LA JOLLA, CA – The La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is pleased to announce that three leaders from the fields of technology, biomedical research and investment have joined its Board of Directors and will serve three-year terms.
Elected to the Board were Mark V. Bowles, board member and past chairman of the San Diego Venture Group; and Barton J. Cohen, chairman and chief executive officer of Cascoh, Inc., in Kansas City, Mo. Hiroshi Okazaki, Ph.D, executive officer, vice president and head of the Research Development Division at Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. in Toyko, Japan joined the board ex officio.
“These three exceptional leaders from a variety of fields represents a remarkable infusion of talent and vision for the La Jolla Institute,” said Mitchell Kronenberg, Ph.D., La Jolla Institute president and chief scientific officer. “With each of these individuals at the top their respective fields, we look forward to drawing upon their deep experience in a number of important areas to guide the Institute and increase the effectiveness our organization in the years to come.”
Bowles has had a long and distinguished career in technology, venture capital and health care. He is the founder of EcoATM, an electronic recycling kiosk-maker, which was acquired in 2013 by Constar’s parent company, Outerwall, a co-founder of Salveo DX, a San Diego-based stealth health care company, a board member of Edico Genome, and an investor in nascent San Diego businesses, including Wrapify, CleverPet, and TruMed Systems, a vaccine storage-tech company. Bowles is a board member and senior fellow at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and University of San Diego’s Center for Peace and Commerce. He holds an M.S. in Technology Management from Pepperdine University, and a B.S. in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University. He and his wife and three sons live in La Jolla.
At Cascoh, Inc., Cohen heads up a family office that oversees the investment and philanthropic activities of the Cohen, Gordon and Cass families. He was previously the Chairman of Accelerated Vision Group, LLC, co-founder and managing partner of C3 Holdings/Capital, LLC., President and CEO of Sector Distributing Co., and a risk arbitrageur at Goldman Sachs & Co. He is a trustee of the Arvin Gottlieb Charitable Foundation and an advisory board member for The Saint Luke’s Hospital Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute. He holds an M.B.A. in Accounting and Finance from the Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago, and a B.S. in Accounting and Finance from the Wharton School of Business. He and his wife live in Kansas City, Mo.
Okazaki’s company, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., is a Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company, and its U.S. subsidiary, Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd. California, collaborates with La Jolla Institute on a variety of scientific projects in UC San Diego’s Science Research Park. Okazaki previously served as general manager of the Tohoku Sales Branch of Kirin Pharma Co., Ltd., and served in management positions and as a research scientist in the Pharmaceutical Division of Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd. He holds a Ph.D., in Medical Science from the University of Tokyo, an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Chiba University and a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Tokyo University of Science. He is a resident of Toyko.
About La Jolla Institute for Immunology
The La Jolla Institute for Immunology is dedicated to understanding the intricacies and power of the immune system so that we may apply that knowledge to promote human health and prevent a wide range of diseases. Since its founding in 1988 as an independent, nonprofit research organization, the Institute has made numerous advances leading toward its goal: life without disease.
