STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Marnie LaVigne, PhD
Director, Business Development
New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences and University at Buffalo Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology
A native of Buffalo, New York, Dr. LaVigne holds a BS in neuroscience and a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Rochester. She has spent 20 years creating new products and start-up businesses involving innovative applications of technology in healthcare and life sciences across a range of industry sectors, including work with managed care (e.g., Aetna USHealthcare), pharmaceuticals (e.g., Bristol-Myers Squibb), medical devices (e.g., Welch Allyn) and medical informatics (e.g., Medscape/MedicaLogic, now GE Medical and WebMD).
After co founding Patient InfoSystems, a consumer health informatics company which had an Initial Public Offering within two years of incorporation, she subsequently joined a Web portal and medical informatics company, Medscape, where she was Chief Marketing Officer and also served under former 17-year editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, George Lundberg, MD. In 2001 Dr. LaVigne focused her efforts back in Upstate New York, where she became an independent consultant working on new business initiatives with a variety of healthcare industry organizations. Her clients included Welch Allyn, Inc., an 85 year old medical device company near Syracuse, New York, where she launched and managed a new medical informatics business unit. Through her more recent work at BuffLink, an economic development organization in Buffalo, New York, Dr. LaVigne supported the regional life sciences initiative by promoting growth of biotechnology, biomedical informatics and medical device industries by providing assistance to start-up companies, existing local companies and firms relocating to Western New York.
In her current position as Director of Business Development for the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences and the Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology, Dr. LaVigne is responsible for creating industry/government/academia partnerships and commercialization linkages that facilitate the transfer of technology coming from the region's premier research institutions technology in a 'bench to the bedside' approach facilitating economic growth and creation of jobs in the Buffalo Niagara region and Upstate New York.
Dr. LaVigne is an adjunct faculty member at D'Youville College's Doctoral program in Health Policy and Health Education, an editorial board member for Biotechnology Healthcare and Disease Management, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Women's Business Center at Canisius College and the Upstate New York Professional Healthcare Information Education Demonstration Project (UNYPHIED).
Robert M. States
Robert States has more than twenty years of corporate finance and management experience with a proven record of developing and implementing financial and operational controls designed to improve performance and stimulate growth.
Robert's career in corporate finance and operations includes a broad spectrum of professional and leadership skills consistently marked by a high level of achievement and a focus on quality. As Vice President of Finance and Human Resources for Manning & Napier Information Services, a software development start-up company located in Buffalo, New York, Robert drove improved financial performance through process improvement and cost reduction, as well as reducing Human Resources departmental expenses through outsourcing.
As Manager, Financial Services, Latin American Region for Eastman Kodak Company in Miami, Florida, Robert twice received the firm's Global Funding Strategy Development Team Award, recognizing his outstanding performance in executing both Brazilian and Mexican financing deals.
Robert has also served as Manager, Financial Analysis and Budget with Tower Group International, a McGraw-Hill Company, located in Buffalo, New York, and as Supervising Senior Tax Specialist and Senior Accountant with KPMG Peat Marwick, located in Rochester, New York.
Robert holds a CP and an MBA in Accounting/Finance, Summa Cum Laude, and a Bachelor of Business Administration, Magna Cum Laude, both from St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, New York.
