Board of Directors
Charles J. Link, Jr., M.D. founded NewLink Genetics Corporation in 1999 and has served as Chairman of our Board of Directors and our Chief Scientific Officer since inception in 1999. He served as our President from 2001 to 2009 and has served as our Chief Executive Officer since 2003. Dr. Link has also served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BioProtection Systems Corporation from 2005 and was its Chief Scientific Officer from 2005 to 2009. Dr. Link has been a practicing oncologist at the Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates of Iowa since 1995. From 1995 to 2003, Dr. Link served as the Director of the John Stoddard Cancer Research Institute, which he co-founded. Dr. Link served as a Medical Oncology Clinical Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, or NCI, National Institutes of Health, or NIH, from 1988 to 1991. Dr. Link attended the U.S. Air Force Academy from 1977 to 1980. Dr. Link holds a B.A. from Stanford University, an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine and is certified in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and has previously been certified in Medical Oncology.
Thomas A. Raffin, M.D. has served as a member of our Board of Directors since 1999 — and is currently our Lead Director. Dr. Raffin has spent 30 years on the faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he is the Colleen and Robert Haas Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Biomedical Ethics. Over the past two decades, Dr. Raffin has worked extensively in the healthcare and medical device business sectors and was an advisor to Cell Therapeutics Inc. (1993-1997), Broncus Technologies (1997-2004), iMedica (1998-2002), and Inhale Technologies (1998-2001). He co-founded Rigel Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded company, in 1996. In 2001, he co-founded Telegraph Hill Partners, a San Francisco life sciences private equity firm as a General Partner. Dr. Raffin has been a director of the following Telegraph Hill Partners private portfolio companies: AngioScore, Confirma, Freedom Innovations, LDR, and PneumRx; and he has worked closely with Estech and Vidacare. Dr. Raffin received a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine and did his medical residency at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (now Brigham and Women's Hospital) in Boston.
Sarah Alexander, M.D., F.A.C.P. has served as a member of our Board of Directors since 2006. Dr. Alexander is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology. She has been a practicing hematologist and oncologist since 1975 and worked with the Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates in Des Moines since 1989. At present, she is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at the Des Moines Veterans Administration Hospital. Dr. Alexander's undergraduate work was completed at Christian Medical College, Vellore, Madras, India, her residency in Internal Medicine was completed at the V. A. Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, and her fellowship in Medical Oncology and Hematology was completed in at Emory University School of Medicine.
David J. Lundquist has served as a member of our Board of Directors since 2005. Since 1996, Mr. Lundquist has served as a Partner of Lundquist, Schiltz& Associates, a firm in the fee-only investment advisory business. From 1991 to 1996, Mr. Lundquist was Vice Chairman of New Heritage Associates, a company engaged in the acquisition and operation of cable television systems. From 1980 to 1990, Mr. Lundquist was Executive Vice President — Finance of Heritage Communications, Inc. Mr. Lundquist is currently a director of Da-Lite Screen Company, Genesis Systems Group, Marketlink and G-Sky. Mr. Lundquist holds a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Joseph Saluri has served as a member of our Board of Directors since May 2010. Mr. Saluri has served as Vice President and General Counsel for Stine Seed Company and its affiliates since July 1999. As part of his duties for Stine, he works to establish collaborative licensing, research and marketing alliances with international biotechnology and agribusiness companies, in addition to managing the legal and intellectual property affairs for the Stine Companies. Previous to his employment with Stine, Mr. Saluri was an attorney and solicitor at law with Nicholas Critelli Associates, PC, in Des Moines and London. Mr. Saluri received a B.S./B.A. from Drake University and a J.D. from Drake University Law School.
Ernest J. Talarico, III has served as a member of our Board of Directors since 1999. Mr. Talarico has worked for Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc., a diversified financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois since 1998, where he has been a Managing Director since June 2008. Prior to becoming Managing Director, Mr. Talarico served as Senior Vice President from 2005 to 2008, Vice President from 2003 to 2005 and Investment Executive from 1998 to 2003. Mr. Talarico specializes in financial planning and asset allocation, as well as other wealth accumulation and preservation strategies for individuals and businesses. Mr. Talarico sits on several boards and committees, including the Mutual Fund Committee at Mesirow Financial and the Select Advisory Board and Committee at Mesirow Financial. Mr. Talarico has also been the Chairman for the local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Founder and Chairman of the Talarico Ataxia Foundation. Mr. Talarico holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa as well as licenses in equities, options and managed futures.
Paul R. Edick was appointed to the Board of Directors on July 29, 2011. Since July 2010, Mr. Edick has been the Chief Executive Officer of Durata Therapeutics, a start-up biopharmaceutical company. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Edick was Chief Executive Officer of Ganic Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company. From 2006 to 2008, Mr. Edick was Chief Executive Officer of MedPointe Healthcare Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company until its acquisition. From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Edick was President of MedPointe Healthcare Inc. From 1994 to 2002, Mr. Edick worked in a series of positions at G. D. Searle and its acquirer, Pharmacia Corporation, where he led G. D. Searle's U.S. managed care organization from 1994 to 1995, its U.S. marketing organization from 1995 to 1996 and its Global Pain & Inflammation Business from 1996 to 1997. In 1998, Mr. Edick was named G. D. Searle's VP-Canada & Latin America. In 1999, Mr. Edick became President of Asia Pacific, Canada & Latin America. In 2000, upon Pharmacia's acquisition of G. D. Searle, Mr. Edick was named Group Vice President and President, Asia Pacific/Latin America at Pharmacia. From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Edick was a director and from 2009 to 2011 Chairman of the Board of Directors of Life Cycle Pharma, a public technology based biotech located in Copenhagen, Denmark. In addition, Mr. Edick has been a director of Amerita, Inc. since 2006 and was a director of Informed Medical Communications from 2006 to 2011. Mr. Edick holds a B.A. in Psychology from Hamilton College, Clinton.