“Oxford Housewife Wins Nobel Prize.”
Such was the headline in 1964 when Dorothy “Dot” Crowfoot Hodgkin won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her defining work in X-ray crystallography. Regardless of the headlines, we know that her achievements led to many discoveries in biochemistry and medicine.
Just as Dorothy Hodgkin’s pioneering work brought crystallography into a new age, DotLab was created to bring innovation to women’s healthcare.
To us, a “dot” represents a strong sense of integrity, equality, purpose, and leadership. It also represents the moments in time when clarity can make significant change. DotLab was created in response to problems women face in the healthcare system.
The DotLab team and scientific advisory board are composed of experts in women’s health and technology, and they share a vision of closing the innovation gap in women’s healthcare through precision medicine.
Kristof Chwalisz, MD, PhD has held various leadership positions within research and development at Schering AG, Jenapharm, TAP Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Abbott Laboratories and AbbVie Inc. During this time, he was involved in drug discovery and clinical development of Selective Progesterone Receptor Modulators (SPRMs), new estrogens, GnRH agonists and oral GnRH antagonists leading to FDA approval of new indications for leuprolide acetate, and the first FDA approval of an oral GnRH antagonist, elagolix, for the management of pain associated with endometriosis (Orilissa) and heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids (Oriahnn).
Dr. Chwalisz is an internationally renowned pre-clinical and clinical researcher, who is recognized by many scientific contributions in the field of women’s health with focus on new therapies for endometriosis, uterine fibroids and uterine bleeding disorders. He is a co-author of 134 peer-reviewed publications, 37 review article and book chapters and numerous abstracts and patent applications. He has served on several study sections and special review committees for the NIH and FDA. He holds Adjunct Professor positions in the Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at the Rhine-Westphalia Technical University, Aachen, Germany and the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at the Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA. Dr. Chwalisz received the medical degree at the Medical University, Poznan, Poland and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the same institution. He completed a fellowship at the Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Hannover, Germany.
Anula Jayasuriya, MD, PhD, MBA is a successful private equity executive and venture capitalist whose background combines deep business, scientific and medical knowledge with broad clinical, industry, entrepreneurial, and investment experience. Anula founded EXXclaim Capital, an early stage venture fund focused on catalyzing innovation, entrepreneurship and investment in women’s health. EXXclaim’s first investment, nVision Medical, was acquired by Boston Scientific Inc. for $275 Million, validating the significant business opportunity in women’s health. Anula also co-founded the “Evolvence India Life Science Fund” (www.invascent.com), the very first fund in India to focus exclusively on health care and invest in Indian pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and contract services companies. Anula was previously a partner with Skyline Ventures, and prior to that with the venture capital firm TVM. Her prior positions include Vice President, Business Development at Genomics Collaborative Inc., and Vice President, Global Drug Development at Hoffman-La Roche for opportunistic infections in AIDS and Transplantation.
Anula serves on the boards of several biotechnology companies, and also serves non-profit boards. Anula received a BA from Harvard College and an MD and PhD (in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) from Harvard Medical School. She interned in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and received an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. Anula also holds a M. Phil. in pharmacology from the University of Cambridge, in England.
Thomas Musci, MD is currently the Chief Medical Officer At Deepcell Inc. He served as Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Ariosa Diagnostics (acquired by Roche), a molecular diagnostics testing service provider of non-invasive prenatal testing using cell-free DNA technology. Dr. Musci spent 22 years on faculty at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
Dr. Musci has served as the Chair of the Genetics Committee for the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and a member of the Professional Practice Guidelines Committee for the American College of Medical Genetics. Dr. Musci earned his medical degree at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency, Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship, Medical Genetics Fellowship, and post-doctoral fellowship all at UCSF.
Harold J. Sauer, MD, has been the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Bridgeport Hospital, part of the Yale New Haven Health System, for the past 13 years. He is a clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University. He was previously a professor at Michigan State University (MSU) for 22 years, serving as Department Chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology and as chair of the admissions committee for the College of Human Medicine at MSU.
Dr. Sauer currently serves on the Connecticut Board of Medical Examiners and the Connecticut Section Advisory Council of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Federation of State Medical Boards and of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, as well as a Senior Examiner at the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology for over twenty years. Dr. Sauer has also served as Chair of American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Michigan Section, and as Chair of the Michigan Board of Medicine. He completed his residency and Reproductive Endocrinology fellowship training at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan and received his MD from the Wayne State University School of Medicine and his B.S. from the University of Michigan. He is a Detroit native. In his spare time he is an accomplished classical pianist who can trace his musical pedigree back six generations to Ludwig van Beethoven.
Eric Surrey, MD, is a Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Medical Director at Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine (CCRM). Prior to joining CCRM in 1999, Dr. Surrey was an Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UCLA, as well as Director of the Division of Reproductive Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Program at Century City Hospital in Los Angeles.
Dr. Surrey has authored more than 125 peer reviewed articles and invited publications, and he has presented on more than 135 abstracts at national and international meetings on the subjects of infertility, endometriosis, and multiple aspects of the assisted reproductive technologies including their relationship to reproductive surgery and the management of the poor responder. Dr. Surrey is past President of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, Society of Reproductive Surgeons and the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and American Association of Gynecologic Laparscopists. He completed his residency and fellowship training in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.
Robert Taylor, MD, PhD is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Assistant Dean and Director of the MD-PhD Program at the University at Buffalo. Previously, he was Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as the Director of Research, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Division at the University of Utah School of Medicine. Prior to that he was a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wake Forest University and Emory University, as well as the former Director of the Center of Reproductive Sciences at UCSF. He is widely published in the areas of endometriosis, embryonic implantation and early pregnancy complications.
Dr. Taylor received the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Distinguished Researcher Award (2007), as well as the Harry Reich Award (2015). He served on executive committees of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NIH Reproductive Scientist Development Program, and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. He is the immediate past honorary secretary of the World Endometriosis Society and past president of the Society for Reproductive Investigation. Dr. Taylor completed a combined MD-PhD program at Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.
