LEADERSHIP |
FounderCymbeline Culiat, Ph.D. It is the research conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by Dr. Cymbeline (Bem) Culiat that led to the discovery of a pathway that triggers natural cell growth and maturation of musculoskeletal and heart-muscle tissue. This discovery is the foundation on which NellOne Therapeutics (NellOne) was established in 2008. Dr. Culiat was on the R&D staff at ORNL from 1999 to June 30, 2009, when she took early retirement. During that decade, Dr. Culiat was also an adjunct faculty member of the College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Genome Sciences and Technology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Born, raised and educated in the Philippines, from 1981 to 1994, Culiat taught biology at the University of the Philippines in Laguna, from which she earned a B.S. degree in cell biology (cum laude) and an M.S. degree in genetics. In 1994, Dr. Culiat received her doctorate in biomedical sciences from ORNL-University of Tennessee and completed postdoctoral work in molecular genetics at ORNL in 1999. A prolific contributor to scientific journals and other publications, and a frequent speaker at academic conferences, Culiat is the inventor on various patent applications related to the clinical applications of the Nell1 protein in tissue regeneration. These patents have been recently exclusively licensed to NellOne. Formerly employed by UT-Battelle, the entity established by the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute to co-manage the Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Culiat has been widely recognized for her groundbreaking work, including Oak Ridge YWCA Woman of Distinction in Health, Science and Technology (2008), Biosciences Division Individual Achievement and Significant Event Award (2008), Federal Lab Consortium Excellence in Technology Transfer (Honorable Mention, 2008), and, from the ORNL-DOE Office of Science, both the Outstanding Mentor Award (2006) and the Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship (1996-1999). Chairman of the BoardTracy Warren Tracy Warren is a general partner of Battelle Ventures, a $220-million fund based in Princeton, N.J., and of its Knoxville, Tenn.-based, $35-million affiliate fund, Innovation Valley Partners, for which she focuses on investments in health & life sciences and emerging energy technologies. She works closely on identifying promising technologies, projects and synergies with the National Laboratories that sole limited partner Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy around the country. She serves on Battelle Memorial Institute’s Commercialization Council, which works to enhance technology transfer and commercialization policies and mechanisms within Battelle and the National Labs. Besides leading the investment that spun out NellOne Therapeutics from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Ms Warren has led investments in other lab spin-outs, including Endovalve (cardiovascular devices / University of Pennsylvania) and BioNanomatrix (DNA sequence analysis / Princeton University). As a strong syndicate partner, she also helped to add NuPathe (CNS specialty pharmaceutical) to the funds’ life-sciences portfolio. Today she is chairman of the BioNanomatrix board, sits on the board of Endovalve, and is a NuPathe board observer. With the funding of Endovalve, Ms Warren pioneered the fund’s virtual company investment model, in which typical infrastructure expenses are minimized during a company’s initial high-risk phase. She also uses this capital-efficient model with NellOne Therapeutics (regenerative medicine). Ms Warren started in venture capital in 2001 after being an analyst and associate in SG Cowen (now Cowen and Company) Securities & Health Care Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Finance divisions. She holds a B.S. degree from New York University Stern School of Business and an MBA from Columbia Business School. InvestorsBattelle Ventures and Innovation Valley Partners Sole NellOne Therapeutics, Inc., investors Battelle Ventures and its affiliate fund, Innovation Valley Partners (IVP), have a combined $255 million under management to create and accelerate the development of early-stage technology companies with breakthrough solutions to multiple marketplace problems. The funds enjoy close relationships with the technology transfer offices of the National Laboratories that Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle) manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy. They also have established similar associations with a number of university tech transfer and commercialization departments. Battelle is the $220 million Battelle Ventures fund's sole limited partner and Eastern Tennessee business leaders back the $35 million IVP fund; the two funds invest side by side in all deals. For information about the funds' portfolio companies, go to www.battelleventures.com. |
