Thomas Monath, is currently Chief Scientific and Chief Operating Officer of BioProtection Systems, a subsidiary of NewLink Genetics Corp, where he is leading the development of the most advanced Ebola virus vaccine in partnership with Merck. He has over 25 years operating experience in the healthcare biotechnology industry, and is a former partner in the Pandemic and Biodefense Fund, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Before joining NewLink Genetics, Tom was Chief Medical Officer for Hookipa Biotech AG, Juvaris Inc. and Xcellerex Inc.  Between 1992 and 2006, he was Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of Acambis Inc. prior to its acquisition by Sanofi Pasteur, where he directed R & D on vaccines against dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, yellow fever, Clostridium difficile, and smallpox. Four of the vaccines he developed are now licensed, in registration or in Phase III trials. He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Vaxxinate Inc., Juvaris Inc., Sentinext Plc, RapidMicro Biosystems Inc., and US Biologic Inc. Before joining industry Tom served in the uniformed services of the U.S. Army and U.S. Public Health Service for 24 years prior to retiring as a Colonel. He was Director, Division of Vector-Borne Viral Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Chief of the Virology Division, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). He is on the editorial board of five scientific journals and has published approximately 400 papers and edited six books on viruses and on vaccine development. Dr. Monath received his undergraduate degree and MD from Harvard. Tom received the Nathanial A. Young Award (1984), the Richard M. Taylor Award (1996), and the Walter Reed Medal (2002) from the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) and was President of ASTMH (2004-2005). He has served on numerous government and international committees on infectious diseases, biosecurity, World Health Organization (WHO) expert committees and the National Vaccines Advisory Committee (USA). He has published over 400 scientific papers and 6 books on virology and vaccine development.