La Jolla-Based Sanford-Burnham Adds Two Trustees to Board

Editor's Note: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute released the following announcement.

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute announced the election of two new trustees to its Board of Trustees. The Board will grow to 24 members with the addition of William Gerhart, a San Diego-based pharmaceutical pioneer, and Luder G. Whitlock, Jr., executive director of The CNL Charitable Foundation in Orlando, Fla.

“We are thrilled to have such distinguished leaders as Bill and Luder join the Board as we prepare to launch our 10-year strategic vision in 2014,” said Kristiina Vuori, M.D., Ph.D., president and interim CEO of Sanford-Burnham. “Their wise counsel will enhance the Institute’s commitment to high-impact translational research and expanding our partnership strategy to advance therapeutics discovery.”

William “Bill” Gerhart has more than 25 years of experience starting and building companies based on promising technologies. He was co-founder and CEO of Elevation Pharmaceuticals (2007-2012), where he reformulated an existing compound, glycoyrrolate, for use as an aerosol therapy for respiratory disease. He was president and CEO of Mpex Pharmaceuticals (2002-2007), which he founded to develop new antibiotics for treating acute infections. He was also a founder and/or CEO of Medlyte Therapeutics (now Lpath Therapeutics), Vaxiion Therapeutics (RNAi delivery), and Suddenly Smart, Inc. (e-learning software). He is a member of the World Presidents’ Organization, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at CONNECT, and a Lecturer in UC San Diego’s Bioengineering Department.

Luder G. Whitlock, Jr., is the executive director of The CNL Charitable Foundation and the Seneff Family Foundation. In his role, he oversees the strategic community investment for James M. Seneff, Jr., founder and executive chairman of CNL Financial Group, an Orlando, Fla.-based private investment management firm providing global real estate and alternative investments. During his distinguished career, Whitlock has amassed significant accomplishments in the nonprofit sector and higher education. He is a published author, contributing to over 40 books and periodicals, and is a frequent guest speaker.