Senior Deal Advisor
Bruce is the former CFO of SFJ Pharmaceuticals® and currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the SFJ assisting with deal negotiation and structuring of collaboration agreements with our Partners. In addition he is a founding and managing partner of Pleasanton Pharma Ventures, a private equity fund that was established to co-invest in the SFJ collaborations alongside Blackstone and Abingworth. Prior to joining SFJ, Bruce served as a partner and the Global Biotechnology Sector Tax Leader for Ernst & Young LLP. For 32 years, he provided advice and counsel to clients and other partners on life science industry related matters including structuring transactions, collaborations, joint ventures, and license arrangements, intellectual property planning and migration, global and domestic supply chain planning, pre-IPO planning, and equity based incentive programs. He presented at many EY sponsored client events and was a frequent speaker at industry organization events sponsored by BIO and Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. Bruce served as a member of the BIO tax and finance committee.
Bruce received an MBA from Bentley University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Merrimack College. He is a past Chairman of the Board of a State Affiliate of the American Heart Association, past President of the Board of a local affiliate of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Association and a current Member of the Board of Trustees of Merrimack College.
Senior Global Scientific Advisor
Dr. Skolnik is the Norman S. Wikler Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Nephrology at the New York University Langone Medical Center. His current research interests are on the regulation and function of the potassium channel KCa3.1 in lymphocyte and mast cell activation, and the role of histidine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in regulating KCa3.1 and other biological processes. The ultimate goal of these studies are to identify new targets to inhibit lymphocyte and mast cell activation and thereby treat autoimmune disease and allergy and new targets to promote lymphocyte activation to enhance anti-tumor immunity. In addition, Dr. Skolnik’s lab studies autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease which is the most common hereditary cause of renal failure world wide. Dr. Skolnik has received many awards for his research including election to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, American Association of Physicians, and the Interurban Clinical Club to name a few and currently serves on the executive program and award’s committees of the American Society of Nephrology.