Chief Operating Officer, AIKO Biotechnology
Janet received her Bachelor’s of Science degree from Wake Forest University, graduating with honors with a major in Biology. She earned a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of North Carolina, focusing on the biochemical and molecular mechanism of DNA replication. Her interests in protein-nucleic acid interactions continued with 5 years of research into the mechanism of homologous DNA recombination at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Janet left the NIH to join Idexx Laboratories, Inc. in Westbrook, Maine as a research scientist, working on veterinary diagnostics and pharmaceutical development. In October of 1999, Governor Angus King appointed Janet as the founding Director of the Maine Technology Institute. During her 5 year tenure at MTI, Janet worked with a small staff and a 15-member private sector-driven Board of Directors to develop a portfolio of funding programs that support research and development leading to the commercialization of new products and services from Maine-based companies. After overseeing investments of more than $20 million, Janet accepted the position as Maine’s first Director of the Office of Innovation serving as the Science Advisor to the Governor where she developed the Science and Technology Action Plan for Maine. In 2006, Janet joined an early stage pharmaceutical discovery and development company, AIKO Biotechnology, focusing on safe, efficacious treatments for pain and addiction. She is responsible for the day-to-day management of company activities as well as developing the R&D and clinical strategies for product development. Janet is on the Top Gun Board of Advisors and also serves as a Top Gun Mentor and a presenter.
