SAB consists of eight independent members who serve up to three, two-year terms.
COL (Ret.) Kent E. Kester, MD is the Vice President and Head of Translational Science and Biomarkers at Sanofi Pasteur. In this capacity, he leads a team of over 200 research and clinical professionals in the U.S. and France focused on the translational development of new vaccines.
Joining Geneva’s SAB is Janiine Babcock, MD, COL (Ret.), USA, is a pediatric hematologist oncologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and a clinical professor at the University of Washington. Previously she served as Deputy Director of the U.S. Army Human Research Protections Office for 29 years.
Aziza Mwisongo MD, MSc, PhD is the Senior Medical Officer at PATH, Centre for Vaccine Innovation and Access and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Washington. Dr. Mwisongo has 20+ years of experience in public health, health systems, research methods, and statistics.
Brad Ringeisen, PhD is the Executive Director of the Innovative Genomics Institute, and previously served in leadership roles at DARPA as director of the Biological Technologies Office and as head of U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Bioenergy and Biofabrication Section.
Suzanne Schrandt is the Founder and CEO of ExPPect, a patient engagement and advocacy initiative. She previously served as Director of Patient Engagement at the Arthritis Foundation and as Deputy Director of Patient Engagement for PCORI.
“Much emphasis has been made since the SAB’s inception in 2011 in developing and leveraging our SAB as Geneva’s priorities grow,” said Geneva’s President and CEO Elise Huszar. “The SAB ensures that Geneva remains at the forefront of military medicine.”
The new members are joined by existing SAB members: Eleanor F. Bond, PhD, RN, FAAN, Nurse Physiologist and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biobehavior Nursing & Health Systems at University of Washington; Brigadier General (Ret.) John J. Donnelly, PhD, Principal of Vaccinology Consulting LLC; COL (Ret.) Dallas C. Hack, MD, MPH, FACMPH, Independent Consultant in brain health and traumatic brain injury (TBI); and Christine E. Kasper, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACSM, Dean of the College of Nursing, University of New Mexico.
To learn more about the SAB, please visit https://genevausa.org/about/leadership/.
About The Geneva Foundation
The Geneva Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that advances military medicine through innovative scientific research, exceptional program management, and a dedication to U.S. service members and veterans, their families, and the global community. Geneva is proud to have over 25 years of experience in delivering full-spectrum scientific, technical, and program management expertise in the areas of federal grants, federal contracts, industry-sponsored clinical trials, and educational services. www.genevaUSA.org
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