The SCbio 2025 Annual Conference in Charleston Feb. 18-20 will feature three leaders with roles in academia and/or research who will discuss strategies, programs and infrastructure being developed to support emerging life sciences companies in South Carolina. Hear from:
- Dr. Stephen Cutler, dean of the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy and vice president of the Office of Economic Engagement.
- Dr. Jesse Goodwin, chief innovation officer (CIO) of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).
- Dr. Nadim Aziz, director of the South Carolina Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) State Office.
In a discussion moderated by Erin Ford, executive vice president (EVP) and chief operating officer (COO) of SCbio, attendees will learn the specific roles of universities, research institutions and new technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI), that drive innovation and attract investment to South Carolina’s growing life sciences sector.
Meet the panelists, then register for South Carolina’s largest life sciences event to discover exciting new achievements from the fastest-growing economic sector in the Palmetto State.
Stephen Cutler, Ph.D.
Vice President | Office of Economic Engagement
Dean | University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
Dr. Stephen Cutler currently serves as the vice president for Economic Engagement for the University of South Carolina and as the dean of the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy after serving one year as the interim executive vice president for academic affairs and provost (2021-22). Before that, he served as the dean and professor of the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy for five years. He has been a pharmacy educator for more than 30 years, having served at the schools of pharmacy for Ohio Northern University, Mercer University, the University of Mississippi and the University of South Carolina. During that time, he received 10 teaching awards and recognitions from various classes of students.
Cutler is a broadly trained natural products medicinal chemist and behavioral pharmacologist whose research focuses on the isolation of natural products, design of new leads, synthesis of biologically active derivatives, and the discovery and development of drugs to treat various disorders, including those of the central nervous system (CNS). He is a world expert on plants acting on the CNS, including marijuana and other psychotropic plants.
During his career, Cutler received more than $40,000,000 from various federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture. He is the author or co-author of 50 U.S. and international patents, 135 peer-reviewed publications, three books, 21 book chapters, 40 published abstracts and 201 scientific presentations. In 2022, Cutler was recognized with the James E. Wynn Memorial Award by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s Chemistry Section, recognizing members for gifted teaching, positive energy, honor, visionary academic skills, genuine caring for colleagues and strong mentoring for students. In 2023, he received the Pinnacle Award for Individual Contribution to the Life Sciences in South Carolina from SCbio.
Cutler earned his B.S. in 1984 and his Ph.D. in 1989 from the University of Georgia.
Jesse Goodwin, Ph.D.
Chief Innovation Officer | Medical University of South Carolina
Dr. Jesse Goodwin serves as CIO for MUSC. She facilitates programs and initiatives that encourage a culture of innovation. She also provides oversight and coordination among MUSC’s innovation ecosystem, developing intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial strategies to support a diverse innovation portfolio that spans all domains of the tripartite mission.
Prior to this role, Goodwin served as the vice president of development for the Zucker Institute for Applied Neurosciences, a technology accelerator at MUSC. She also served as the deputy director of the MUSC Foundation for Research Development, the organization’s technology transfer office. In 2022, Goodwin led the effort to merge these two groups into the Zucker Institute for Innovation Commercialization and now serves as the board chair for the new entity.
Goodwin came to MUSC from a Boston-based intellectual property (IP) consulting firm, where she served as the director of the Medical Device Division. There, she provided insight to client companies on IP matters pertaining to a wide array of medical technologies.
Goodwin completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program. She holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Stony Brook University.
Nadim Aziz, Ph.D.
Director | SC EPSCoR State Office
Dr. Nadim Aziz became the director of the S.C. EPSCoR State Office in May 2023. In 2016, he served as the director of the State Office and retired in January 2021 to become an independent higher education and research consultant. The office administers $20M in state-wide, multi-institutional, five-year grants funded by the National Science Foundation and aimed at enhancing the state’s research infrastructure.
The current award, ADAPT in S.C., is related to incorporating AI in biomedical devices, whereas the previous award, MADE in S.C., was in materials science and concluded in 2023. In addition, the State Office administers seed funding programs to increase South Carolina’s research competitiveness. These programs are for research and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They also serve as a Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer proposal development program.
Before joining EPSCoR, Aziz was a professor of civil engineering at Clemson University. He also served as chair of the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering and the associate provost for faculty development and support. As associate provost, he served as the interim vice president for academic affairs and provost and graduate school dean. As a faculty member, Aziz conducted research and taught environmental fluid mechanics.
Aziz holds a B.S. in civil engineering and a M.S. and Ph.D. in engineering science from the University of Mississippi.
Erin Ford
Executive Vice President & COO | SCbio
Erin Ford serves as the EVP and COO of SCbio. She develops corporate strategies for the organization’s statewide offices, board of directors and hundreds of supporting members. Her responsibilities include serving as the primary lead for SCbio’s business operations and finances, championing member relations and existing industry strategies, and spearheading integrated marketing initiatives.
Previously, Ford served as a sales and marketing executive at Poly-Med, a global innovation company developing absorbable polymers and constructs for the medical device industry, during which she served on the SCbio Board of Directors. Before her role at Poly-Med, Inc., Ford was a business recruitment officer at the Upstate S.C. Alliance. She served as the main point of contact for life sciences companies interested in expanding into or located in South Carolina. While at the Upstate S.C. Alliance, Ford served as an ex-officio SCbio board member from 2013 – 2015 and led a regional biosciences task force comprised of industry executives from across the region.
Ford holds a B.A. in communication from La Salle University in Philadelphia.