Michael Goldblatt
President and CEO
Michael Goldblatt joined Functional Genetics, Inc. in 2003 bringing over 20 years of experience in the areas of biotechnology, product development, and regulatory affairs. From 1999 to 2003, he served as Director of Defense Sciences at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he laid the foundation to make biological research an integral part of the Department of Defense. This includes programs to defend against biological threats and leverage biology to enhance both defense systems and human performance. Prior to his work with the Department of Defense, Dr. Goldblatt spent 12 years with McDonald's Corporation as the Science and Technology Officer where he had broad responsibilities in the areas of nutrition, product development, food safety, and corporate venture capital. In his capacity with General Foods, he led research efforts in the use of nutrients for pharmaceutical effects and oversaw a variety of regulatory and legal issues. Dr. Goldblatt received his B.A. from Reed College and his Ph.D. and J.D. from the University of California, Davis.
Fran Murphy
Vice President, Finance and Administration
Fran Murphy joined Functional Genetics in 2007 bringing experience in government contracting and government contractor finance systems. Immediately before joining FGI, she was a Financial Systems Consultant at Deltek Systems, Inc., developer of the popular government contract accounting software. At Deltek, Fran consulted for several DOD contractors, including industry giant Lockheed Martin Corporation. Prior experience includes three years as Accounting Manager with contractor Aspen Systems, Inc., five years as Director of Finance for a venture-backed technology start-up and one year with a public accounting firm. Fran has over 16 years of experience in accounting, cash flow management and government contracting. She received her BS in Business Administration-Accounting from the University of Maryland, University College and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1997.
Wu-Bo Li
Director of Research
Dr. Li joined Functional Genetics, Inc. in 2002 with over 20 years experience in the fields of molecular biology and enzymology in both academic and industry settings. From 1990 to 2001, Dr. Li served as Principal Scientist and Group Leader for Life Technologies, Inc. where he developed and patented novel technologies for the construction of full-length and normalized cDNA libraries. In addition, he invented and patented the GeneTrapper cDNA Positive Selection System for rapid isolation of specific genes and gene families from cDNA libraries. Dr. Li received his B.S. in biochemistry from Peking University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Catholic University of America.
Leyla Diaz
Director of Biologics Research and Development
Dr. Leyla Diaz joined the FGI team in 2006 directly from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH. Leyla has managed multiple projects focusing on the development of anti-viral, host oriented therapeutic antibodies ranging from proof of concept to advanced clinical development, including FGI-101-1A6. She provides leadership to our science team with her extensive experience in developing assays and experimental strategies directed at host targets. Leyla received her undergraduate degree and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland , College Park. Her post-doctoral work was done at the University of California, San Francisco where she performed HIV research in the Laboratory of AIDS and Tumor Viruses.