The U.S. Ukraine Foundation (USUF) seeks to develop a reservoir of expertise for the project by developing a U.S.-Ukraine Biotechnology Advisory Council. The current members are listed below.
For more information about USUF’s developing Biotechnology Initiative, regardless of aspect or type of engagement, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!
Dr. Yaroslav Blume is a professor and Director of the Institute of Food Biotechnology & Genomics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He received his PhD in Biochemistry from Kyiv State University.
Dr. Halyna Breslawec is the Executive Vice President for Science at the Personal Care Products Council. Dr. Breslawec received her BS in Biochemistry and PhD in Medicinal Chemistry (Pharmacognosy) from the University of Minnesota.
Rusty Brooks is an affiliated faculty member for the School of Public & International Affairs at the University of Georgia and an Associate Director of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Director of the Institute’s International Center.
Brad Bunt is a 28-year Director of the U.S. SBA Small Business Development Center program (SBDC). Mr. Bunt is currently Director of the North Central Texas SBDC and President of Rubicon Investments, Inc. Mr. Bunt graduated form the University of North Texas and is a Certified Business Development Specialist (CBDS) and Master Business Development Specialist (MBDS) with the ASBDC.
Michael Buryk is the President at M Buryk Associates. The producer of Made in Ukraine Tech Startup Edition, a podcast covering investment in Ukraine and the global expansion of its technology product and software companies. Mr. Buryk earned his BA in Russian Language and Literature at St. Peter’s College and MA in Russian Area Studies at Hunter College.
John DesRosier has spent over 40 years in scientific research and technology commercialization. A chemistry major in college, he received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Washington and was on the faculty at Ohio Wesleyan University and Middlebury College. Subsequently, he was Senior Scientist and Laboratory Manager at the start-up company, BioControl Systems in Bothell, WA, where he was part of a team that launched four diagnostic products for detecting pathogenic bacteria in foods. After his startup experience, he worked at the University of Washington for 11 years where he commercialized biomedical technologies and served as a liaison between researchers and industry. He continued his professional activities through a private consulting practice in the areas of commercialization of early stage technology and economic development, centering on the transfer of academic research innovations from the non-profit to the industrial sector. John capped his professional career as Director of Programs and Executive Director at the Life Sciences Discovery Fund, A Washington State technology development fund. Over the period of a decade, LSDF awarded over $110M in grants to Washington life science researchers to improve the health of people in the state and to enhance the flow of technology from the laboratories of startup companies to the market.
Mark Howansky is the Associate Director of Device Development at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Howansky earned his BS in Engineering at Harvard University and earned his MBA in Management and Information Systems at New York University.
Olya Duzey is the Senior Manager at Management Sciences for Health. Duzey earned her BS in Pharmacy at Wayne State University and earned her MA in Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Boris Lushniak is a current Professor and Dean in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland. Lushniak earned his BS and MD through a six-year Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University. He later earned his MA in Public Health at Harvard University.
Leonard L. Mazur has been Chairman and Secretary at Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. since March 30, 2016. Mr. Mazur served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from September 12, 2014 to April 4, 2016. He co-founded Akrimax Pharmaceuticals in 2007. He Co-founded Triax Pharmaceuticals, LLC and served as its Chief Operating Officer from January 2005 to May 2012. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Manor College and is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Mr. Mazur received both his BA and MBA from Temple University and has served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
Dr. Marilyn Pifer is former Director of Research and Innovation at CRDF Global. Dr. Pifer earned her BS and MS degrees in Biology at Stanford University. She earned a PhD in Molecular Biology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Dr. Nataliya Shulga is the Deputy Director for International Programs, Research and Communications at the Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. She was a Research Associate Faculty at the University of Rochester from 1992-2005. She has been the CEO of the Ukrainian Science Club since 2007. Dr. Shulga earned a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Institute of Molecular Biology & Genetics (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).