Download For Immediate Release Yvonne M. Psaila Director of Marketing

For Immediate Release
Yvonne M. Psaila
Director of Marketing & Communications
Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology
(970) 262-2676
[email protected]
Dr. Thale Jarvis Joins Keystone Symposia as Chief Scientific Officer
SILVERTHORNE, CO – January 3, 2017 – Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology is very pleased to
announce the appointment of Dr. Thale Jarvis as the new Chief Scientific Officer of the 45-year-old nonprofit
life science organization, effective January 3. She replaces Dr. David L. Woodland, who is leaving Keystone
Symposia after five years in the position. Dr. Jarvis has responsibility for scientific programming of the
conferences, federal grants, scholarships and travel awards, and program analysis. She will also be a key
member of the executive team involved in the organization’s management, fundraising, strategic planning, and
other activities.
A chemist by training, Dr. Jarvis joins Keystone Symposia from Crestone, Inc., a biotechnology company in
Boulder, Colorado, which she co-founded in 2009 and where she has served as Chief Scientific Officer. The
company is focused on developing novel antibiotics for life-threatening bacterial infections. Crestone is
developing CRS3123 as a therapeutic agent for Clostridium difficile infections. CRS3123 Phase 1 clinical studies
were successfully completed under sponsorship by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID). In addition to serving as Crestone’s scientific lead for the Phase 1 studies, Dr. Jarvis also served as
Principal Investigator on several grant-funded programs, including late-stage lead optimization of DNA
polymerase inhibitors for treatment of Gram-positive bacterial infections, and discovery-stage optimization of
compounds to treat mycobacterial infections. Previously, Dr. Jarvis worked at Replidyne (2002-2008), where
she contributed to both discovery and clinical-stage antibacterial programs. Dr. Jarvis has substantial past
experience in oligonucleotide-based therapeutics and diagnostics (SomaLogic, Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals,
Impact Biosciences) and protein-based therapeutics (Synergen).
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Understanding and combatting infectious disease has been a recurring theme throughout Dr. Jarvis’s career.
This began with postdoctoral work on fundamental processes in RNA viruses, continued with antiviral projects
at Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, and finally culminated with antibacterial drug discovery at Replidyne and
Crestone, focusing on mechanistically novel antibiotics with activity against drug-resistant bacteria.
Throughout her career in drug discovery, she has been exposed to multiple therapeutic modalities, ranging
from small molecule drugs, ribozymes, antisense and nucleic acid aptamers, to protein therapeutics and gene
therapy. In addition to infectious diseases, she has had the opportunity to apply those approaches to a range
of medical problems encompassing oncology, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Dr. Jarvis has served
as an advisor to the Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Diseases and to Collaborative Drug
Discovery, a drug research informatics platform. She is a co-author of 40 publications, and a co-inventor of
more than a dozen issued patents.
Dr. Jarvis holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Oregon (Institute of Molecular Biology and
Department of Chemistry) and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude, from Carleton College.
She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado Boulder and Howard Hughes Medical
Institute, working under Dr. Karla Kirkegaard on recombination mechanisms of RNA viruses.
Dr. Jarvis said of her appointment and move, “I am excited to join Keystone Symposia with its stellar
reputation for quality scientific conferences. The position as Chief Scientific Officer offers a unique opportunity
to interact with outstanding scientists from around the world while shaping the direction and content of the
conference portfolio. I strongly support the organization’s initiatives in areas such as global expansion, young
investigator training and diversity. I also look forward to living and working in the vibrant mountain community
where Keystone Symposia is based.”
Added Jane L. Peterson, Ph.D., Keystone Symposia’s Chief Executive Officer, “We are delighted that Dr. Jarvis
has accepted this position and is joining our team. Since Keystone Symposia is striving to increase the
participation of industry in our conferences and to strengthen drug discovery and translational conference
content, her industry background will be particularly valuable, as will her entrepreneurial spirit and
experience.”
About Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology
Keystone Symposia on Molecular and Cellular Biology, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has been conducting
open, international scientific conferences since 1972 and has been headquartered in Silverthorne, Colorado
since 1990, when the organization left the University of California, Los Angeles. Annually, Keystone Symposia
holds more than 50 conferences involving approximately 13,000 scientists, postdoctoral fellows and graduate
students from around the world. Keystone Symposia also provides mentoring and support for young
investigators in the life sciences through its scholarships and diversity initiatives such as the Keystone
Symposia Fellows Program. Keystone Symposia will mark its 45th anniversary in 2017.
More information on Keystone Symposia can be found at www.keystonesymposia.org.
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