Aby J. Mathew, Ph.D.
Dr. Mathew was part of the founding team of BioLife Solutions, Inc., and is a co-developer of BioLife’s biopreservation media solutions. He is a co-inventor on multiple issued and pending patents related to methods, devices, and formulations for the preservation of cells, tissues, and organs. He holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences within the Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program from Binghamton University and a B.S. in Microbiology from Cornell University. Dr. Mathew has been researching low temperature biopreservation since 1994, and his studies contributed to the development of BioLife’s current commercial HypoThermosol® and CryoStor® product platforms and intellectual property foundation. Dr. Mathew was part of the scientific team that linked cell death via apoptosis (programmed cell death) to exposure to hypothermic and/or freezing temperatures. These discoveries were integral to the development of BioLife’s intracellular-like biopreservation media, and also contributed to improvements in cryosurgical ablation of cancer. Dr. Mathew was BioLife’s first Director of Manufacturing, established BioLife’s initial Quality system, and has been Executive Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer since December 2019. From February 2011 through November 2019, Dr. Mathew served as Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer. From January 2007 through February 2011, Dr. Mathew served as Senior Scientist, Director of Strategic Relations, and Senior Director of Strategic Relations. From June 2003 through January 2007, Dr. Mathew served as Director of Manufacturing. From September 2000 through June 2003, Dr. Mathew served as Clinical Accounts Manager and Director of Hypothermic Preservation for Cryomedical Sciences/BioLife Solutions. Dr. Mathew is currently active in, or previously a member of, AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks), BEST (the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion collaborative), the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT), the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS), Society for Cryobiology, International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER), American Society for Cell Biology, and the Society for In Vitro Biology. Dr. Mathew is a member of: the Board of Directors, and Advisory Panel, of the Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, the Scientific Advisory Board of HemaCare Corporation, the founding Board of Directors of the Cord Blood Association, the NIST-AMTech National Cell Manufacturing Consortium, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Clinical Advisory Panel, the Business Advisory Board of RoosterBio Inc., and the Scientific Advisory Board of SAVSU Technologies. Dr. Mathew has obtained UCLA Corporate Governance Program Certification
Andrew Hinson
(Member – Compensation, Corporate Governance Committees)
Andrew Hinson joined the Board in February 2007. Mr. Hinson served as Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs for LoneStar Heart, Inc. from 2004 to 2016. Mr. Hinson previously served as the Senior Director of research and clinical development at AnGes MG, Inc. (TSE: 4563) a biotechnology firm engaged in the development and commercialization of novel gene and cell therapies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Prior to that Mr. Hinson had a long career with Procter & Gamble Pharmaceutical (NYSE:PG) holding multiple technical and management positions in research, clinical development and medical affairs. Mr. Hinson has diverse experience in the cell and gene therapy markets and extensive experience with regulatory affairs and clinical development of new therapies for cardiac, neurologic, and gastrointestinal diseases. The Board has determined that Mr. Hinson should serve as a director because of his experience and knowledge of companies in the biotechnology space.
Anthony Davies, Ph.D.
Dr. Davies is Founder and CEO of Dark Horse Consulting, a boutique practice focused on CMC and product development issues in cell and gene therapy. After training as a biochemist, chemical engineer and molecular biologist, Dr. Davies has worked in the cell and gene therapy field for some 20 years. He brings with him an extensive track record in manufacturing, operational management and commercial development, most recently as Chief Technology Officer for Capricor, Inc. and Vice President, Product Development for Geron Corporation’s cell therapy programs. Dr. Davies received a MA in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of Birmingham. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute of Virology at Oxford and the University of California, San Francisco.
Colleen Delaney, M.D., M.Sc.
Founder, CSO, and Executive Vice President of Research and Development of Deverra Therapeutics, a cellular therapy company focused on the development of universal donor, off-the-shelf cell therapies for patients with hematologic malignances and other critical diseases. Prior to Deverra, Dr. Delaney was the Scientific Founder and Chief Medical and then Chief Scientific Officer of Nohla Therapeutics, Inc. She is also an Affiliate and former Member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Clinical Research Division where she also held the Madeline Dabney Adams Endowed Chair in AML Research and was the principal investigator of an active, NIH-funded laboratory. In 2006, she established and became the Director of the Cord Blood Transplant Program at the Fred Hutch/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. She is a Professor at the University of Washington in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Dr. Delaney received her MSc from Oxford University and her MD from Harvard Medical School and is the recipient of numerous awards, most recently as an inductee into the Life Sciences Washington Hall of Fame.
Dayong Gao, Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. Dr. Gao has been actively engaged in cryopreservation research for more than 20 years, and has authored over 130 peer-reviewed journal articles on cryopreservation.
Edward LeCluyse, Ph.D.
Senior Research Investigator at The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences. Dr. LeCluyse pioneered the use of HypoThermosol® and CryoStor® in improving preservation of research designated livers and derived commercial hepatocytes marketed to the pharmaceutical industry.
Erik Woods, Ph.D., HCLD(ABB)
Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Ossium Health, Inc., a company developing the first cryopreserved bone marrow bank from deceased organ and tissue donors. Dr. Woods is also a Visiting Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he has held an Adjunct position since 2003. Dr. Woods has devoted his career to advancing cell culture and cryopreservation to facilitate mainstream clinical use of cellular therapies, originally co-founding General BioTechnology, LLC (GBT) in 1997 which he led for 15 years and through successful acquisition by COOK Medical in 2012. Dr. Woods is former President of the Society for Cryobiology and has published numerous peer reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and holds multiple patents in the field.
Jason Acker, MBA, Ph.D.
Dr. Acker is a Senior Research Scientist with the Canadian Blood Services and a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. He received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Experimental Pathology and PhD in Medical Sciences degrees from the University of Alberta. Dr. Acker was a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He completed his Master of Business Administration in Technology Commercialization program at the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta in 2009.
Jerry E. Cooley, M.D.
Dr. Cooley is a board certified dermatologist and diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery (ABHRS). He has served in leadership positions including President of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) and co-editor of the Hair Transplant Forum, the main journal for hair transplant doctors. He has been performing hair transplants for almost 20 years.
John McMannis, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President of Manufacturing at Mesoblast Limited (ASX: MSB; OTC ADR: MBLTY). Dr. McMannis was previously the Director, Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, Division of Cancer Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Jon Rowley, Ph.D.
Entrepreneur and Independent Consultant, formerly the Innovation Director, Cell Processing Technologies at Lonza Biosciences. Jon has been responsible for driving technology development and innovation related to commercial scale bioprocessing of therapeutic cell-based products.
Lizabeth Cardwell, MT (ASCP), MBA, RAC
Principal, Compliance Consulting, LLC, a private consulting business offering quality and regulatory consulting services to cell therapy, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies.
Scott R. Burger, M.D.
Principal, Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy, a consulting firm specializing in cell, gene, and tissue-based therapies. Dr. Burger works with clients in industry and academic centers worldwide, providing assistance in process development and validation, GMP/GTP manufacturing, GMP facility design and operation, regulatory affairs, technology evaluation, and strategic analysis.
Shelly Heimfeld, Ph.D.
Director of Heimfeld Research Laboratory, Scientific Director of Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Scientific Director of cGMP Therapeutic Manufacturing Facilities, and former President of the International Society of Cellular Therapy. Dr. Heimfeld is internationally recognized for research in hematopoietic-derived stem cells and the development of cell processing technologies for improved cancer therapy.