Board of Directors
Jay M. Short, Ph.D.
Jay M. Short, Ph.D. has served as a member of our Board of Directors since March 2004, and since May 2008 he has also served as our Lead Independent Director. Dr. Short is currently Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Principal of BioAtla, a protein therapeutics research and development services organization based in San Diego and Beijing. Dr. Short also is Founder of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, and served as its President and Chairman from its inception in October 2005 through July 2008. From February 1999 to October 2005, Dr. Short was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Diversa Corporation (now a part of British Petroleum and Verenium). He was also a founder of Diversa Corporation, and served as Chief Technology Officer and as a director of the company from its inception in 1994 until October 2005. Dr. Short is a director and advisor of several privately-held companies, including Ciris Energy and Femta Pharmaceuticals, and served as a director of Invitrogen Corporation (now Life Technologies Corporation) from 1995 until 2008. Dr. Short received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and his B.A. with honors in Chemistry from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. Dr. Short has also attended and received Director Certification from the UCLA Anderson School of Business. Dr. Short's scientific expertise combined with his current and prior experience as a chief executive and a director of other publicly traded companies in the biotechnology industry make him particularly well suited for his role as the Board's lead independent director and as a member of multiple Board committees. In 2006, Dr. Short was shortlisted by the editors of Nature Biotechnology as a personality making the most significant contribution to biotech in the past decade. Dr. Short also contributes to the Board's understanding of the progress of the company's research and development programs, including serving as a liaison between the Board and the company's Scientific Advisory Board.
