# Phyllis Gardner (clinical pharmacologist)

Phyllis I. Gardner (born July 7, 1950) is a Professor of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and former Dean of Education. Gardner was one of the first people to be publicly skeptical of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of blood testing company Theranos, who was later found guilty of investor fraud.

## Early life and education

Gardner completed her bachelor's degree at the University of Illinois, where she specialized in biology. She studied at Harvard Medical School and graduated in 1976. She has held a license to practice medicine in California since 1979. She completed research fellowships at Columbia University and University College London. She was a postdoctoral fellow at University College London in 1982. Gardner trained in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She was a Chief Resident at the Stanford School of Medicine. In 2002 Gardner argued against a merger of University College London and Imperial College London. Gardner is married to Andrew Perlman. Perlman is an executive within the biotechnology sector in the United States. He briefly served on an advisory board for Theranos for a few months before the panel was shut down. Perlman learned that Theranos was a significant buyer of laboratory diagnostic testing equipment from the company Siemens.

## Career
### Academic research

Gardner joined Stanford University in 1984. Her initial role upon hiring in 1984 was as assistant professor of medicine and pharmacology. Gardner works on cardiac arrhythmias and cystic fibrosis pathogenesis. Gardner was appointed Senior Associate Dean for Education and Student Affairs at Stanford University. She is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacology. She led a laboratory that focused on ion channel biophysics. In 2003, Gardner testified to the United States House of Representatives on the subject matter of applications of biotechnology research in the United States. Gardner's medical and scientific research has been published in multiple peer-reviewed scientific journals including Nature, Science, and The Lancet.

### Entrepreneurship

After spending ten years in academia, Gardner became interested in research and development and entrepreneurship. She mentored women interested in pursuit of the field of science. She gained experience within the of companies seeking out venture capital funding. She developed several forms of slow released medication, including an adaptation for retention in the stomach. Gardner has been involved with several start-ups in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. From 1996 to 1998 Gardner served as Vice President of Research and Head of the Technology Institute at the Alza Corporation. Gardner served as Director of the biopharmaceutical company Revance Therapeutics from 2007 to 2018. She is an adjunct partner at Essex Woodlands Health Ventures. She founded several companies, including the Genomics Collaborative, SKOLAR and the CambriaTech Holding Co. She was appointed to the Board Of Directors of Ventaira Pharmaceuticals in 2006. Gardner serves on the Board of Fellows of the Harvard Medical School. She was appointed to the Board of Directors of CohBar, a clinical stage biotechnology company, in 2019.
In 2002, Elizabeth Holmes visited Gardner at Stanford University. Holmes proposed her idea for a microfluidic device that could detect and treat infectious diseases. Gardner was critical of the proposal, and told Holmes she did not think her invention would be successful. She explained to Holmes that it is not possible to use antibiotics on such a small scale. Holmes dropped out of Stanford a few months later, but Gardner followed the evolution of Theranos. Very briefly, both Gardner and Holmes served on the Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows after Holmes was given an invitation to join. Gardner did not permit Holmes to visit the Stanford campus and called for her to be sent to prison. Holmes was ultimately found guilty of criminal fraud, in the federal case, United States v. Elizabeth A. Holmes, et al. — which was brought by the United States against her and Theranos former president and COO Sunny Balwani.

## In media

The Wall Street Journal investigative journalist John Carreyrou delved into the manner in which Elizabeth Holmes failed to convince Gardner to involve herself in her company Theranos; he recounted this in-depth in his 2018 book, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. This relationship was investigated further in the 2019 Alex Gibney documentary, The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley. Rebecca Jarvis delved into the early background between Gardner and Holmes, in her 2019 podcast about Theranos, The Dropout. In the 2022 show, The Dropout, based on the Jarvis podcast of the same name, Gardner appeared as a character in the show, portrayed by Laurie Metcalf in the series.

## Awards and honors

| Year | Award | Category | Organization | Result | Ref. |
| 1998 | NCC-AWIS Award | Judith Pool Award | Association for Women in Science | Won | |

## Selected publications
### Scientific journal articles

* Gardner, Phyllis (1987), "Ion channels activated by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate in plasma membrane of human T-lymphocytes", Nature, 326 (6110): 301–304, Bibcode:1987Natur.326..301K, doi:10.1038/326301a0, PMID 2434867, S2CID 4355950
* Young, W; Chen, J; Jung, F; Gardner, Phyllis (1988), "Dihydropyridine Bay K 8644 activates T lymphocyte calcium-permeable channels", Molecular Pharmacology, 34 (3): 239–44, PMID 2458520
* Chen, Jennifer; Schulman, Howard; Gardner, Phyllis (1989), "A cAMP-Regulated Chloride Channel in Lymphocytes That Is Affected in Cystic Fibrosis", Science, 243 (4891): 657–60, Bibcode:1989Sci...243..657C, doi:10.1126/science.2464852, PMID 2464852
* Gardner, Phyllis (1989), "Ca2+ and T lymphocyte activation", Cell, 59: 15–20, doi:10.1016/0092-8674(89)90865-9, PMID 2676193
* Gardner, Phyllis; Schulman, Howard (1989), "Response: Is Regulation of a Chloride Channel in Lymphocytes Affected in Cystic Fibrosis?", Science, 246 (4933): 1049–1050, doi:10.1126/science.246.4933.1049.b
* Gardner, Phyllis (1990), "Patch Clamp Studies of Lymphocyte Activation", Annual Review of Immunology, 8: 231–52, doi:10.1146/annurev.iy.08.040190.001311, PMID 1693081
* Gardner, Phyllis; Mcdonald, Thomas; Nishimoto, Ikuo; Wagner, John; Schumann, Muhammad; Chen, Jennifer; Schulman, Howard (1991), "Regulation of Lymphocyte Chloride Channels", The Identification of the CF (Cystic Fibrosis) Gene, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 290, pp. 319–26, doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-5934-0_30, ISBN 978-1-4684-5936-4, PMID 1719768
* Wagner, John; Cozens, Alison; Schulman, Howard; Gruenert, Dieter; Stryer, Lubert; Gardner, Phyllis (1991), "Activation of chloride channels in normal and cystic fibrosis airway epithelia cells by multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase", Nature, 349 (6312): 793–6, Bibcode:1991Natur.349..793W, doi:10.1038/349793a0, PMID 1705665
* Nishimoto, Ikuo; Wagner, John; Schulman, Howard; Gardner, Phyllis (1991), "Regulation of CI− channels by multifunctional CaM kinase", Neuron, 6 (4): 547–55, doi:10.1016/0896-6273(91)90057-7, PMID 1849722
* Sudduth-Klinger, Julie; Schumann, Muhammad; Gardner, Phyllis; Payan, Donald (1992), "Functional and immunological responses of Jurkat lymphocytes transfected with the substance P receptor", Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 12 (5): 379–95, doi:10.1007/BF00711540, PMC 11567415, PMID 1281754
* Chao, Anthony; Zifferblatt, Jonathan; Wagner, John; Dong, Y; Gruenert, Dieter; Gardner, Phyllis (1994), "Stimulation of chloride secretion by P1 purinoceptor agonist in cystic fibrosis phenotype airway epithelial cell line CFPEo-", British Journal of Pharmacology, 112 (1): 169–75, doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.1994.tb13047.x, PMC 1910328, PMID 8032638
* Nghiem, Paul; Ollick, Tracey; Gardner, Phyllis; Schulman, Howard (1994), "Interleukin-2 transcriptional block by multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin kinase", Nature, 371 (6495): 347–50, doi:10.1038/371347a0, PMID 8090206
* Chung, S.; Mcdonald, Thomas; Gardner, Phyllis (1994), "Inhibition by SK&F 96365 of Ca2+ current, IL-2 production and activation in T lymphocytes", British Journal of Pharmacology, 113 (3): 861–8, doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.1994.tb17072.x, PMC 1510420, PMID 7858878
* Gardner, Phyllis (1995). "Activation of dual T cell signaling pathways by the chemokine Rantes". Science. 269 (5231): 1727–1730. Bibcode:1995Sci...269.1727B. doi:10.1126/science.7569902. PMID 7569902.
* Gardner, Phyllis (March 28, 1997), "Nuclear Export of NF-ATc Enhanced by Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3", Science, 275 (5308): 1930–1933, doi:10.1126/science.275.5308.1930, PMID 9072970, S2CID 22590899
* Mathias, Robert; Zhang, Shuanghin; Wilson, Emily; Gardner, Phyllis; Ives, Harlan (1997), "Non-capacitative Calcium Entry in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells Expressing the Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor", The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 272 (46): 29076–82, doi:10.1074/jbc.272.46.29076, PMID 9360982
* Wagner, John; Moran, Mary; Messner, Anna; Daifuku, Richard; Conrad, Carol; Phd, Thomas; Guggino, William; Moss, Richard; Carter, Barrie; Wine, Jeffrey; Flotte, Terence; Gardner, Phyllis (1998), "A Phase I/II Study of tgAAV-CF for the Treatment of Chronic Sinusitis in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis. Stanford University, Stanford, California", Human Gene Therapy, 9 (6): 889–909, doi:10.1089/hum.1998.9.6-889, PMID 9581911
* Wagner, John; Reynolds, Thomas; Moran, Mary; Moss, Richard; Wine, Jeffrey; Flotte, Terence; Gardner, Phyllis (1998), "Efficient and persistent gene transfer of AAV-CFTR in maxillary sinus", The Lancet, 351 (9117): 1702–3, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)77740-0, PMID 9734891
* Wagner, John; Nepomuceno, Ilynn; Shah, Niraj; Messner, Anna; Moran, Mary; Norbash, Alexander; Moss, Richard; Wine, Jeffrey; Gardner, Phyllis (1999), "Maxillary Sinusitis as a Surrogate Model for CF Gene Therapy Clinical Trials in Patients with Antrostomies", The Journal of Gene Medicine, 1: 13–21, doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-2254(199901/02)1:1<13::AID-JGM6>3.0.CO;2-G
* Wagner, John; Nepomuceno, Ilynn; Messner, Anna; Moran, Mary; Batson, Eric; Dimiceli, Sue; Brown, Byron; Desch, Julie; Norbash, Alexander; Conrad, Carol; Guggino, William; Flotte, Terence; Wine, Jeffrey; Carter, Barrie; Reynolds, Thomas; Moss, Richard; Gardner, Phyllis (2002), "A Phase II, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of tgAAVCF Using Maxillary Sinus Delivery in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis with Antrostomies", Human Gene Therapy, 13 (11): 1349–59, doi:10.1089/104303402760128577, PMID 12162817
* Sheridan, Colleen; Heist, E; Beals, Chan; Crabtree, Gerald; Gardner, Phyllis (2003), "Protein Kinase A Negatively Modulates the Nuclear Accumulation of NF-ATc1 by Priming for Subsequent Phosphorylation by Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3", The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277 (50): 48664–76, doi:10.1074/jbc.M207029200, PMID 12351631
* Schrijver, Iris; Karnsakul, Wikrom; Limwongse, Chanin; Ramalingam, Sudha; Sankaran, Ramalingam; Gardner, Phyllis; Moss, Richard (2005), "Novel contributions to the Asian CFTR mutation spectrum: Genotype and phenotype in Thai patients with cystic fibrosis", American Journal of Medical Genetics, 133A (1): 103–5, doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.30472, PMID 15744829
* Schrijver, Iris; Ramalingam, Sudha; Sankaran, Ramalingam; Swanson, Steve; Dunlop, Charles; Keiles, Steven; Moss, Richard; Oehlert, John; Gardner, Phyllis; Wassman, E; Kammesheidt, Anja (2005), "Diagnostic testing by CFTR gene mutation analysis in a large group hispanics: Novel mutations and assessment of a population-specific mutation spectrum", The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, 7 (2): 289–99, doi:10.1016/S1525-1578(10)60557-0, PMC 1867528, PMID 15858154
* Schrijver, Iris; Oitmaa, Eneli; Gardner, Phyllis (2005), "Genotyping Microarray for the Detection of More Than 200 CFTR Mutations in Ethnically Diverse Populations", The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, 7 (3): 375–87, doi:10.1016/S1525-1578(10)60567-3, PMC 1867536, PMID 16049310
* Schrijver, Iris; Gardner, Phyllis (2006), "Hereditary sensorineural hearing loss: Advances in molecular genetics and mutation analysis", Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 6 (3): 375–86, doi:10.1586/14737159.6.3.375, PMID 16706740
* Gardner, Phyllis (2006), "Microfabricated nanochannel implantable drug delivery devices: Trends, limitations and possibilities", Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 3 (4): 479–87, doi:10.1517/17425247.3.4.479, PMID 16822223
* Gardner, Phyllis; Oitmaa, Eneli; Messner, Anna; Hoefsloot, Lies; Schrijver, Iris (2006), "Simultaneous Multigene Mutation Detection in Patients With Sensorineural Hearing Loss Through a Novel Diagnostic Microarray: A New Approach for Newborn Screening Follow-up", Pediatrics, 118 (3): 985–94, doi:10.1542/peds.2005-2519, PMID 16950989
* Naguib, Maggie; Schrijver, Iris; Gardner, Phyllis; Pique, Lynn; Doss, Samiha; Abu-Zekry, Mona; Aziz, Mona; Nasr, Samya (2007), "Cystic fibrosis detection in high-risk Egyptian children and CFTR mutation analysis", Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 6 (2), European Cystic Fibrosis Society: 111–6, doi:10.1016/j.jcf.2006.04.004, PMID 16837250
* Naguib, Maggie; Schrijver, I.; Gardner, Phyllis; Piquet, L.; Doss, S.; Abu-Zekry, Mona; Aziz, M.; Nasré, S. (2006), "472 Incidence of Cystic Fibrosis in high-risk Egyptian children and CFTR mutation analysis", Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 5: S103, doi:10.1016/S1569-1993(06)80396-6
* Schrijver, Iris; Külm, Maigi; Gardner, Phyllis; Pergament, Eugene; Fiddler, Morris (2007), "Comprehensive Arrayed Primer Extension Array for the Detection of 59 Sequence Variants in 15 Conditions Prevalent Among the (Ashkenazi) Jewish Population", The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, 9 (2): 228–36, doi:10.2353/jmoldx.2007.060100, PMC 1867437, PMID 17384215
* Rodriguez-Paris, Juan; Ballay, Charles; Inserra, Michelle; Stidham, Katrina; Colen, Tahl; Roberson, Joseph; Gardner, Phyllis; Schrijver, Iris (2008), "Genetic Analysis of Presbycusis by Arrayed Primer Extension", Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science, 38 (4): 352–60, PMID 18988928
* Teek, Rita; Oitmaa, Eneli; Kruustük, Katrin; Zordania, Riina; Joost, Kairit; Raukas, Elve; Tõnisson, Neeme; Gardner, Phyllis; Schrijver, Iris; Kull, Mart; Ounap, Katrin (2008), "Splice variant IVS2-2A>G in the SLC26A5 (Prestin) gene in five Estonian families with hearing loss", International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 73 (1): 103–7, doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2008.10.003, PMID 19027966
* Qu, Chunyan; Gardner, Phyllis; Schrijver, Iris (2009), "The role of the cytoskeleton in the formation of gap junctions by Connexin 30", Experimental Cell Research, 315 (10): 1683–92, doi:10.1016/j.yexcr.2009.03.001, PMID 19285977
* Rodriguez-Paris, Juan; Pique, Lynn; Colen, Tahl; Roberson, Joseph; Gardner, Phyllis; Schrijver, Iris (2010), "Genotyping with a 198 Mutation Arrayed Primer Extension Array for Hereditary Hearing Loss: Assessment of Its Diagnostic Value for Medical Practice", PLOS One, 5 (7): e11804, Bibcode:2010PLoSO...511804R, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011804, PMC 2909915, PMID 20668687
* Traynis, Ilana; Bernstein, Jonathan; Gardner, Phyllis; Schrijver, Iris (2011), "Analysis of the Alternative Splicing of an FGFR2 Transcript Due to a Novel 5 ' Splice Site Mutation (1084+1G > A): Case Report", The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, 49 (1), American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association: 104–8, doi:10.1597/10-217, PMID 21524234

### Academic conferences

* Premack, B.A.; Gardner, Phyllis (1994), "Properties of Ca Currents Activated by T Cell Receptor Signaling", 5th International Conference on Mechanisms of Lymphocyte Activation and Immune Regulation, Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 365, Plenum Press, pp. 91–102, doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-0987-9_10, ISBN 978-1-4899-0989-3, PMID 7887318
* Wagner, J A; Messner, A H; Moran, M L; Daifuku, R; Kouyama, K; Desch, J K; Manley, S; Norbash, A M; Conrad, C K; Friborg, S; Reynolds, T; Guggino, W B; Moss, R B; Carter, B J; Wine, J J; Flotte, T R; Gardner, Phyllis (1999), "Safety and biological efficacy of an adeno-associated virus vector cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (AAV-CFTR) in the cystic fibrosis maxillary sinus", 11th Annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, vol. 109, no. 2, John Wiley & Sons Inc., pp. 266–74, doi:10.1097/00005537-199902000-00017, PMID 10890777
* Gardner, Phyllis (2005), "Microfabricated silicon NanoPORE membranes provide continuous delivery of biopharmaceuticals", International Conference on MEMS, NANO and Smart Systems, vol. 179, IEEE, p. 179, doi:10.1109/ICMENS.2005.70, ISBN 0-7695-2398-6