Dr. Bertram is currently serving as CEO in one of nine USA-based Regional Innovation Engines funded by the National Science Foundation. He is leading an economic development Engine to bring solutions for major development and commercialization barriers of cell, gene and tissue engineering technologies. Tim was the founder and CEO of four biotechnology companies and served on the board of directors of multiple public and private companies. He has been involved in the development and registration of eight medical products while serving as a scientific leader and senior executive at Pfizer Inc. SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, and The Procter & Gamble Company. He started his career as a faculty member at the University of Illinois, and a visiting scientist at the National Institutes of Health. Tim authored more than 150 publications and is an inventor on over 100 patents.