Robert P. Kimberly, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Microbiology
Director, UAB Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Dr. Kimberly is a distinguished expert in the field of Fc gamma receptor polymorphisms research as applied to translational immunology. He has made significant contributions in furthering our understanding of the role of genetic factors and polymorphisms in the normal function of the immune system and in the development of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and systemic vasculitis. Some of his seminal contributions during his tenure at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, include the demonstration of the impaired clearance of immune complexes in SLE patients; characterization of the role of FcG receptors in phagocytosis; and identification of the first human lupus gene, FcGR-2A. Among his numerous professional memberships, Dr. Kimberly chairs the Medical and Scientific Committee for the National Office of the Arthritis Foundation.

Franklyn G. Prendergast, M.D., Ph.D.
Director
Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine

One of the key opinion leaders in the field of personalized medicine, Dr. Prendergast is the Edmond and Marion Guggenheim Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at Mayo Medical School. Previously he has served as the Director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. He has held several other teaching positions at the Mayo Medical School since 1975. Until recently Dr. Prendergast has served on the board of trustees of the Mayo Foundation and the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors. In addition, Dr. Prendergast serves as a Director at Eli Lilly.

Michael H. Shepard, Ph.D.
Founder,
Receptor Biologix, Inc.

Dr. Shepard has made significant contributions in the area of development of targeted molecular therapies to treat cancer. While at Genentech, he led the discovery and development of the breast cancer antibody, Trastuzumab (Herceptin^®), the first target-directed cancer treatment for solid tumors. Dr. Shepard founded Receptor BioLogix, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing Intron Fusion Proteins (IFP) to treat cancers and autoimmune diseases. Until it got acquired by Symphogen, he served as the President and CSO of the Company. Formerly, he was the CSO and Vice President of Research at Canji, Inc., (acquired by Schering Plough), where he developed the application of the p53 gene product for cancer treatment. For his contributions to the development of the breast cancer therapy, Dr. Shepard was awarded the prestigious Alpert Prize in 2006.

Jane E. Salmon, MD
Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research
Hospital for Special Surgery

Dr. Salmon is the Collette Kean Research Professor and Director of the Lupus Registry and Repository at Hospital for Special Surgery, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Salmon’s basic and clinical studies have focused on elucidating mechanisms of tissue injury in lupus and other autoimmune diseases, pregnancy loss in women with lupus, and the determinants of disease outcome in lupus patients with nephritis, pregnancy, and cardiovascular disease. Some of her significant contributions include identification of the first human non-MHC lupus gene, FcGR-2A; characterization of the role of FcG receptors and their respective polymorphisms in phagocytosis and pathogenesis of lupus and lupus nephritis. Dr. Salmon has served on the Board of Directors of the American College of Rheumatology and on the NIH Advisory Boards for the North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium and the Lupus Multiplex Registry. She was a co-editor of Arthritis and Rheumatism. Dr. Salmon is the co-winner of the Carol-Nachman Prize for 2007 for her outstanding research contributions in rheumatology.

Mark C. Genovese, MD
Professor of Medicine
Co-Chief of the Division of Immunology and Rheumatology
Stanford University Medical Center

As the Director of the Center for Clinical Investigation, Dr. Genovese has established a clinical research program that is focused on bench-to-bedside translational medicine in autoimmune diseases.  He has designed and participated in many investigator-initiated studies and multi-center trials investigating targeted antibody and biological therapies and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis.  In addition, Dr. Genovese collaborates with several other investigators on studies of biomarkers, chemokines, cytokines, and cell surface markers associated with disease progression and response to therapy.  Dr. Genovese is an ad hoc reviewer for numerous medical journals, and a board member of the Stanford General Clinical Research Center.  For his outstanding independent contributions to clinical and basic research in rheumatology, Dr. Genovese received The Henry Kunkel Young Investigator Award from the American College of Rheumatology in 2008.