ABOUT US
Executive Management
Proacta's management and scientific team consist of highly experienced and successful professionals who share a vision of improving clinical results in cancer therapy.
John C. Gutheil, MD – Chief Executive Officer
John Gutheil, MD joined Proacta in May 2006. Dr. Gutheil has over 20 years experience in clinical oncology and translational laboratory research. Dr. Gutheil is the former Vice-President of Medical Affairs for Favrille, Inc. and Executive Director of Clinical Research and Development at Vical, Inc. Dr. Gutheil also served as the Director of Clinical Research at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in San Diego. Prior to this, Dr. Gutheil was a faculty member at the University of Maryland Cancer Center, where he was Co-director of the Neuro-oncology Program, Director of the Fellowship Program and Director of the Community Physician Outreach Program. He has authored over 30 scientific publications, including peer-reviewed research papers and six review articles and book chapters. Dr. Gutheil received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1979 and his M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1983. He completed his internship and residency at the Johns Hopkins University and his Medical Oncology and Hematology training at the University of Maryland Cancer Center. Dr. Gutheil holds board certifications in both internal medicine and medical oncology.
Email: john.gutheil@proacta.com
Fernando Doņate, PhD – Director, Preclinical Research
Fernando Doņate joined Proacta in March 2008 as Director of Preclinical Research. Dr Doņate has 14 years of experience in oncology drug discovery and development. Formerly, he was Associate Director of Biology at Attenuon, where he was involved in the development of two drugs to Phase II studies in cancer and more recently, with the pre-clinical development of an antibody for oncology. Prior to that, Dr Doņate worked at NuVas LLC a small biotech focused in developing targeted biological therapies for oncology and was a Postdoctoral fellow at The Scripps Research Institute. He received a Ph D in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri in 1994 and a BS from Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain in 1988. Dr Doņate is co-inventor on two issued patents and four pending patent applications, and has published twenty five manuscripts. He has being awarded four NIH/NCI SBIR phase I grants and one STTR phase I/II.
Email: FDonate@proacta.com
Terri J. Melink, NP, MSN – Director, Clinical Development
Terri Melink joined Proacta in February 2007. Ms. Melink is Director of Clinical Development at Proacta and responsible for overseeing clinical research, clinical operations and data management. She has over 20 years experience in clinical medicine and research with 15 years focused in oncology and drug development from phase I through phase III clinical trials. Prior to joining Proacta, Ms. Melink was associate director of clinical research at Favrille, Inc. Previous to this, she was a faculty member in the Department of Medicine/Division of Oncology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She has authored over 40 scientific publications, including abstracts, peer-reviewed clinical research manuscripts, three invited publications and seven book chapters. Ms. Melink completed her Nurse Practitioner training and received her Master of Science degree at Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Email: TMelink@proacta.com
Kate Parker, PhD – Director, Business Operations
Kate Parker joined Proacta in April 2007 as Director of Business Operations, based in our Auckland office. Prior to joining Proacta, Dr Parker worked with Auckland UniServices, focusing on commercializing technologies invented at the University of Auckland. Before moving to New Zealand, she worked at GlaxoSmithkline in the UK as a member of the Business Projects Team, advising the R&D business on strategic and operational issues. Dr Parker also spent 5 years at ISO Healthcare consulting (now part of the Monitor Group) and 6 years at CMR International, a not for profit research organization that advises the pharmaceutical industry on issues in international drug development. She has PhD in drug development from the University of Wales (Cardiff) and an MSc in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Aberdeen.
Email: KParker@proacta.com
Back to top
