Heat Biologicshas assembled a core team with great experience in developing biotechnology compounds and moving them into the market. Together, Heat's team is guiding the development of each of its platform technologies in both existing and new disease indications.
Jeff Wolf
Founder and Chairman
Jeff is focused on creating, running and growing new ventures based upon breakthrough research and technology. Jeff was formerly managing director at Seed-One Ventures, a firm focused on identifying and acquiring cutting-edge ideas and technologies and the systematic formation and management of early-stage, high-growth companies based on these breakthroughs.
Jeff's primary area of focus is forming and running new technology-based ventures. Since founding Seed-One, Jeff has founded and ran several medically-related companies. Jeff’s start-ups include Avigen, a San Francisco-based gene therapy company; TyRx which is focused on the development of bio-compatible polymers; EluSys Therapeutics, a New Jersey company focused on the development of a novel technology to remove blood-borne pathogens; Sensatex, a Maryland company focused on the development of novel medical diagnostic systems and GenerationOne, a Miami-based company focused on mobile-based collaborative care.
Jeff received his M.B.A. from Stanford Business School, his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Chicago, where he graduated with honors in Economics.
Taffy Williams Ph.D.
President
Prior to becoming President of Heat, Dr. Williams served as president and Chief Executive Officer of Photogen Technologies Inc., IMCOR Pharmaceutical Co. and he was president and founder of InKine Pharmaceutical Company. Prior to that, he was president, CEO and Chairman of Panax. Dr. Williams has raised more than $100 million. In addition to executive management skills, the ability to grow companies and new business development experience, Dr. Williams is the author of eight patents, one invention registration, seven patent applications and 53 published articles. He also has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, ``Most Significant Scientific Publication'' awards from the Naval Medical Research Institute in 1985 and 1986, and the Civil Service Special Achievement Award for restructuring research activities in 1986.
Dr. Williams holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of South Carolina, and did postdoctoral training at the University of South Carolina and the University of Michigan.
Dr. Eckhard R. Podack M.D.,Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Podack is the inventor of the technology and will serve as Chairman of its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Podack received his medical degree from the Johan Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt in 1968 and his Medical License in 1970. Following service in the German Army as Captain and Battalion Physician, he completed his Ph.D. in the field of Biochemistry at the Georg August University in Gottingen. From 1974-1984 he studied Immunology at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla CA where he received an Established Investigatorship from the American Heart Association. Dr. Podack is the discoverer of Perforin and well recognized as the “Father” of the field of pore forming proteins.
Dr. Podack is the Sylvester Distinguished Professor of Microbiology & Immunology andMedicine and Chairman of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Podack currently is directing three investigator initiated clinical vaccine trials; he has published extensively and currently is the principal investigator over $13 million in grant funding, primarily from the NIH.
Stanley Kim Ph.D., J.D.
General Counsel
Dr. Kim has 14 years experience providing legal advice to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Heat, he was a partner at a large Florida law firm where he led the firm’s patent and life sciences practices. A registered patent attorney, Dr. Kim has extensive experience in procuring domestic and foreign patents, licensing and joint ventures, intellectual property opinions and due diligence, strategic patent portfolio development, and intellectual property litigation matters. Dr. Kim is an inventor of several patents, has published several legal articles, and has been an inviter speaker in numerous forums. He has been named among Florida Trend's Legal Elite for 2008 and 2009.
Dr. Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Bowdoin College, a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Miami, and a law degree from Suffolk University where he graduated at the top of his class.