What is your current state of mind?
Accepting; contemplative (we are amid the coronavirus pandemic after all and I have been remotely working 100% of the time for more than a month now). I have quickly moved to stage 5 (acceptance) of the 6 phases of grief as described by Elisabeth Kubler Ross and David Kessler (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance and I hope to reach the 6^th phase at some point—finding meaning during this time of fear and suffering).
 
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A long walk on a sunny crisp autumn day in a beautiful place with a dear friend or beloved family member and a happy dog. A close second choice would be engaging in a competitive but friendly post-dinner game of Scrabble with 3 generations of family members during a relaxing summer vacation on Cape Cod or Block Island.
 
Which living person do you most admire?
Lin-Manuel Miranda. Like most of the rest of humanity, I am a HUGE Hamilton fan. It is the gift that keeps on giving. Seeing the original cast perform this groundbreaking show in New York City, for me, was not just a transformative theater experience but it was truly a transformative life experience.
 
What makes you nostalgic?
Looking at old photos of my now grown son.
 
What is your favorite motivational quote?
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Attributed to Dr. John Watson (pen name Ian Maclaren).
 
If you could be born in another era, which would it be?
None—I am grateful to be living in the 21st century. “How Lucky We Are to Be Alive Right Now” (my apologies for inserting the title of a Hamilton song…I couldn’t help myself).
 
What is your greatest extravagance?
Travel and theater tickets. I especially love musicals and going to see a musical in a New York City Broadway theater is one of my favorite things to do, but it is an extravagance given ticket prices and the fact I live in the Washington, DC region!
 
What is your greatest fear?
Not being able to find meaning (see also my answer to the first question posted above) after I retire (not that I have any plans to retire for at least a decade or more from now) since I truly love what I do. Working in the field of technology transfer at an amazing do-gooder biomedical research organization like the National Institutes of Health has given me a meaningful career and calling for the past quarter century but, of course, work is just one aspect of a life well lived.
 
What’s the best deal you’ve helped facilitate in tech transfer and what made it sing?
It is a story that has yet to conclude. I have been involved since the early 2000s with the preclinical and clinical development of a promising therapeutic drug to treat a rare genetic disease (a devastating disease that currently has no treatment). I have personally negotiated more than three dozen separate agreements for this project as well as managed the complex patent portfolio for nearly twenty years now with a series of commercial partners. At long last the drug is scheduled to be tested in a definitive pivotal clinical trial this year. The project has almost failed or been derailed numerous times over the years, but it looks like our 3rd licensee and collaborative company partner just might be able to bring this project over the finish line with our help. Fingers crossed.
“The views expressed are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institutes of Health or the United States Government”