Management Team

Dr. Metcalf is Founder and Managing Partner of Reference Capital Management and has twenty-five years' experience with all aspects of technology development, working with all levels of management. Reference Capital and its associated funds maintain significant positions in over 12 firms. Prior to co-founding Reference Capital, he was a partner at Cascadia Partners and co-founder of Oregon Life Sciences (OLS) LLC, an early stage venture firm focused on the biotechnology and biomaterials markets. Dr. Metcalf holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of California at Berkeley, an M.A. in Biology from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

James B. Hicks is Professor of Research in Biological Sciences and Deputy Director of the Convergent Science Institute for Cancer at the University of Southern California, where he is currently engaged in developing novel cell-based blood tests for early detection and characterization of cancer using novel AI machine learning tools. Professor Hicks has made important contributions in both academic science and the biotechnology industry. He was previously Professor of Cancer Genomics at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory where he co-developed a method for genomic profiling of individual cancer cells. He has also co-founded multiple start-up companies in the fields of cancer genomics and diagnostics. Professor Hicks received a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon followed by a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Cornell University. He is co-author of over 150 peer-reviewed publications and holds multiple patents.

Dr. McWilliams is the CEO of Glycomine, a company developing orphan drugs for serious rare disorders of metabolism and protein misfolding. He was previously a Managing Director at Sanderling Ventures where he was responsible for its investment in Actimis Pharmaceuticals and, as CEO, led the company into the clinic and through to a successful exit via an acquisition by Boehringer Ingelheim. Prior to joining Sanderling, Dr. McWilliams worked at Genentech where, as a Product Manager in Oncology Commercial Development, he managed a pipeline of oncology products in pre-clinical and clinical development including the anti-angiogenesis therapeutic, Avastin®. Dr. McWilliams received an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, and a Ph.D. and M.A. in Chemistry from Princeton University.

Arthur A. Vandenbark is a Senior Research Career Scientist at the VA Portland Health Care System and a Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). He is the author of more than 300 scientific publications, an inventor on 21 issued US patents and the recipient of many awards including a Fulbright Scholarship, Notable VA Scientist, the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award, the 2014 Technology Transfer Achievement Award and member of the inaugural OHSU chapter of the National Academy of Inventors. His major interest is in developing natural immunoregulatory mechanisms to block inflammation and promote neuroregeneration in multiple sclerosis and other CNS diseases. Professor Vandenbark received an A.B. in Biology from Stanford University, M.S. and Ph.D degrees from Washington State University, completed a Postdoctoral fellowship at OHSU and was invited as a Javits Awardee to the University of Tampere, Finland and as a Visiting Scientist to initiate a Multiple Sclerosis Research program at the Willems Institute at Hasselt University in Diepenbeek Belgium.

Halina Offner is a Professor in the Department of Neurology and the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Dr. Offner was awarded the prestigious Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award in 1994. Beginning in 1995, her interest in the possible causes of increased incidence of MS in females implicated estrogen and estriol as key contributors to this underlying gender difference in murine EAE models of MS. Her focus resides on the regulatory roles of T-cells and B-cells in EAE and stroke. Dr. Offner held editorial positions with several journals, was a longstanding member of NIH Study Sections and was named to the Inaugural OHSU chapter of the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Offner graduated from the University of Copenhagen Medical School in 1976 with the esteemed Doctor Medicine Degree, focusing on the immunology of multiple sclerosis (MS).