Virginia Bio, a statewide nonprofit association representing life science industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia, elected five new members to their board of directors for a term of three years. The election took place in December at the Virginia Bio Annual Membership in Richmond, Virginia.

The newly elected members include: Elaine Horn-Ranney, co-founder and CEO of Tympanogen; Warren Martin, partner Cherry Bekaert; John Niederhuber, CEO Inova Translational Medicine Institute; Chris Penet, vice president BIO-CAT; Thomas Voss, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases and deputy site head of SRI Shenandoah Valley.

Elaine Horn-Ranney is the co-founder and CEO of Tympanogen, a Norfolk-based medical device company product is a gel patch for nonsurgical repair of eardrum perforations.

Warren Martin is the leader of the Technology & Life Sciences practice for the Washington, D.C. office of Cherry Bekaert. He specializes in transaction advisory, risk management, and capital sourcing with clients in the technology and life sciences industry. Warren has also worked within the areas of manufacturing, distribution and financial services.

John E. Niederhuber, M.D., is former director of the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health and is presently an executive vice president of the Inova Health System and CEO of the Inova Translational Medicine Institute (ITMI). Dr. Niederhuber is also Adjunct Professor of Oncology and Surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and serves as Deputy-Director of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Research Network.

Christopher Penet is currently vice president at BIO-CAT, located in Troy, Virginia, where he oversees the strategic planning, research and regulatory efforts for the company. Prior to joining BIO-CAT (an industrial and food enzyme company), Penet had a 20-year tenure with Genencor International (now DuPont) in Rochester, New York, holding several positions.

Thomas Voss, Ph.D., is vice president SRI Biosciences, and executive director and deputy site head at SRI International’s Shenandoah Valley Research Facility. Dr. Voss has deep expertise in virology, immunology, biodefense, from fundamental research to vaccine and drug development. His research interests include the study of the pathogenesis and transmission of acute viral diseases including influenza, MERS and SARS coronavirus, Dengue, Chikungunya, and the newly emerging Zika virus. Dr. Voss’ work has led to the development and licensure of multiple antiviral drugs and vaccines currently used in humans. Dr. Voss joined SRI International in 2013 from the Tulane School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, where he was an associate professor from 2005 to 2012. From 1998 to 2005, he worked in various roles at Southern Research Institute, ultimately as vice president of the Homeland Security and Emerging Infectious Disease Division.