Dear All,

                The Abstract & Bio are listed below.

                                Karen

Mrs. Karen Heide, Secretary

School of Chemical Engineering

Purdue University

Forney Hall of Chemical Engineering

480 Stadium Mall Drive

West Lafayette  IN  47907-2100

765-494-4050

765-494-0805 (Fax)

Purdue University

School of Chemical Engineering

Graduate Seminar Series – Centennial Seminar

Dr. William D. Young

Venture Partner

Clarus Ventures, LLC

“History and Promise of Biotechnology”

November 10, 2011

3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

FRNY G140

Abstract:

Dr. Young has worked and continues to work in the biotech industry since graduation from Purdue. He will describe the current environment for innovation in drug development and the challenges successfully faced in biotech process development and manufacturing in his 20 year career at Genentech.   In addition to Genentech he will touch on biotech companies that he has helped to develop including Biogen IDEC, BioMarin, Theravance, and molecular diagnostic company Nanostring technologies including comments about the promise of personalized medicine.  

Bio:

Mr. Young joined Clarus in 2010 as a Venture Partner from Monogram Biosciences, a leader in personalized medicine, where he served as Chief Executive Officer from 1999 through to the sale of the company to LabCorp in 2009.  Mr. Young currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Biogen IDEC, Inc. and is a member of the board at Theravance, Inc. Mr. Young is also Executive Chairman of NanoString, a Clarus Ventures portfolio company focused on instrumentation and molecular diagnostics.  Prior toE Monogram he was at Genenetch since 1980 at positions of increasing responsibility, including Chief Operating Officer responsible for all of the biotechnology company's development, operations and commercial functions. Prior to Genentech Mr. Young was at Eli Lilly and Company for fourteen years.

Mr. Young received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University, his MBA from Indiana University and an honorary doctorate in engineering from Purdue University. In 1993 he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his leadership in research, development and manufacturing of recombinant proteins using recombinant DNA technology.