Former Genentech Exec Appointed to CIRM Board

Stephen Juelsgaard (Photo Iowa State)

A former, longtime Genentech executive yesterday was named to the 29-member board of the $3 billion California stem cell agency.

Stephen Juelsgaard of Woodside, Ca., was appointed by California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to replace Ed Penhoet, a co-founder of Chiron. Penhoet had sat on the board since the agency's inception in 2004. He was vice chairman at one point and directed development of CIRM's intellectual property provisions. Juelsgaard fills a slot on the board reserved for a representative from a life science business.

Juelsgaard is a lecturer at the Stanford law school and a member of the board of directors of Ivivi Health Sciences LLC of San Francisco, a privately held firm that focuses on electrotherapy devices to relieve pain.

Juelsgaard was executive vice president of Genentech when he left the firm in 2009. He joined it 1985. Last fall he endowed a deanship at Iowa State University with $3 million. Juelsgaard holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the school.

Another former Genentech attorney, Elona Baum, is general counsel at CIRM, which has about 50 employees.