Tag Archive for: Diagnostics and Research

Dr. Jerry Fernandez to Join Aureon Biosciences as Senior Director of Pathology

To lead a team developing novel diagnostic services and products for prostate cancer patients

Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of Dr. Gerardo “Jerry” Javier Fernandez, an anatomic pathologist, to Aureon Biosciences. 

Aureon is a Yonkers, New York-based company enabling personalized patient care utilizing systems pathology to develop predictive clinical tests for cancer care, as well as to enable biopharmaceutical research and development.

Fernandez was recruited from Genzyme Genetics where he was an anatomic pathologist providing referring physicians with highly specialized referral services.  Dr. Fernandez is interested in computer-assisted diagnostics and led the company’s imaging applications and interactive analysis group.  Most recently, he was a core team member and the medical consultant for the information system consolidation between laboratory and surgical pathology.

“Jerry is unique in that he is an anatomical pathologist whose keen interest in using computers for improving patient care is his passion,” noted Tom Callaway, MD, founder and president of Life Science Partner.  “Aureon will allow him to lead a team developing the latest tool set for cancer diagnostics and turn data into knowledge by the strategic use of computer imaging and integrating patient information.”

Dr. Fernandez will lead a team of four anatomical pathologists interrogating and analyzing tissue to provide the first comprehensive and fully integrated view of the progression of cancer by studying multiple molecular pathways of disease as well as micro-anatomic imaging.  By utilizing state-of-the-art informatics, Aureon Biosciences will be able to provide referring physicians some of the first predictive tests for cancer by integrating molecular pathology and clinical informatics.

Dr. Fernandez received his MD from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree in Natural Science and Mathematics at Bennington College.  He completed his residency in Anatomic/Clinical Pathology and his fellowships in Cytopathology and Surgical Pathology at New York University Medical Center.

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Life Science Partner Recruits Ricardo Mesa-Tejada, MD, to Clinical Leadership at Aureon Biosciences

Founder and Director of Immunocytochemistry Laboratory at MetPath/Quest

Life Science Partner announces the recruitment of Dr. Ricardo Mesa-Tejada, a recognized leader in the field of anatomic pathology to become vice president, pathology, Aureon Biosciences Corporation. 

Aureon is a Yonkers, New York-based company enabling personalized patient care utilizing a systems pathology approach to develop predictive clinical tests for cancer care as well as to enable biopharmaceutical research and development.

Dr. Mesa-Tejada will lead the team of specialized anatomical pathologists interrogating and analyzing tissue to provide the first comprehensive and fully integrated view of the progression of cancer by studying multiple molecular pathways of disease as well as micro-anatomic imaging.  By utilizing state-of-the-art informatics, Dr. Mesa-Tejada will be able to provide referring physicians some of the first predictive tests for cancer by integrating molecular pathology and clinical informatics.

“Ricardo is the prototype of physician-scientist who has a keen interest in harnessing new technologies for better patient care,” noted Tom Callaway, MD, founder and president of Life Science Partner.  “He was drawn to Aureon by its intersection of clinical informatics, image analysis and molecular diagnostics to greatly improve the treatment planning of complicated diseases like prostate cancers.”

Dr. Mesa-Tejada is uniquely qualified due to his significant research and clinical service as a pathologist at New York’s Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.  A pioneer in integrating technologies for better patient care, he established the immunocytochemistry laboratory at MetPath in 1987, and remained as either an employee or consultant through its acquisition and integration into Quest Diagnostics.  He remained as director of research in anatomic pathology at the company until 1997.  Until he joined Aureon, he was a consultant to Thieme, an investment banking firm focused on the life sciences.

Dr. Mesa-Tejada received his MD from University of Madrid, completed his residency in Pathology at Columbia-Presbyterian, and was a fellow in OB/GYN Pathology in 1976.

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BD Biosciences Recruits Jim Carraher to Become Director, Program Management of Cellular Analysis Business

Life Science Partner recruits proven project management leader at Dade Behring and Syva Company

Life Science Partner announces the placement of James (Jim) D. Carraher, formerly director of program management at Pelikan Technologies, to become the director of program management, cellular analysis business unit at BD Biosciences. 

BD Biosciences, a division of Becton, Dickinson and Company, provides a comprehensive portfolio of reagents, systems and technical expertise to accelerate the pace of biomedical discovery and diagnosis.

In this new role, Carraher will be responsible for the BD Bioscience cellular analysis product development team – speeding products rapidly from concept to prototype to final product in manufacturing and into the research scientist’s laboratory.  Carraher will  accelerate product development for this world leader in flow cytometry solutions for research and clinical use for immune function, vaccine research, infectious disease and oncology.

At Pelikan Technologies, Carraher led an entrepreneurial team to develop the next generation sample acquisition and blood glucose monitoring.  Previously, he was director of project management at Aviron, a vaccine company developing the FluMist delivery system.

“Jim is a top-flight project manager, who has been proven on the international stage,” says Life Science Partner vice president Cindi. Roberts. “He will prove a valuable addition to speeding the commercialization of BD Biosciences’ considerable portfolio.”

Carraher comes to BD Bioscience with more than 20 years of experience developing leading-edge diagnostic products.   In addition to Pelikan Technologies, Carraher has had leadership roles in product management, international marketing and business general management during 20 years at Syva and its successors Behring Diagnostics and Dade Behring. 

While living in Germany during 1996 to 2000 leading global product management for Dade Behring, he introduced the first Customer Advisory Board and Technology Advisory Board that created the Company’s first detailed product lifecycle plan.  The net resulting efficiency was seen in a 17% reduction in manufacturing cost and reduced post-installation service calls.

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Dennis W. Harris Joins Serologicals Executive Team as Vice President

To build Serologicals’ product portfolio, Life Science Partner recruits former Amersham Biotech head of North American R&D, global genomics.

Life Science Partner announces the placement of Dennis W. Harris as vice president of research and development/business development and chief scientific officer at Serologicals Corporation in Norcross, Georgia.

With the move, Harris becomes the senior leader in strategic planning for overall product portfolio expansion as well as identification and development of new product opportunities. Serologicals is a global provider of products and technologies for the development and manufacture of biologically based products. The company competes in three primary areas: specialty cell culture supplements, life science reagents, and diagnostic antibodies.

“In Harris, Serologicals welcomes just the right talent for their product development efforts,” says Life Science Partner Founder and President Thomas H. Callaway. “Harris is a leader in creating integrated systems for genomics and the discovery sciences. And he’s a proven R&D manager at the global level as well.”

Throughout his 22-year career, Harris has demonstrated both a keen scientific awareness and an aptitude for successfully managing research and development projects in the molecular biology industry. In his dual role as vice president of research and development for North America and genomics at Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, for example, Harris led an organization with 220 scientists and engineers while maintaining strategic responsibility for genomics research worldwide, among other duties.

Harris comes to Serologicals most recently from Vitra Bioscience, where he served as executive vice president of research and development. At Vitra, Harris held primary responsibility for automating and integrating cellular assays with engineering software for higher throughput as well as cultivating relationships with top pharmaceutical companies.

As senior vice president for ACLARA BioSciences, a developer of technologies for gene and protein analysis, he directed the company’s R&D program and was heavily involved in strategic development. Later, Harris led system integration and business development efforts at ACLARA BioSciences, in which capacity he closed the company’s largest deal.

Harris launched his career as a development scientist with Amersham in 1982. As life sciences research program manager, based in England, he later led a team of scientists funded by the European Economic Community to develop automated systems for DNA sequencing, template preparation and related methodologies. More recently, while senior program manager at Molecular Dynamics (later acquired by Amersham), he directed the development and launch of the MegaBACE 1000 DNA Sequencing System. In this role, he provided technical and strategic direction while managing engineering, software, applications, reagent development, and marketing. He was then promoted to vice president of research and development for North America and genomics, a position he held for three years.

Harris holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.

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Proxima Hires Webster for Senior Product Development Position

Life Science Partner connects experienced medical product engineer with radiation delivery systems company:

Life Science Partner announces the placement of R. Michael Webster as senior director of product development at Proxima Therapeutics in Alpharetta, Georgia. In this new capacity, Webster assumes overall responsibility for the development and improvement of products based upon the company’s proprietary delivery system. He will oversee a team of engineers as well as external engineering and manufacturing resources. Proxima Therapeutics, a privately held medical device company, develops innovative radiation delivery systems for the treatment of solid cancerous tumors.

“Michael is regarded by his peers—and the engineers who have served on his teams—as an excellent manager,” says Life Science Partner Vice President Cynthia B. Roberts. “With his start-to-finish engineering expertise from design and development through manufacturing, he’ll prove a strong asset for Proxima.”

Webster is an accomplished project manager with a 17-year career spent engineering balloon and other catheters as well as radiation therapy products. Prior to joining Proxima, Webster was group manager, research and development at Novoste Corporation in Norcross, Georgia. At Novoste, Webster guided strategy, scheduling, budgeting, product development conformity, quality protocols and regulatory efforts.

As program manager with the Balloon Catheter/Stent Delivery Systems Group at Cordis Corporation in Miami Lakes, Florida, Webster led engineering activities on multiple PTCA/PTA delivery system projects. His responsibilities included physician opinion evaluation, product design, competitive product analysis, and portfolio strategies.

Webster initiated his medical device career at North American Instrument Corporation (NAMIC), Glens Falls, New York, where he was senior manufacturing engineer in the project engineering department. With NAMIC, he was task team leader for new product and automation projects including an inflation device for cardiology, radiology drainage bag manufacturing, an introducer sheath, and many more.

During a combined seven years at Coleco Industries and Ingersoll-Rand, Webster also worked as an engineer focused on consumer products and power tools manufacturing.

About Life Science Partner Executive Search

Life Science Partner’s high-quality executive and scientific recruiting services target the very specific needs of life sciences and healthcare organizations. We identify and recruit the brightest talent in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare services fields.

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David Enscore to Direct Product Research and Development at Altea Therapeutics

Life Science Partner placement brings a record of innovation to Atlanta-based company

Life Science Partner announces the placement of Dr. David J. Enscore as senior vice president, product research and development with Altea Therapeutics in Atlanta. As an integral part of Altea’s executive leadership, the 20-year industry veteran will direct pharmaceutical and clinical product development while playing an important role in identifying and pursuing strategy. Altea Therapeutics works with the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to develop alternatives for medicine and vaccine delivery.

“When we introduced David to Altea, he was very impressed with the company and its microporation technology,” says Life Science Partner Founder and President Thomas H. Callaway. “Because there are so few candidates with David’s qualifications and his unique background suits Altea’s needs perfectly, this is an exceptional placement.”

Enscore comes from Spherics, a Rhode Island-based early phase drug delivery company using bioadhesive polymers and nanoencapsulation to improve the oral bioavailability of therapeutic agents. As vice president of R&D there, he was responsible for all scientific and technical operations the from the company’s inception. Later, Enscore assumed general management responsibilities as well. With Focal, Inc., a medical device company commercializing resorbable surgical sealants and drug delivery platform polymers, he served as vice president and guided all materials-related activities, including all research and development activities related to Focal’s core polymer technologies. During a 16-year career at ALZA Corporation, where he began his career as a chemical engineer, Enscore held the titles of executive director, transdermal product development; director, new product discovery; director, physical sciences; and others. At ALZA, he managed the development of four controlled release pharmaceuticals including the NicoDerm CQ patch. Enscore is an inventor on 24 U.S. patents in drug delivery and medical devices.

Enscore earned both his doctorate in chemical engineering (with a minor in polymer science) and his bachelor’s in chemical engineering at North Carolina State University.

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