Dr. Wolfe currently serve as the Branch Chief for the Vaccine Program in support of the CBRN Division of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). In doing so, he leads the advanced development and management of complex vaccine projects targeting biological threats. The branch is comprised of team of interdisciplinary experts providing technical oversight of the manufacturing, testing, clinical, non-clinical, and regulatory aspects of these vaccine programs. He leads a program of vaccines targeting priority biological threats, leading them across the ‘valley of death’ into advanced development and ultimately to FDA licensure. In doing so, he and his team continues to improve the preparedness posture for the United States in the event of a biological attack or outbreak. His background includes a Ph.D. in Pathobiology, studying mechanisms of vaccine-mediated immunity and vaccine escape.
Innovation is a journey that can be complex and unpredictable, but it does not have to follow a singular path. Leveraging opportunities to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, including through public-private partnerships, can accelerate innovation and yield unique advantages.
During this session, Dr. Michael Egan, CEO of CastleVax, will share insights on how the CastleVax technology has been accelerated by leveraging opportunities such as New York State funding, incubation through BLUE KNIGHT™ at JLABS @ NYC, partnering with another BLUE KNIGHT™ company to be awarded $1M through the BLUE KNIGHT™ Resident QuickFire Challenge: Accelerating Project NextGen, and a Project NextGen award to support a phase 2b clinical trial.
In a conversation with Dan Wolfe, Branch Chief, CBRN Vaccines at BARDA, the discussion will highlight leveraging complementary opportunities to accelerate next generation potential solutions and how BARDA engages in public-private partnerships to support early-stage companies.