The Buck Institute for Age Research announced today that its President and Chief Operating Officer, James Kovach, M.D., J.D. has agreed to take on a key role in its institutional advancement programs as the Institute readies for its next stage of growth.
“With the start of construction on our next research building imminent, there is no task more important to the Institute that assuring its firm financial footing and its position in the community,” said Board of Trustee Chair Catherine Munson. “Given Jim’s background and his visibility in the community, he is in a unique position to undertake this pivotal role. The Board is grateful for Jim’s willingness to take on this critical assignment.”
Prior to assuming his current responsibilities in 2005, Kovach was Executive Vice President of Athersys, Inc., a Cleveland, Ohio biotechnology company utilizing proprietary stem cell, gene therapy and chemistry technologies to develop pharmaceuticals.He has also directed the Office of Technology Management at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland. “When I joined the Buck Institute five years ago, my goals were to help expand operations and to work with faculty members to explore new areas of scientific research,” said Kovach. “I believe we have achieved these goals, now I want to focus on assisting the Institute in determining its outreach plans for the future.”
The Institute has asked Mary McEachron to assume administrative responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer on a temporary basis.McEachron graduated from Harvard Law in 1979 and left her law partnership at Orrick, Herrington in 1987 to become the Institute’s first employee.She served as its Administrative Director & General Counsel for ten years and during that time oversaw all aspects of the Institute’s development.McEachron is currently a partner in the Marin office of Hanson Bridgett. Managing Partner Andrew Giacomini described the Buck Institute as one of the firm’s most prestigious clients. “The fact that Mary has been asked by the Buck Institute to serve as their interim COO is a testament to Mary’s dedication to her clients and to the real-world skills of our lawyers,” said Giacomini. “We are proud of the research the Buck Institute does and thrilled that Mary will play an integral role in the Institute’s expansion.
Kovach’s new responsibilities and McEachron’s interim role as Chief Operating Officer both take effect immediately.
About the Buck Institute
The Buck Institute is the only freestanding institute in the United States that is devoted solely to basic research on aging and age-associated disease. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to extending the healthspan, the healthy years of each individual’s life.The National Institute on Aging designated the Buck a “Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Biology of Aging,” one of just five centers in the country.Buck Institute scientists work in an innovative, interdisciplinary setting to understand the mechanisms of aging and to discover new ways of detecting, preventing and treating conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke.Collaborative research at the Institute is supported by new developments in genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics technology.
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