Nanosphere Inc. founder Chad A. Mirkin was selected as one of the first recipients of the National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award. The $2.5 million that Mirkin will receive is designed to support highly innovative ideas and approaches to critically important scientific questions. Mirkin is one of nine researchers chosen from a field of 1,350 nominees.
“This award recognizes the significant contributions of Mirkin’s nanotechnology research to the life sciences and their potential to improve medical care,” says William Moffitt, Nanosphere’s CEO.
Mirkin will use this award to test far-ranging ideas with the potential to make extraordinary contributions to medical research, including further exploration of breakthrough applications for his ultrasensitive protein detection technology first reported in the September 2003 issue of Science.
The ability to study biological behavior at the cellular level with nanotechnology tools is unprecedented. Ultrasensitive protein detection will enable the discovery and validation of new biomarkers with up to 1 million times more sensitivity than current methods. This can lead to broader and earlier diagnosis of illnesses from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.
This method for biomarker detection at extremely low concentrations has been exclusively licensed to Nanosphere. Moreover, new inventions arising from Mirkin’s work in the field of nanoparticles are licensed exclusively to Nanosphere for commercialization in the field of diagnostics and life sciences.
MEANDAUR INC.
Meandaur Inc. named Michael Wylie vice president of travel and hospitality. He is also the executive sponsor for a variety of travel clients at Meandaur, providing strategic direction, consulting and account supervision.
Wylie was most recently vice president of e-commerce for Wyndham International. He was named one of the 25 Most Extraordinary Sales and Marketing Minds in Hospitality and Travel by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.
Prior to Wyndham, Wylie worked for Hilton Hotels Corp. as senior director of e-business and as a senior consultant with the Synapse Group.
TRANSUNION
TransUnion appointed Steve Sassaman executive vice president. He will oversee the sales and operations of TransUnion’s marketing services group as well as manage its insurance division.
Sassaman joined TransUnion in 1996. Most recently, he was vice president and general manager of the insurance division as well as group vice president.
The company also named Colleen Martin vice president of corporate affairs and Mark Marinko executive vice president, consumer solutions.
Martin previously served as a senior director of corporate communications at the company. Prior to TransUnion, she served in similar communications roles at Illinois Bell and General American Transportation Corp.
Marinko was vice president, finance, for TransUnion’s domestic merger and acquisition functions, as well as business divestitures. Previously, he served as controller of Official Airline Guides.
CNA
CNA named Lori Komstadius executive vice president of human resources. Previously, she served as senior vice president of the department.
Before joining CNA in 2001, Komstadius served at the St. Paul Cos., where she held human resources leadership positions in the underwriting, claims, administrative services and corporate quality organizations. Prior to that, she held associate positions at A.T. Kearney Inc. and Heidrick & Struggles Inc.
MAS CONSULTING
MAS appointed Terry S. Sidlow director. Sidlow has held key positions at the American Medical Association, the College of American Pathologists, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and at Fortune 500 companies. He serves on the board of the Interstitial Cystitis Association and served on the board of the Chicago Better Business Bureau.
GENERAL BINDING CORP.
Marc Knez was elected to the board of directors of General Binding Corp. He serves as a principal of Capital H Group. In addition, he is an adjunct professor of strategic management at the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business. U.S. BANK
U.S. Bank appointed Daniel H. Reisner market presidentHe was most recently was at LaSalle National Bank’s middle market group in Chicago. He founded and managed Merrill Lynch’s western U.S. middle market investment banking practice in Los Angeles, co-founded a West Coast real estate investment management enterprise and worked in the capital markets divisions of Goldman Sachs and First Boston in New York, London and Tokyo. EQUITY OFFICE PROPERTIES TRUST
Equity Office Properties Trust named Elizabeth Coronelli senior vice president, investor relations. She is responsible for daily interface with the investment community, including Wall Street analysts, institutional investors and other shareholders. She also heads the company’s public relations effort.
Prior to joining the company, Coronelli served as vice president of investor relations for General Growth Properties Inc.
Equity Office’s former senior vice president, investor relations, Diane Morefield, was promoted to senior vice president of the Chicago region in April.
