News

July, 2025. Join us in congratulating our Associate Dr. Mark Rohrbaugh on receiving the Bayh-Dole Coalition “Faces of American Innovation Award” for his years of service at the National Institutes of Health supporting the appropriate implementation of the Bayh-Dole Act and technology transfer more broadly.  Among his signature acts at NIH was to resist pressure from outside the NIH to take patents away from companies (so-called “march-in rights”) based solely on the price of a product. Mark advocated for alternative means to ensure public access to new drugs and therapies that had been developed with federal support. 

Mark retired from federal service in 2024.  He said, “I dedicate this award to my former NIH colleagues and federal lab technology transfer professionals who have supported appropriate implementation of the Bayh-Dole Act, which has richly rewarded the US public with innovations to improve lives and spur economic growth from inventions made with government funding at many research institutions around the country.”

Life Science Works is pleased to announce its second preferred partnership, this time with Governance Partners Group. This collaboration offers Life Science Works’ clients discounted rates for essential Corporate Secretary services and other Board advisory services. This follows the announcement in April of Life Science Works’ first preferred partnership which is with Ravelin US.
“An important part of our mission in helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses strategically is to assist them in creating high-functioning boards, when the time is right,” said Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, Life Science Works’ President and CEO. “Our partnership with Governance Partners Group and its president, Paul Marcela, is one important way for us to help empower fast-growing life science companies.”
Paul Marcela is an expert in corporate board governance, having spent decades in corporate law at substantial companies such as Dow Corning and Blue Bird and having led his own consulting firm for over 10 years. His firm provides corporate secretary service as well as strategic advice on a range of board matters.
Mr. Marcela stated, “It has been gratifying over the years to coach new CEOs on the value of having a high-functioning board and then helping them manage their boards as an out-sourced corporate secretary. I look forward to working with new companies in the life science arena as part of the preferred partnership with Life Science Works.”
Learn more about GPG here: https://governancepg.com/

The National Small Business Association (NSBA) today announced the appointment of Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, founder and CEO of Life Science Works, to its prestigious Leadership Council. The NSBA, the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization, operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis, championing the interests of small businesses across the country.

Dr. Hrynkow, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins an elite group of advocates dedicated to promoting small-business priorities to policymakers in Washington, D.C.

“As a small-business owner and former senior executive in federal service and in a clinical biotech company, I see the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation affecting the life science community,” stated Dr. Hrynkow. “Joining NSBA’s Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective small-business message directly to those who need to hear it most: Congress.”

With over two decades of leadership spanning federal service, including at the NIH, and in the biotech arena, Dr. Hrynkow brings unparalleled expertise to the life science business community. A neuroscientist by training, she raised over $30 million to support and lead clinical trials for a rare disease, and she is an inventor on an Alzheimer’s disease patent. At NIH, she brokered international agreements on biomedical research with counterparts worldwide and she supported the research community to advance discovery on medical challenges facing the US and the global community. Her extensive experience in accelerating early-stage life science companies, exemplified by her work as founder and CEO of Life Science Works, coupled with her robust corporate board service and deep scientific acumen, positions her as an invaluable asset to the NSBA.

“I am proud to have Sharon as part of our Leadership Council,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “She came to us highly recommended, and I look forward to our coordinated efforts for years to come.”

The NSBA Leadership Council is dedicated to fostering valuable networking among small-business advocates nationwide, ensuring that small businesses have a prominent voice as Congress and regulators consider key proposals.