John A. Scarlett, M.D.
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
John A. Scarlett, M.D., has served as our Chairman of the Board since December 2018, our Chief Executive Officer and a director since joining Geron in September 2011, and President since January 2012. Dr. Scarlett also serves as a member of the boards of directors for Chiasma, Inc. since February 2015, and CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. since June 2016. Prior to joining Geron, Dr. Scarlett served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Proteolix, Inc. from February 2009 until its acquisition by Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in November 2009. From February 2002 until its acquisition by Ipsen, S.A. in October 2008, Dr. Scarlett served as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of Tercica, Inc. and also as its President from February 2002 through February 2007. From March 1993 to May 2001, Dr. Scarlett served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sensus Drug Development Corporation. In 1995, he co-founded Covance Biotechnology Services, Inc. and served as a member of its board of directors from inception to 2000. From 1991 to 1993, Dr. Scarlett headed the North American Clinical Development Center and served as Senior Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Novo Nordisk A/S. Dr. Scarlett received his B.A. degree in chemistry from Earlham College and his M.D. from the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine.
Dawn C. Bir
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Dawn C. Bir has served as a director of Geron since March 2019. Since September 2016, Ms. Bir has served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where she leads marketing, market access, sales, and commercial operations. From February 2013 to September 2016, Ms. Bir served as Vice President of Sales with Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie company, where she built and led their first hematology national sales organization, and was responsible for the launch of IMBRUVICA in the United States and Puerto Rico. From October 2011 to February 2013, Ms. Bir served as Vice President of Sales & Marketing of SKY Pharmaceuticals Packaging, Inc. & Rx Pak, a unit within the U.S. pharmaceutical and specialty solutions division of McKesson Corporation, where she was responsible for two companies and revenue centers, and led multiple functions, including sales, marketing, contract management, project management and customer service. From 1996 to October 2011, Ms. Bir held several commercial and sales positions of increasing responsibility within Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Ms. Bir holds a B.S. in Biology from Binghamton University.
Karin Eastham
Audit Committee (Chair) and Compensation Committee
Karin Eastham has served as a director of Geron since March 2009, and as Lead Independent Director of the Board since December 2018. Ms. Eastham also serves as a member of the boards of directors of Veracyte, Inc. since December 2012; Nektar Therapeutics since September 2018; and Personalis, Inc. since September 2019. Ms. Eastham previously served as a director of Illumina, Inc. from July 2004 to May 2019; MorphoSys AG from May 2012 to May 2017; Trius Therapeutics, Inc. from 2009 until its sale in 2013; Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2005 until its sale in 2012; and Genoptix, Inc. from 2008 until its sale in 2011. From 1976 until her retirement in September 2008, Ms. Eastham has held several senior management positions in the life sciences industry, including with the Burnham Institute for Medical Research; Diversa Corporation; CombiChem, Inc.; Cytel Corporation; and Boehringer Mannheim Corporation. Ms. Eastham holds a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Indiana University and is a retired Certified Public Accountant.
V. Bryan Lawlis, Ph.D.
Audit Committee and Compensation Committee
V. Bryan Lawlis, Ph.D., has served as a director of Geron since March 2012. He also serves as a member of the boards of directors of BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc. since June 2007; Coherus BioSciences, Inc. since May 2014; Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. since July 2018; and several privately-held biotechnology companies. In addition, he serves as an advisor to Phoenix Venture Partners since October 2015. Dr. Lawlis previously served as a director of KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from August 2013 to September 2014; and Sutro Biopharma, Inc. from January 2004 to June 2019. Dr. Lawlis was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Itero Biopharmaceuticals LLC that he co-founded from 2006 to 2011. Dr. Lawlis also held several senior management positions in the biopharmaceutical industry, including President and Chief Executive Officer of Aradigm Corporation and President and Chief Executive Officer of Covance Biotechnology Services which he co-founded. Dr. Lawlis holds a B.A. in microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Washington State University.
Susan M. Molineaux, Ph.D.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (Chair)
Susan M. Molineaux, Ph.D., has served as a director of Geron since September 2012. Dr. Molineaux has been Chief Executive Officer, President and a member of the board of directors of Calithera Biosciences, Inc. since co-founding the company in June 2010. She also serves as a member of the board of directors of Theravance Biopharma, Inc. since April 2015, where she is a member of the Sciences and Technology Committee, and as a Scientific Advisor to Lightstone Ventures since September 2016. Prior to Calithera, Dr. Molineaux co-founded Proteolix, Inc., where she served as Chief Scientific Officer from December 2003 until December 2005 and from February 2009 until November 2009, and as President and Chief Executive Officer from January 2006 until February 2009, until the company’s acquisition by Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in November 2009. Previously, Dr. Molineaux held several senior management positions in the biopharmaceutical industry, including Vice President of Biology at Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Vice President of Biology at Praelux, Inc.; and Vice President of Drug Development at Praecis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Molineaux holds a B.S. in biology from Smith College, a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Johns Hopkins University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University.
Elizabeth G. O'Farrell
Audit Committee
Elizabeth G. O’Farrell has served as a director of Geron since March 2019. Ms. O’Farrell also serves as a member of the board of directors of Inhibikase Therapeutics since December 2020 and LENSAR, Inc. since January 2021. In December 2017, Ms. O’Farrell retired from a 24-year career with Eli Lilly and Company where she held several senior management positions in finance and corporate governance, most recently serving as Chief Procurement Officer and Head of Global Shared Services from January 2012 to December 2017. Prior to that position, she also served as Senior Vice President, Policy and Finance; Senior Vice President, Finance; Chief Financial Officer, Lilly USA; Chief Financial Officer, Lilly Canada; and General Auditor. Before joining Eli Lilly, Ms. O’Farrell was an accountant with Boise Cascade Office Products, and served as an auditor at Whipple & Company and Price Waterhouse. Ms. O’Farrell holds a B.S. in accounting with honors and an M.B.A. in management information systems, both from Indiana University.
Robert J. Spiegel, M.D., FACP
Compensation Committee (Chair)
Robert J. Spiegel, M.D., FACP, has served as a director of Geron since May 2010. Dr. Spiegel currently serves as an Associate Professor at the Weill Cornell Medical School, a Senior Advisor to Warburg Pincus, a private equity firm, and an Advisor to the Israel Biotech Fund, a venture investment fund. He is also a member of the board of directors of Ayala Pharmaceuticals since December 2017; Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since September 2018; Athenex, Inc. since August 2020; and several privately-held biotechnology companies. He previously served as a director for Avior Computing Corporation from October 2011 to November 2017; Talon Therapeutics, Inc. from July 2010 to July 2013; Capstone Therapeutics Corp. from May 2010 to January 2012; Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from January 2015 to January 2018; and PDS Biotechnology Corporation (formerly Edge Therapeutics, Inc.) from August 2013 to March 2019; the Cancer Institute of New Jersey from 1999 to 2009; and Cancer Care New Jersey from 1995 to 2011. From March 2011 to April 2016, Dr. Spiegel served as Chief Medical Officer of PTC Therapeutics, Inc. In 2009, after 26 years with the Schering-Plough Corporation (now Merck & Co.), Dr. Spiegel retired as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of the Schering-Plough Research Institute, the pharmaceutical research arm of the Schering-Plough Corporation. His career at Schering-Plough involved various positions, including Director of clinical research for oncology, Vice President of clinical research, and Senior Vice President of worldwide clinical research. Following a residency in internal medicine, Dr. Spiegel completed a fellowship in medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute, and from 1981 to 1999 he held academic positions at the National Cancer Institute and New York University Cancer Center. Dr. Spiegel holds a B.A. from Yale University and an M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.