Our mission is made possible by our team, comprised of the best in their fields across industry, healthcare providers, researchers, patients, medical practitioners, and academia.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Cheryl Nickerson-Nutter, PhD
Executive Director
Dr. Nickerson-Nutter is the Executive Director of Three Lakes 12-20. Prior to taking on this role, Dr. Nickerson-Nutter held the position of Executive Vice President of Research and Development for Three Lakes Foundation, over seeing the Foundation’s research strategy and programs to accelerate therapies for pulmonary fibrosis.
Dr. Nickerson-Nutter is a proven scientific leader with experience across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and contract research (CRO) sectors. She previously held senior roles at Pfizer as Chief Operating Officer/Senior Director for the Department of Immunology and Autoimmunity and at Caprion/immuneCarta (now CellCarta) as Vice President of Research and Development. Previous roles at Biogen and Bayer also contributed to her deep understanding of pre-clinical and translational studies and early clinical development.
After completing her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Maine, Dr. Nickerson-Nutter earned a PhD. in Environmental Health Sciences at Johns Hopkins, followed by post-doctoral work at the Mayo Clinic Department of Immunology. In addition to her research and drug development background, Dr. Nickerson-Nutter is a certified Project Management Professional.
Sean Tully
Advisory Board Chair
Former Global Head of Financial Products at CME Group, former Global Head of Linear USD and CAD Rates at Citigroup, former Global Head of Rates, Credit and Emerging Markets at WestLB. Inventor, Patent holder, author, mathematician and medical research philanthropist. BA Potsdam College, Mathematics, MS Clarkson University, Mathematics.
Sean’s family has been hit hard with Familial Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, it having taken the life of his father in 2010 and nearly taking the life of his brother, were it not for a lung transplant, in 2023. Today, Sean dedicates much of his time and financial support towards the urgent search for a cure for this devastating disease.
Dr. Paul Yaworsky, PhD
Advisory Board Member
Paul Yaworsky is the founding CSO of Mediar Therapeutics. He joined Mediar from Pfizer, where he spent more than 20 years focused on drug discovery and development. At Pfizer, Paul created the initial scientific and business plan for fibrosis research.
Most recently, he served as COO, Inflammation & Immunology Research, where he led strategy and operations for the research unit from early discovery into the clinic, including first-in-human through Phase 2 proof-of-concept for both biologic and small molecule approaches for Inflammation and Immunology assets. A native of Canada, Paul holds a PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedicine and a BSc in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto.
Anna Podolanczuk, MD
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Podolanczuk is the Co-Director of the Weill Cornell Interstitial Lung Disease Program and an NIH-funded investigator with a research program focused on early detection of pulmonary fibrosis, discovery of novel risk factors for the disease, and advancing imaging and blood biomarkers of progressive fibrotic lung diseases into clinical practice. She is a leading investigator in numerous NIH- and industry-sponsored clinical trials of new therapies for pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases.
She earned her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at Brown University and her MD from NYU School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Columbia University, where she also received a Master of Science degree from the Mailman School of Public Health
Scientific and Medical Advisory Council
We thank these individuals for their contributions to our industry, academia, research, and continued conversations about driving towards a cure for pulmonary fibrosis.
Brigitte Gomperts, MD
Los Angeles, CA
Professor of Pediatrics and Pulmonary Medicine, Associate Director for Translation, Broad Stem Cell Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles
Cory Hogaboam, PhD
Los Angeles, CA
Professor of medicine and research scientist IV in the Women's Guild Lung Institute in the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai
Christine Kim Garcia, MD, PhD
New York City, NY
Frode-Jensen Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Darrell Kotton, MD
Boston, MA
Director, Center for Regenerative Medicine of Boston University and Boston Medical Center; David C. Seldin Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine
Jonathan Kropski, MD
Nashville, TN
Rudy W. Jacobson Chair in Pulmonary Medicine, Professor of Medicine, Research Director, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Fernando Martinez, MD, MS
Worcester, MA
Professor of Medicine and the Joseph D. Early Chair in Biomedical Research, Vice Chair for Clinical and Translational Research, and Academic Chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, UMass Chan Medical School
Patient Delegates
Our mission is centered around improving and extending the lives of pulmonary fibrosis patients. We are proud to involve and be inspired by patients who have embraced Three Lakes 12-20 and our drive to eradicate this disease.
In Memoriam: Michael Breslin
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Michael Breslin, who faced pulmonary fibrosis with courage, grace, and unwavering determination. Mike was passionately committed to advancing research and the search for new therapies so that others might have more hope for the future.
Mike understood the urgent need for new therapies and dedicated his time and resources to supporting efforts that could accelerate discoveries and bring hope to patients and families. His vision and determination reflected the very spirit of our mission: to push the boundaries of science so that pulmonary fibrosis can one day be prevented, treated more effectively, and ultimately cured.
Though Mike is no longer with us, his legacy continues in the efforts to accelerate discovery and deliver better treatments. We honor his memory by carrying forward the work that mattered so deeply to him—building a future where pulmonary fibrosis no longer takes lives too soon.
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Mike’s family and loved ones. May their dedication and spirit inspire all of us to keep striving toward a world free from pulmonary fibrosis.
Tom Tully
My name is Tom Tully. I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis back in September of 2021, a disease my father had passed away from 11 years prior. When I was diagnosed with PF, I was told I had 2-5 years left to live. I was put on several drugs to help slow the scarring of my lungs, as well as the aid of oxygen tanks while sleeping and doing physical activity. These drugs and the aid of oxygen tanks helped slow the scarring and prolong my life just a little bit more.
With the help of the staff at Columbia, I was put on a transplant list in July 2023. The process of receiving any transplant is extremely meticulous. Organ recipients are measured on their health (fitness levels, smoking history, health history, etc.) to ensure the organ being donated is going to be most beneficial. After months of waiting, I received a lung transplant in September of 2023 to prolong my life a miraculous 20+ years. Even with a lung transplant, my battle with the effects of Pulmonary Fibrosis continues.
This is my inspiration for being a delegate for the Three Lakes 12-20 Foundation. This foundation is focused on research, focused on finding answers to this terrible disease. I am very proud to work with this amazing foundation, as it will help many patients who need answers to combat Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Sean Tully
My name is Sean Tully, and I'm Tom's brother.
In July 2021, around the 11th anniversary of my father’s death, I stumbled into the same terminal diagnosis my father had been given, which led to his death - Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). While the timeline from diagnosis to passing is highly variable, most studies indicate a 3-5 year expected lifespan post diagnosis. My father died 5 years post his diagnosis, in line with those studies. No, I wasn’t a smoker and never was. No, I didn’t own or live with any birds. No, my employment didn’t expose me to any physical environmental issues of any concern. Yes, I had a family history. I called my brothers and let them know. I knew by then that IPF was highly familial and was concerned they might be ill as well. My brother Tom was diagnosed in December 2021. I retired in July 2023, in order to dedicate my time to understanding the latest research and to supporting research towards a cure. My vision is that in 10 years from now, rather than pulmonologists grieving every time they diagnose a new patient, they will look confidently into the eyes of the patient, knowing how they will treat them, and confident that the treatments available to those patients will prevent them from dying from this disease.