Lola Eniola-Adefeso, PhD of University of Michigan Joins MichBio Board of Directors

MichBio welcomes Lola Eniola-Adefeso, PhD, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan to its Board of Directors. Dr. Eniola-Adefeso was appointed to complete a term expiring in December 2022.

The Diversity and Social Transformation Professorship was awarded to an inaugural group of nine University of Michigan professors, including Dr. Eniola-Adefeso, in September 2019. The designation was recently created to recognize senior faculty who have shown a commitment to the university's ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion through their scholarship, teaching, or service and engagement.

In addition to her role as Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, Dr. Eniola-Adefeso also holds joint appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Macromolecular Science & Engineering and serves on the steering committee of the UM Biointerfaces Institute. She holds a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and served two years as a NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at the Baylor College of Medicine before coming to Michigan.

As a champion for women and underrepresented minority students, Dr. Eniola-Adefeso served as co-chair of the NextProf program and founded the NextProf Pathfinder program. As graduate chair of chemical engineering, she was instrumental in recruiting a class consisting of 44 percent women and 26 percent underrepresented minorities, the most diverse Ph.D. class in the history of the department.

Dr. Eniola-Adefeso is a co-founder of Asalyxa Bio. Asalyxa Bio is a recently-founded company making progress on a treatment for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), including the variety found in COVID-19 patients.

The company's lead program is ASX-100, a technology that delivers an anti-inflammatory agent directly to overreactive neutrophils. The arrival of ASX-100 reduces the activity of these immune cells and minimizes harm to the body from the immune overreaction that triggers what's known as a "cytokine storm."

"I am very happy to welcome Dr. Eniola-Adefeso to the Board," says Stephen Rapundalo, PhD, President and CEO of MichBio. "As a leader in biomedical research and a constant champion for diversity and inclusion, I am confident that she will provide valuable strategic vision that will guide MichBio as we continue to drive bio-industry growth into the future."

Dr. Eniola-Adefeso becomes part of a seventeen-member Board that in late June 2020, elected Ken Massey, PhD, Director of Venture Development at Wayne State University as Chair, and Kevin McLeod, CEO of C2Dx as Vice Chair. Robert Donofrio, PhD, Vice President of Food Safety R&D at Neogen and Sandra Pennell, Controller at Vericel, were elected into non-voting Officer roles as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. For the full list of Board members visit michbio.org/page/BOD.

For more information on MichBio visit michbio.org

MichBio is the trade association committed to driving growth in Michigan's biosciences industry and its many sectors, including agri-biotech, food and nutrition, bio-based technologies and renewable chemicals, industrial and environmental biotech, medical devices and technologies, pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare, diagnostics and research products, testing and research services, and clinical research. MichBio members include bioscience companies, academic and research institutions, bioscience service providers, and related organizations. For more information, visit www.michbio.org or follow us on Twitter @MichBio.