09 Apr Erik Forsberg appointed executive director of WiCell
Madison, Wis. – The WiCell Research Institute, which operates the National Stem Cell Bank, has named Wisconsin executive Erik Forsberg to the newly created position of executive director.
Forsberg, who most recently served as the senior director of scientific development at Pharming Group, will direct all operations of WiCell.
The private, non-profit organization is a supporting organization of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It was established in 1999 to provide core services to UW-Madison stem cell researchers.
Although he has worked in the private sector, Forsberg has more of a science background. With Pharming Group, he directed scientific programs and established research and development agreements with academic and commercial organizations. He is an inventor named on eight patents, has authored numerous scientific publications, and has served on the UW-Madison Master’s of Science in Biotechnology Advisory Board.
His past positions include director of cloning technologies at Minitube of America, vice president of development at Infigen, and assistant professor in the UW-Madison Department of Physiology.
He holds a doctorate in physiological and pharmacological sciences from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kalamazoo College in Michigan.
Because he occupies a newly created position, Forsberg is not considered the successor to the recently departed Susan Carlson, who had served as WiCell’s operations manager.
Carl Gulbrandsen, president of the WiCell Research Institute and managing director of its parent, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, said WiCell hired Forsberg after conducting an international search. He said Forsberg brings to WiCell impressive academic credentials, an innovative scientific background, and hands-on commercial and management experience.
“These strengths, combined with his in-depth knowledge of UW-Madison and the international scientific community, make him an exceptional leader for WiCell,” Gulbrandsen said in a statement released by the institute.
As executive director of WiCell, Forsberg will be in charge of strategies to enhance the services it provides to UW-Madison stem cell researchers. He also will oversee operations of the National Stem Cell Bank, which WiCell hosts for the National Institutes of Health.
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