Our team
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Alex Adjagba, MD, MSc
Program Officer
Alex Adjagba leads MVI's health economics activities, conducting economic studies in parallel with ongoing vaccine trials in malaria endemic countries. This aims at providing decision-makers at the global and country levels with required economic estimates to guide an introduction decision on malaria vaccines. He is also involved in various other activities, including generating data on the public health impact of the vaccine through modeling and country-level planning activities as identified in the Decision-Making Framework (DMF) for Malaria Vaccines.
Before joining MVI, Alex worked as a physician and conducted research on tuberculosis at the Benin National Tuberculosis Program. He also worked as a health economics consultant for Leader Health Group.
Alex earned his MD at the University of Cotonou (Benin) and completed his Masters degree in health policy planning and financing at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Antoinette Ba-Nguz, MD (Ped), MSc
Senior Program Officer for Africa
Antoinette Ba-Nguz works with national governments and regional partners in Africa to engage them in the malaria vaccine clinical trials process and prepare for the decision on the eventual introduction of licensed malaria vaccines into their health systems.
Prior to joining MVI, Antoinette worked in the Malaria Unit of the World Health Organization's regional office, where she provided technical support to countries to assist them in the adoption and implementation of malaria prevention policies.
She earned her MD at the University of Dakar in 1987. Since then, she has earned a Certificate of Special Studies in pediatrics from the University of Dakar as well as an MSc in tropical biomedical sciences from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.
Cindy Bergstrom
Assistant to the Director
Cindy Bergstrom is Assistant to the Director and also provides coordination support to MVI’s Leadership Team.
Prior to joining MVI, Cindy worked for the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (CHDS)—an academic institution at the Department of Defense that focuses on security and defense education within Latin America and the Caribbean. Cindy’s work focused on event management, marketing, and operations coordination.
Cindy holds a BA in international studies and Spanish from Centre College in Kentucky.
Ashley Birkett, PhD
Director, Research and Development
Ashley Birkett directs the identification of promising malaria vaccine technologies and implementation of development partnerships with for-profit and non-profit partners in alignment with MVI’s research and development (R&D) strategy. In addition to leading the R&D Unit, he leads MVI’s transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) program focused on the development of malaria vaccines that reduce malaria transmission to support future elimination efforts. He serves on MVI's Leadership Team and is the primary liaison with MVI's Vaccine Science Portfolio Advisory Council, an advisory body comprised of world leaders in malaria research, vaccine development, and public health.
Ashley has more than 15 years of vaccine development experience, primarily with biotechnology companies where he successfully advanced novel influenza and malaria vaccine candidates from research through first-in-human clinical studies. Prior to joining PATH in 2008, he was senior director of preclinical research at Acambis (now Sanofi Pasteur Biologics Co.).
Ashley sits on several advisory boards, including for PATH's Influenza Vaccine Program and the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program. He currently serves as a reviewer for several biomedical journals, including Science Translational Medicine and Vaccine. Ashley holds a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BS (Honors) in applied biological sciences from the University of the West of England in the United Kingdom.
Carla Botting
Director, Product Development and Access
Carla Botting serves as head of the RTS,S Program and directs the Product Development and Access Unit. The unit works to integrate the needs of developing country health systems into MVI's product development activities, and ensure that vaccines, once developed, will be available and accessible to those in need.
Carla has more than a dozen years of industry experience in business development and in the development and approval of biologics. Prior to joining MVI, Carla was the director of government business development at Cangene Corporation, where she oversaw program management, business development, and government relations with regard to the United States and other industrialized countries. At Cangene, Carla also served as project director for Vaccinia Immune Globulin, taking it from research and development to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Over the last seven years, Carla has worked on joint biological development programs with such partners as the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Carla serves on the Board of the International Center for Infectious Diseases and has served on the Board of the Alliance for BioSecurity and as a member of the Board of Regents at the University of Winnipeg in Canada.
Carla has an honors degree in commerce from the University of Manitoba and has studied French at the University of Caen in France. She has worked in Russia, Ecuador, and the United Kingdom.
Alicja Dabrowska Brown, PhD
Senior Project Manager
Alicja Dabrowska Brown serves as a Senior Project Manager in the Portfolio Management and Translational Projects Unit of MVI. She works with external partners to coordinate malaria vaccine projects in early clinical testing.
Most recently, Alicja served as Project Leader at Xcellerex, where she was involved in the development of the inactivated Yellow Fever vaccine. Prior to joining Xcellerex, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School, where she worked on HIV pathogenesis and AIDS vaccine.
She holds a PhD in molecular, cellular, and systemic physiology from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and a BS in biology from University of Bridgeport.
Elfrida Cline-Cole, MA
Project Administrative Officer
Elfrida Cline-Cole serves as the finance and administrative officer for several units and program areas at MVI. She has over ten years of experience in finance, contract administration, and project coordination.
Most recently, Elfrida worked as a senior finance and contract administrator for Abt Associates, Inc. in Bethesda. Prior to Abt, Elfrida served as project coordinator for the International Business Ethics Institute in Washington, DC.
Elfrida holds an MA in public policy from Howard University, a graduate diploma in institutional administration from Concordia University, and a BA in commerce and economics from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Elfrida has traveled extensively and is fluent in French.
Yvette Collymore, MA
Senior Communications Officer
Yvette Collymore brings global health communication and media experience to the MVI team. She is responsible for developing communication and advocacy strategies, managing MVI's publications and website, and leading communications activities for a number of vaccine projects. Yvette has written extensively on global population and health issues, including HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and cervical cancer. She has also worked as a print and radio journalist in developed and developing countries.
Yvette holds an MA in journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.
Ann-Marie Cruz, PhD
Program Officer
Ann-Marie Cruz serves as a program officer within MVI's Research and Development unit.
Prior to joining MVI, Ann-Marie completed three years of post-doctoral training in the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases at NIAID/NIH under the direction of Dr. Brian Murphy. Here, her work focused on the development of live, attenuated vaccine candidates against parainfluenza virus type 1 (PIV1), a leading cause of lower respiratory disease and croup in infants and young children in the United States. Specifically, she studied the function of PIV1 accessory C proteins in order to determine whether mutating these proteins could contribute to the development of suitable vaccine candidates. Potential candidates were evaluated in vitro, in rodents and in non-human primate models. Previously, Ann-Marie had carried out graduate work at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology in San Francisco, California, studying the immunology and pathogenesis of HIV-1, specifically focusing on co-receptor tropism in peripheral lymphoid tissues.
Ann-Marie holds a BS in biology from Cornell University and a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of California, San Francisco.
Virginia del Rosario
Program Assistant
Virginia del Rosario provides administrative support to the Research and Development Unit and the Translational Projects Unit at MVI.
Her previous experience includes working as business office coordinator for Healthsouth Rehabilitation Center in Lanham, MD, and as a pharmaceutical specialist for Boehringer Ingelheim, Philippines, Inc.
Virginia received a BA in communications from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines.
Sally Ethelston, MA
Director, Communications and Advocacy
Sally Ethelston oversees the development and implementation of MVI's communications and advocacy strategy.
Prior to joining MVI, Sally worked in international reproductive health for more than 15 years, with an emphasis on communications, policy analysis, and advocacy. She directed the communications program at Population Action International for more than 10 years, followed by three years leading the group’s financing project, focused on tracking the policies, programs, and funding of the international donor community. She also has worked as a consultant to the World Bank and International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Sally has an interdisciplinary MA in Arab studies from Georgetown University, where she focused on economic and social development in the region and wrote on such issues as women and work in the Arab world and Egypt's agricultural development. Following graduate school, she worked for five years on Middle East peace and related issues. She speaks Spanish and Arabic.
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Alex Golden, MBA
Commercialization Officer
Alex Golden leads and supports MVI's business negotiations for the development of collaborative commercial relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and government entities. His other roles include market research and demand forecasting.
Alex has more than 14 years of biotechnology industry experience, predominantly in the area of research and development. He has held positions in research, pre-clinical project management, and business development. Prior to joining MVI, Alex worked as a senior consultant at Wood Mackenzie, a firm that produces strategic consulting services for large pharmaceutical companies. Alex has also held a number of of business development positions in small and mid-sized biotechnology companies.
Alex holds a BS in biotechnology from the University of Rhode Island and an MBA from F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.
Scott Gregory
Scientific Coordinator
Scott Gregory provides organizational and technical support to the R&D unit.
Scott has over 12 years of experience in molecular and cell-based assay development, implementation, and data management. Previously, he was at the NIAID Vaccine Immune T cell and Antibody Laboratory (NVITAL) where he was responsible for supervising and coordinating the ELISPOT testing activities. While working at NVITAL, he gained extensive experience performing vaccine immunogenicity studies, developing laboratory protocols, and validating testing methods for use in vaccine clinical trials. He has also served as a laboratory manager with SeraCare BioServices where he was assigned the task of providing logistical support and coordinating activities for NIAID-supported clinical trial laboratories, in addition to performing assay development studies.
Scott holds a BS in chemistry from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.
Karen Ivinson
Clinical Research Associate, International Program Manager
Karen Ivinson serves as a program officer within the Clinical unit. She provides project management and technical support to clinical trials for the RTS,S vaccine program and is the MVI project manager for the safety study in HIV-infected infants and children. Karen is also assisting and supporting the preparation and implementation of RTS,S Phase 4 pharmacovigilance and effectiveness studies.
Karen joined MVI from the Meningitis Vaccine Project at PATH, where she was responsible for the management and coordination of a Phase 3 infant clinical study in Ghana. She has a background in infectious diseases, immunology and vaccine research, and also pre-clinical therapeutic vaccine development. In clinical research, she has worked on many multi-center international Phase 2/3 HIV and other infectious diseases, pediatric vaccine, renal, and neurological studies, in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Karen received her BSc and BSc (Hons) in microbiology and immunology from the University of Melbourne in Australia. She is based at PATH's office in Ferney, France.
Sanjay Jain
Program Advisor
Sanjay Jain is currently Program Advisor for vaccine development at MVI. His focus is on CMC activities related to transmission-blocking malaria vaccine approaches. He is also technical lead for process development, formulation development, and GMP production of recombinant protein malaria vaccines.
Sanjay has more than 20 years of experience in process development and scale-up for GMP production of protein therapeutics and human vaccines, using a variety of production expression systems. He has supported several investigational new drugs applications and one biologics license application for approval of recombinant protein products by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Sanjay has worked for several biopharmaceutical companies, including Astra-Zeneca, Cephalon (now TEVA), and Shire Biologics (now GSK). Most recently, Sanjay managed the Bio-Process Center at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA. Sanjay received his PhD in microbiology from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France.
Heidi James
Project Administrator
Heidi James serves as an administrative officer on the RTS,S vaccine and malaria transmission intensity project teams, bringing to MVI 15 years of financial and administrative management experience, including work on projects in Africa and Asia.
Prior to joining MVI, Heidi most recently served as a project administrator for the Vaccine Access and Delivery Program in PATH's office in Seattle, where she was administratively responsible for projects working on rotavirus vaccine and Japanese encephalitis. Prior to joining PATH, Heidi was the administrator for a health care clinic where she was responsible for finance, staffing, and business development.
Heidi holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Leander Lauffer, MS, PhD
Head of Business Development
Leander Lauffer leads and supports MVI's business negotiations for the development of collaborative commercial relationships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and governmental entities. He also focuses on development and implementation of intellectual-property and commercialization strategies for MVI’s complex vaccine development projects.
Prior to joining MVI, Leander led the business development function at Trubion Pharmaceuticals, successfully negotiating a major strategic partnership with a global pharmaceutical company. Leander also brings to MVI extensive experience in the business development and commercialization of vaccines. He was formerly vice president of business development at Chiron and served as head of business Development for the Vaccine Business Unit at Behringwerke AG in Germany.
Leander received a PhD in biology from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, and a Master of Science degree in biology from Universität Konstanz, Germany.
Didier Leboulleux, MD
Director, Clinical
Didier Leboulleux serves as Director of the Clinical Unit. Didier has extensive experience in vaccine and drug development, including clinical trials, vaccine policy, regulatory affairs, and licensure.
During 15 years in the global pharmaceutical industry, Didier held various leadership positions, most notably as Senior Medical Director in the Access to Medicines Division at Sanofi Aventis, where he led the coordination of the tuberculosis, Buruli Ulcer Disease, and leishmaniasis global projects. While working at Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi Aventis, Didier led the medical affairs function in France, China, and Japan. In this capacity, he also managed processes for vaccine licensure, advocacy, and marketing. Most recently, he served as Director of Medical Affairs at Laboratoires Genevrier in France. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, he managed a medical research program in Senegal.
Didier holds an MD from the University of Tours, France; a degree in public health from the School of Public Health, Nancy, France; and a degree in epidemiology also from the University of Tours, France. He has published more than two dozen articles. Didier is based at PATH's office in Ferney, France.
Cynthia Lee, PhD
Director, Portfolio Management and Translational Projects
Cynthia Lee directs the Portfolio Management and Translational Projects Unit, which is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of MVI's portfolio projects and the management of translational projects in early clinical testing. She is Chair of MVI's Portfolio Management Committee and serves on the MVI Leadership Team.
Cynthia has more than 20 years of experience in the vaccine industry and brings to MVI extensive experience in multiple aspects of vaccine development. Her breadth of experience includes taking several bacterial and viral vaccines from early-stage research through development and manufacturing to clinical testing and process validation. Prior to joining MVI, she served as Vice President of Vaccine and Drug Development at Xcellerex, where she led the efforts on developing an inactivated yellow fever vaccine. She previously held various positions at Acambis, including Senior Director of Vaccine Research and Director of Clinical Research. While at Acambis, she served as project leader for multiple projects, including Vibrio cholera, Helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus, and Modified Vaccinia Ankara, and she was the Principal Investigator of several Small Business Innovation Research grants and biodefense contracts with the NIH. Prior to joining Acambis, she headed the bacterial genetics laboratory at the Massachusetts Biologics Laboratory, where she was first introduced to vaccine development.
Cynthia conducted her postdoctoral work at the Harvard Medical School on herpes simplex virus. She holds a PhD in microbiology from the University of Chicago as well as an MS in epidemiology and BS in microbiology from the University of Washington.
Emily Locke, PhD, MPH
Program Officer
Emily Locke focuses on preclinical development of malaria vaccine candidates, with a particular interest in identifying assays that are predictive of protection in the field.
Prior to joining MVI, Emily spent two years as a project manager for the Biomedical Center in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she managed Johns Hopkins University’s involvement in an international effort to engage Russia in global HIV research and prevention. She also worked for five years as a structural biologist and yeast geneticist for the NIH.
She received an MPH and a PhD in biology from Johns Hopkins University.
Trevor Lutzenhiser
Project Administrator
Trevor Lutzenhiser works as an administrator for MVI's Finance and Administration and Research and Development units.
Prior to joining MVI, Trevor held the position of legal assistant at PATH. He has more than 12 years of experience providing support for legal and finance teams. Prior to that, Trevor worked at a national nonprofit health care corporation and a nonprofit legal rights organization.
Trevor holds a BA in history and philosophy from the University of Washington and has pursued graduate studies at Portland State University.
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Gretchen MacLeod
Senior Finance Officer
Gretchen MacLeod supports the RTS,S and AMA1 vaccine project teams, bringing to MVI over ten years of financial experience working in the nonprofit environment, including extensive experience training finance staff in Africa and Asia.
Most recently, Gretchen served as a project administrator for the HIV, AIDS, and Malaria Strategic Program in PATH's Washington, DC, office. Prior to that assignment, Gretchen served as a finance officer/team leader for PATH in Seattle, where she managed and trained a team in donor financial reporting and USAID compliance. In addition to her role at PATH, Gretchen served as a trainer with the Association for PVO Financial Managers, where she developed curriculum and provided workshops on USAID compliance to nongovernmental organizations in developing countries.
Gretchen holds a BA in accounting and business management from Seattle Pacific University.
Kelsey Mertes, MPA
Senior Communications Associate
Kelsey Mertes provides media relations, event planning, and project support to the Communications and Advocacy team at MVI.
Prior to joining MVI, Kelsey worked at GMMB—a strategic communication and issues advocacy firm—on account teams for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Washington State Department of Health. At GMMB, she gained experience in social marketing, public relations, and policy research. She also worked as a research assistant on a study of state-funded early-childhood education programs, conducted jointly by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, and UCLA.
Kelsey holds a BA, with honors, in sociology and editorial journalism from the University of Washington, and a master's degree in public administration with an international development emphasis from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.
Merribeth Morin, PhD, MBA
Program Advisor
Merribeth Morin serves as a program advisor to MVI's Research & Development Unit. In her role, she reviews assays used for assessing immune responses to malaria and assists in refining and improving them to ensure consistency among the various laboratories that perform the work. Consistency in assay results is imperative to ensure the best possible assessment of malaria vaccine candidates.
Merribeth has a number of years of experience in the biotech industry, many of them spent developing and validating assays used for biosafety and product release testing. She has assisted many companies and organizations with the design of safety testing strategies for regulatory submissions, both to US and European agencies.
She holds a PhD in Virology from Harvard University, under the mentorship of Bernie Fields, as well as a MS in microbiology from Cornell University and a BS in biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Merribeth was also awarded an MBA from Northeastern University.
Farzana Muhib, MA, MPH
Project Manager, Product Development
Farzana Muhib leads MVI's monitoring and evaluation efforts through the development of program-wide indicators of success that provide both short- and long-term strategic milestones used to measure program progress in achieving its mission. She also leads efforts to develop a credible demand forecast for MVI's vaccine candidate, RTS,S.
Prior to joining MVI, Farzana worked at Results for Development Institute (R4D), where she was responsible for the management of project activities for the aids2031 Costs and Financing Working Group. Before joining R4D, she worked at Johns Hopkins University on the Pneumococcal Vaccine Accelerated Development and Introduction Project as the Research Project Manager, in charge of coordinating more than 40 research and surveillance projects. She also served as the PneumoADIP's focal point for the EMRO region and helped to set up surveillance for pneumococcal disease in several countries, including Mongolia and Pakistan.
Farzana holds a Masters in Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, where she concentrated in international health and epidemiology. She also obtained her Masters of Arts in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Julia K. Nunes, PhD
Program Officer
Julia Nunes focuses on modeling the impact of malaria interventions and using that knowledge to inform international policy decisions and new vaccine development.
Prior to joining MVI, Julia studied the immune response to malaria at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her doctoral dissertation focused on host immune system components and parasite immune evasion mechanisms. She also served as a Global Fund Technical Advisor for the Clinton Foundation in Ecuador, where she collaborated with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Public Health to submit a successful Round 9 HIV/AIDS proposal.
Julia holds a BA in biology from Mount Holyoke College and a PhD in immunology and infectious diseases from Harvard University.
Richard Okwanyo
Finance Officer
Richard Okwanyo is the finance officer in charge of monitoring the financial activities of partner organizations at 13 clinical research centers in Africa.
Before joining MVI, Richard worked as the finance manager at Mildmay International, based in Kenya, where he oversaw financial management and administration, including the management of sub-agreements and capacity building within partner organizations related to financial management and internal controls. Prior to that, Richard worked with VETAID as the regional finance and internal audit manager for Africa. He brings to MVI more than 15 years of hands-on experience and a wealth of financial management experience, working with projects funded by a range of donors, including USAID, Centers for Disease Control, UK Department of for International Development, and the European Community.
Richard holds a postgraduate certificate in business and finance from the London School of Business and Finance, a BA in commerce (accounting option) from the University of Dar es Salaam, and he is an Association of Chartered and Certified Accountant (ACCA) finalist.
Jennifer O'Reilly, MA
Senior Program Associate
Jennifer O'Reilly is a senior program associate currently working on the RTS,S malaria vaccine trial. In her role, she focuses on foreign technical assistance, partnership development, and organization of designated activities at 11 African field sites in support of developing and implementing work plans for a clinical trial network. Jennifer coordinates a number of RTS,S-specific activities at African clinical trial sites and works to implement new technologies, strategies, and logistical systems in support of the Phase 3 vaccine trial.
Prior to joining PATH, Jennifer worked as a production coordinator at the Boston Consulting Group.
Jennifer holds a BA from the University of Maryland and an MA in international affairs from Georgetown University. She specialized in development and has since received training in immunization solutions, logistics for health commodities, monitoring and evaluation fundamentals, and malaria.
David Poland, MPS
Senior Communications Officer
David Poland's focus with MVI is on communication activities related to the RTS,S vaccine.
He has worked in science communication for development—ranging from hands-on community outreach to mass media—since the mid-1980s, primarily in agriculture and biotechnology, notably in the arena of transgenic crops. David has worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer, as well as a videographer.
David holds a Master of Professional Studies in communications (with a concentration in intercultural communication) from Cornell University.
Afiya Radford
Senior Technical Coordinator
Afiya Radford provides project management and technical assistance to the clinical unit working on the RTS,S Phase 3 trial. She is the MVI project manager of the RTS,S Phase 3 immunology ancillary study and provides operational and financial oversight in this capacity. In addition, Afiya oversees the clinical, operational, and financial aspects of the Lilongwe trial site and also coordinates microbiology training at RTS,S trial sites.
Prior to joining the MVI team, Afiya was a molecular biology research technologist in the Division of Malaria Vaccine Development at WRAIR. In this role, she gained experience in standard operating procedure development, immunoassays, and malaria microscopy, and coordinated preclinical safety/immunogenicity studies. She also has experience in scientific data management and budgeting.
Afiya holds a BS in anthropology and biology from Howard University.
Theresa Raphael, MPH
Communications Officer
Theresa Raphael brings over 20 years of health-policy and communications experience to the MVI team. She plays a key role in developing content for MVI publications, reports, and proposals for current and prospective donors.
Prior to joining MVI, she worked at Northrop Grumman Health Solutions where she served as the senior writer, responsible for the development of a wide range of materials—from fact sheets and talking points, to reports and proposals for funders. She also served as executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), where she managed all aspects of the organization's work, including communications, resource development, and external relations.
Theresa holds a BA in political science from Rutgers University and an MPH from Yale University.
Heather Richards
Senior Financial Officer
Heather Richards serves as senior financial officer working with MVI's Research & Development Unit and translational programs, responsible for contracts management, financial management, and project administration. In addition, Heather works closely with the director of finance on financial matters relating to the overall MVI portfolio, including compliance and headquarters relations.
With PATH since 2001, Heather spent six years in PATH's finance division as finance officer in charge of donor financial reporting before joining MVI in 2007.
Heather holds a BA in business administration from Andrews University in Michigan, where she majored in accounting.
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Barbara Savarese, RN
Program Advisor and Head of Clinical Operations Unit
Barbara Savarese joined MVI in early 2006 after a 19-year career at NIH. At MVI, Barbara leads a multidisciplinary team in the clinical development of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. She is passionate about the work, supporting the development of 11 African clinical research centers that conduct a pivotal Phase 3 efficacy trial on RTS,S and carry out research on other MVI vaccine candidates as they enter the field.
Initially, Barbara worked in the NIH wards and clinic as a study coordinator on trials related to HIV, oncology, and sexually transmitted infections. Subsequently, she was appointed project officer and assisted in the development and administration of clinical trial networks, including the AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Unit and the Sexually Transmitted Infections Group. These activities involved setting up trial sites internationally.
Her background and training is in nursing and clinical research. She received a BS in nursing from Emory University and completed advanced training in clinical research at the NIH Clinical Center.
Shannon Shanahan, JD
Associate General Counsel
As associate general counsel for MVI, Shannon Shanahan is responsible for managing MVI's legal matters, including providing legal, business, and strategic counsel. Shannon brings 17 years of legal experience, having worked for multinational, public, and private companies in the biotech and technology sectors. Shannon’s legal experience includes taking a drug candidate from preclinical to market, developing and implementing compliance plans, risk management, and negotiating complex agreements with an intellectual property emphasis.
Prior to joining PATH, Shannon was director of Corporate Legal Affairs at Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI), a multinational, public, biotech company, where she managed the corporate legal department and all legal work for CTI and its six subsidiaries. Shannon supported CTI’s international Phase 3 clinical programs including US and European regulatory filings and product launch for Trisenox™. Prior to CTI, Shannon worked as a corporate attorney for Chiroscience/Celltech, a UK multinational, public, bio-pharma company, where she provided legal counsel to senior management, subsidiaries, and department heads. Shannon also worked as legal counsel for technology companies in the internet and software fields. Shannon has lectured and presented on various legal topics including: legal risks in international clinical trials, contract drafting and negotiations, and litigation of intellectual property.
Shannon holds a JD from Gonzaga Law School and a BA in political science from California Polytechnic State University. Prior to obtaining her JD, Shannon worked in the nonprofit sector in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Shannon A. Simpson, MS, CCRP
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Coordinator
Shannon Simpson is the IRB Coordinator responsible for managing IRB efforts within the Clinical Unit at MVI. Shannon acts as the key liaison for communicating PATH IRB requests and requirements to MVI's global partners. She corresponds daily with clinical research sites in Africa to facilitate efficient IRB reporting and submissions.
Shannon's experience in clinical science includes pre-clinical work, serving as co-investigator, marketing of a pivotal Phase 3 trial, international guideline awareness, as well as international travel for a selection of study sites. She has worked in the areas of women's health, infectious diseases, and oncology.
Shannon holds a BS in biology from Tuskegee University and a MS in clinical laboratory science, with a concentration in population health, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Shannon is also a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP), a certification she received through the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA).
Lorena Sobhi
Administrative Assistant
Lorena Sobhi is the assistant to the Clinical Unit.
Prior to joining the MVI team, Lorena worked at the Pan American Development Foundation, an affiliate of the Organization of American States (OAS), where she worked with the in-kind donations program and emergency assistance for Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to that, she worked for the Finance and Basic Infrastructure Department of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a multilateral financial institution that provides public sector loans to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Lorena holds a BS in business management with a concentration in international business from Potomac College in Washington, DC.
Katya Spielberg, MBA
Director, Finance and Administration
Serving as MVI's Chief Financial Officer, Katya Spielberg is responsible for overseeing MVI’s financial and administrative functions, including the oversight of MVI's grant funds.
With PATH since 1989, Katya Spielberg has over 20 years of nonprofit accounting and financial management experience, including serving as PATH’s financial controller for four years. She also served as a personnel supervisor for United States Information Agency at the 1988 World’s Fair in Brisbane, Australia, and as a program coordinator for the University of Washington's Executive MBA program.
Katya holds an MBA from the University of Washington, with an emphasis on nonprofit management, and a BA in business administration from James Madison University in Virginia, where she majored in international business and Spanish.
Matthew Strausbaugh
Travel Assistant
Matthew Strausbaugh coordinates international and domestic travel for MVI staff.
Matthew has fifteen years of international travel-agency experience focusing primarily on the intricacies and needs of travelers from nongovernmental organizations. His experience includes airfare construction, flight routing, and USAID travel regulations. In addition, he has extensive personal travel experience.
Matthew was born and raised in Maryland and attended Loyola College in Baltimore.
Gina Noe Todorovich
Communications Associate
Noe Todorovich is a communications associate within MVI’s Communications and Advocacy unit, working predominantly on MVI’s websites, social media outreach, and contacts database.
Prior to joining MVI, Noe worked as a senior web and new media specialist at the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Her duties included providing staff with training, assistance, and guidance in web statistics, in the use of social media, in electronic communications, and in website maintenance. She has also worked at EEI Communications, reviewing and editing printed materials and content for various websites.
Noe received her BS in communication from Pacific Union College.
Richard Weltzin, PhD
Program Advisor
Richard Weltzin works in the Portfolio Management and Translational Projects Unit, and is responsible for managing vaccine projects in early clinical testing.
Richard has more than 20 years of experience in vaccine research, development, clinical testing, and project management. Prior to joining MVI, he was Director, Immunology and Vaccinology at Variation Biotechnologies, Inc., where he led development of a novel hepatitis A vaccine. Before that, he served in various capacities over 17 years at Acambis Inc., most recently as Senior Director, Viral Immunology and Cell Biology. At Acambis, he was involved in research and development of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies against a variety of targets, including respiratory syncytial virus, Helicobacter pylori, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, and smallpox. For the ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine, he oversaw research and process development and was involved in all aspects of vaccine development through FDA licensure.
Richard received a BS in biology from the University of Illinios, an MS in neurophysiology from the University of Wyoming, and a PhD in immunology from the University of Illinois. He did postdoctoral training in cell biology and immunology at the Swiss Cancer Research Institute and Harvard Medical School.
Ulrike Wille-Reece, PhD
Program Advisor
Ulrike (Ulli) Wille-Reece brings to MVI extensive experience in the design and immunological assessment of novel vaccine candidates. She has particular expertise in prime-boost immunization strategies using an array of delivery technologies, including adjuvanted recombinant proteins, viral vectors, and plasmid DNA. Her strong cellular immunology background is instrumental to critically evaluating novel vaccine candidates and immunization regimens in MVI's vaccine portfolio.
Prior to joining MVI, Ulli served six years as a research fellow in Dr. Robert Seder's group at the Vaccine Research Center at NIAID/NIH, where she worked on the development and preclinical evaluation of various novel HIV vaccine platforms. While working with Dr. Seder, she gained extensive knowledge in dendritic cell targeting, vaccine delivery, and evaluation of vaccine candidates in rodent and non-human primate models.
Ulli holds a PhD in biochemistry from the Universität Tübingen in Germany, and received post-doctoral training in Dr. Christopher Hunter's lab at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a 1997 graduate of the Marine Biological Laboratories course "Biology of Parasitism: Modern Approaches."
Colleen Woods, PhD
Program Officer
Colleen Woods serves as a program officer in MVI's Research & Development Unit.
Prior to joining MVI, Colleen served on active duty for three years in the US Navy Medical Service Corps. As a Navy microbiologist, she headed the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) Immunology Laboratory at the Naval Medical Research Center. In this position, she served as principal investigator for the Military Infectious Disease Research Program protocol, as associate investigator for a protocol funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and as associate investigator for several Phase 1 and 2 human clinical trials for ETEC vaccines. Colleen was previously employed at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Immunization Research, Department of International Health, where she managed laboratory activities, study planning, and implementation in support of Phase 1, 2, and 3 human clinical vaccine trials for various infectious disease agents, including ETEC, Shigella, anthrax, and HIV.
Colleen received her PhD in international health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and also holds a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in environmental health from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Bebi Yassin-Rajkumar, MMSc
Project Manager
Bebi Yassin-Rajkumar serves as a Project Manager in the Portfolio Management and Translational Projects Unit of MVI. She works with external partners and with other units within MVI to coordinate malaria vaccine projects in early clinical testing.
Before joining MVI, Bebi worked for Variation Biotechnologies Inc. in Ottawa, Canada, where she served for seven years as Operations Manager and Project Manager in the development of vaccines against influenza, hepatitis A, and other disease targets. Prior to that, she served as Laboratory Manager at Georgetown Public Hospital and at Guyana Medical Laboratories in Guyana, South America.
Bebi holds a BSc in biology from the University of Guyana and an MMSc in management of science from the University of Waterloo.
