Diane Bovenkamp Email & Phone Number

Clarksburg, Md

The Vice President of Scientific Affairs is the Lead Scientist at BrightFocus, providing the leadership and management required to build and execute the day to day and longer term strategic planning for all BrightFocus research programs. The VP Scientific Affairs identifies and develops new research initiatives, partnerships, and funding policies consistent with the mission of BrightFocus. The VP serves as a spokesperson for the organization in local, national, and international forums, and is a resident expert on the science of all sponsored programs and administrative policies as they related to grant funding. The VP of Scientific Affairs monitors and responds to developments in the scientific communities as they relate to research gaps, communications, granting, or refinement of long term strategy.

Clarksburg, Maryland

In this position, I was responsible for the scientific conduct of the annual BrightFocus research pre- and post-award core programs that support research into finding preventions, treatments, and cures for Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. I worked closely with other Scientific Affairs Department staff to administer the foundation’s research grant portfolio and scientific review process. Two principal goals were to ensure a high level of scientific accountability within the BrightFocus award program, and foster strong relationships with the scientific community. In addition, I supported communications and fundraising efforts by leveraging these relationships to meet organizational goals, and highlight key publications and research advancements.

I used my combined science and communications background to fulfill many important functions at the organization, including continual projects on communications, grant portfolio management, education, outreach, and development. In terms of program activities, I collected, reviewed and summarized progress reports for all active grants. I explained the complex scientific technologies and their significance to diverse audiences, including the content of publicly-accessible web pages for each BrightFocus Foundation grant. I maintained contact with scientists regarding development of public education programs, including webinars reporting on the progress of their BrightFocus-funded grants. I held key administrative and leadership positions at all program-related scientific meetings and exhibitions for BrightFocus representation, and provided follow-up with grant awardees on individual issues and concerns. I also provided scientific fact-checking on all health based claims made as part of BrightFocus' public education strategy, as well as created the scientific content for most public educational brochures, website content, news updates, e-alerts, and other communications with foundation stakeholders.

I engaged in volunteer positions of leadership and communication within various organizations. Examples include:• Member of the Baltimore Planning Committee for Women In BIO, that included responsibilities such as organizing and moderating the Baltimore Business Book Club. • Member of the Board of Directors for the Baltimore Camera Club, tackling various responsibilities that included ratifying Board decisions on changes to the governance of the club, writing the minutes for Board meetings, and event marketing. • Regularly contributed original articles to the Baltimore Camera Club's monthly newsletter, Focal Point.• Guest lecturer for an online class in the Scientific Communications course of the Johns Hopkins University Advanced Academic Biotechnology Master's Program.• French language refresher courses from Johns Hopkins.

• Translated scientific information into written and oral communications easily understood by a lay audience - for Foundation Trustees, Board Members, staff and constituents in the U.S. and the world• Assisted Development with fundraising by: cultivating relationships with major donors and answer questions about research; writing/editing grant applications to other corporations and foundations• With the Science Department: developed funding priorities; created instructions for grant applications and progress reports; contacted researchers to obtain required information about their funded projects• Management experience: supervised and trained Science Writing Intern from Towson University

• Translated scientific research into communications easily understood by a lay audience - for Foundation Trustees, Board Members, staff and constituents• In particular, assisted the Chief Research Officer with writing, creating PowerPoint presentations, etc.

Researcher, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Cardiology, JHU Proteomics Center, Baltimore, MD• Cardiac disease biomarker discovery in human blood • Conducted experiments using proteomics, protein biochemistry and spectrophotometry techniques• Wrote, edited and published 2 scientific papers and 2 book chapters

Science Writer, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Office of Corporate Communications, Baltimore, MD• Wrote for Johns Hopkins University - an assortment of publications (press releases and articles for website, newspapers, magazines), from researcher profiles to cutting-edge research summaries – assignments were from all three departments: Media, Publications, and Marketing Communications• Managed and processed media requests, communicated by phone and e-mail• Assisted members of Media Team escort TV crews interviewing Hopkins researchers

Boston, Massachusetts

Postdoctoral Fellow in the Vascular Biology Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA• Studied brain development and blood vessel growth through the discovery and definition of the zebrafish neuropilin proteins that control these processes • Collaborated with angiogenesis and zebrafish researchers with world-class reputations

Ph.D., Biochemistry

B.Sc.H (Bachelor Of Science, Honours), Biochemistry