Dr. Murray has served as Tekmira's President, Chief Executive Officer and Director since May 2008, when Dr. Murray joined Tekmira in connection with the closing of the business combination between Tekmira and Protiva. He previously was the President and CEO and founder of Protiva since its inception in the summer of 2000. Dr. Murray has over 20 years of experience in both the R&D and business development and management facets of the biotechnology industry. Dr. Murray has held senior management positions at ZymoGenetics and Xcyte Therapies prior to joining Protiva. Since entering the biotechnology industry Dr. Murray has successfully completed numerous and varied partnering deals, directed successful product development programs, been responsible for strategic planning programs, raised over $30 million in venture capital and executed extensive business development initiatives in the U.S., Europe and Asia. During his R&D career, Dr. Murray worked extensively on three programs that resulted in FDA approved drugs, including the first growth factor protein approved for human use, a program he led for several years following his discovery. Dr. Murray obtained his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Oregon Health Sciences University and was a Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell post-doctoral research fellow for three years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Kisner has served as the Chairman of Tekmira's Board since January 2010. Dr. Kisner is currently an independent consultant. From 2003 until December 2010, Dr. Kisner was a Partner at Aberdare Ventures. Prior to Aberdare, Dr. Kisner served as President and CEO of Caliper Technologies, a leader in microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technology. He led Caliper from a technology-focused start up to a publicly traded, commercially oriented organization. Prior to Caliper, he was President and COO of Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Previously, Dr. Kisner was Division VP of Pharmaceutical Development for Abbott Laboratories and VP of Clinical Research and Development at SmithKline Beckman Pharmaceuticals. In addition, he held a tenured position in the Division of Oncology at the University of Texas, San Antonio School of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology. Dr. Kisner holds a B.A. from Rutgers University and an M.D. from Georgetown University.
Dr. Abrams has served as Tekmira's Director since May 2008. Dr. Abrams has been active in the research, discovery and development of pharmaceuticals for over 20 years. In 1984, Dr. Abrams joined Johnson Matthey plc and in 1991, was promoted to Manager, Biomedical Research, worldwide for Johnson Matthey. In June 1996 Dr. Abrams initiated the Canadian venture-backed financing of AnorMED Inc. He is an inventor on the patents that led to the development of the Lantheus technetium-99m heart imaging agent, Cardiolite® and is a co-inventor on several products currently in clinical trials. He is also a named inventor on an additional 15 patents and has authored over 60 scientific articles. Dr. Abrams served as CEO and a director of AnorMED Inc. until May 2006 and as a director of Migenix Inc. until August 2008 and is currently a director for the Centre for Drug and Research Development, Chairman for Indel Therapeutics Inc. and on the Scientific Advisory Board for viDA Therapeutics Inc. In 2009, Dr. Abrams joined Inimex Pharmaceuticals as President and CEO. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia.
Mr. Galbraith has served as Tekmira's Director since January 2010. Mr. Galbraith is currently a General Partner at Ventures West. He joined Ventures West in 2007 and leads the firm's biotechnology practice. Prior to joining Ventures West, Mr. Galbraith was Chairman and Interim CEO of AnorMED, a biopharmaceutical company focused on new therapeutic products in hematology, HIV and oncology, until its sale to Genzyme Corp. in a cash transaction worth almost US$600 million. Previously, Mr. Galbraith spent 13 years in senior management with QLT Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company specializing in developing treatments for eye diseases, retiring in 2000 from his position as Executive VP and CFO. Mr. Galbraith was a founding Director of the BC Biotechnology Alliance and served as Chairman of the Canadian Bacterial Diseases Network, one of Canada's federally-funded Networks for Centers of Excellence (NCE). He was also a Director of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Fraser Health Authority. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of a number of private biotechnology companies as well as the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, one of the world's leading aquariums and Genome BC and has previously served on the Board of Directors of a number of NASDAQ-listed biotechnology companies, including Cardiome Pharma and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Galbraith earned a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of British Columbia and is a Chartered Accountant.
Mr. Jewell has served as Tekmira's Director since May 2008. Mr. Jewell is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of business experience. Mr. Jewell spent 20 years with KPMG and at the time of his departure, he was the managing partner in charge of KPMG's management consulting practice in British Columbia. Until March 2010 Mr. Jewell was Chairman of Cal Investments Limited, a London based hedge fund. Mr. Jewell is currently the managing director of a private Canadian holding company; Trustee of a two substantial Canadian private trusts; and on the Board of the trusts' major operating companies. He is also on the Board of Directors of Lantic Inc.
Mr. Karbe has served as Tekmira's Director since January 2010. Mr. Karbe is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Exelixis, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed biotechnology company. Prior to joining Exelixis in 2004, Mr. Karbe worked as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs & Co., where he served most recently as Vice President in the healthcare group focusing on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions in the biotechnology industry. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 1997, Mr. Karbe held various positions in the finance department of The Royal Dutch/Shell Group in Europe. Mr. Karbe holds a Diplom-Kaufmann from the WHUOtto Beisheim Graduate School of Management, Koblenz, Germany (equivalent to a U.S. Masters of Business Administration).