Illuminating biomarker detection – Leading the way in personalized medicine.
Darren Davis, Ph.D.
Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO
Darren Davis is a world recognized cancer researcher who has published 40 scientific articles and edited the book Antiangiogenic Cancer Therapy. Dr. Davis founded ApoCell in 2004 to commercialize biomarker technologies that monitors the effectiveness of cancer drugs by measuring biomarker expression patterns in tumor biopsy specimens. The proprietary method was developed to discover and validate methods to assess the effects of cancer drugs directed at specific molecular targets including antiangiogenic therapies. Dr. Davis received his doctorate from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Biomedical Sciences and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.
Natalie Gassen, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Natalie Gassen, CPA is a very strong, results oriented, executive with over 14 years of professional experience with both public and private companies. She has demonstrated a record of success in leading business growth with experience in a diverse range of business types from banking, to manufacturing, to technology, to service businesses. A graduate of Lamar University, Natalie acted as CFO for Triad Resources, helping lead the company through a period of over 400% growth after holding successful roles at BMC Software, Deloitte and Touche, and Community Bank. Natalie is skilled in defining strategy and in formulating and executing the business plans necessary to meet objectives. She has successfully managed and continues to manage multiple business functions including accounting/finance, legal, information technology and human resources, and has experience with a myriad of functions within those categories including financial negotiations and valuations, strategy development and execution, and software implementations. Natalie is a member of TSCPA and Financial Executives International.
Glen A. Ferguson, MBA
Vice President, Molecular Biomarkers
With over 19 years of experience in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries, Mr. Ferguson is responsible for directing the business development, marketing, and strategic alliance activities of the company. Mr. Ferguson joins ApoCell after holding roles of increasing responsibility and scope at organizations such as Beckman Coulter Genomics, Cogenics, Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Mr. Ferguson holds a B.S. in Biology from the College of Charleston, an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina, and is a Six Sigma Green Belt.
Christoph Sachsenmaier, Ph.D.
Vice President, Business Development – Europe
Christoph has more than 11 years of Business Development, Sales and Marketing expertise in the Biotechnology and Life Science Industry. Prior to joining ApoCell in June 2011, Christoph held senior management positions at ProQinase GmbH, Epigenomics AG and Beckman Coulter Genomics. In these positions Christoph worked with partners in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industry in all phases of drug discovery and development, biomarker research and drug/diagnostic co-development. Christoph is a molecular biologist by training and received his Ph.D. from the University of Innsbruck, Austria and spent his postgraduate research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, USA. Christoph lives and works in Berlin, Germany.
Jim Walther, MBA
Vice President, ApoStreamâ„¢ Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
Jim Walther has over 20 years in the Life Sciences Industry specializing in business development and research management. Mr. Walther is responsible for the business development and strategic partnerships for ApoStreamâ„¢ technology and diagnostics. Previously to joining ApoCell, Mr. Walther spent 11 years building the business operations and business development infrastructure for Source MDx, an early stage molecular diagnostics company. His experience also includes management roles at the Department of Surgical Research at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC), American Home Products (now Pfizer), Fort Dodge Laboratories (now Pfizer Animal Health) and Hoffmann-La Roche. Mr. Walther received his M.B.A. from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado.
Carolyn F. Gillespie, M.S., C.Q.M.
Director, Quality Assurance
Carolyn Gillespie has twenty years experience as a quality professional in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Prior to ApoCell, she has held quality management positions at Pfizer, Abbott, Regis Technologies, and Cyberonics. Ms. Gillespie has expertise in regulatory compliance, project management, document control, auditing, and validation. She holds a professional Certification in Quality Management from the American Society for Quality and a M.S. in Chemistry from Northwestern University.
David K. Hasegawa, M.S.
Vice President, Product Development
David Hasegawa has over 30 years of experience in product development, including 15+ years of senior engineering management experience with firms focusing on medical device and diagnostic system development in accordance with FDA CFR 820 and ISO 13485. Positions held by Mr. Hasegawa include: Vice President, Product Development at BC Tech, a firm specializing in medical devices where he was responsible for all product development programs; Director, Device at Novo Nordisk, where he was responsible for building and managing device department to develop and manufacture an electro-mechanical pulmonary drug delivery device; and Director, Device Development at Aradigm where he was responsible for driving technical feasibility studies in support of development of pulmonary drug delivery devices. He received both his BS in Engineering Science (focus on bio-engineering) and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a licensed professional engineer through the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
Vlada Melnikova, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Research and Development
Vlada Melnikova has over 10 years of post-doctoral experience in molecular and cellular biology and cancer biology. She is leading an effort on new method development for molecular characterization of Circulating Tumor Cells including analysis of cancer-related genetic alterations and gene expression. She received her M.D. from Russian State Medical University and Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from the University of Henri Poincare, Nancy France. Dr. Melnikova is an author of 34 peer reviewed scientific publications, reviews and book chapters on cell signaling, cancer genetics and cancer metastasis.
Elena Jouravleva, Ph.D.
Director, Molecular Biology and Lab Operations
Elena has more than 13 years of experience in Biotechnology and Life Science Industry with 10 years of Contract Research Organization expertise. Prior to joining ApoCell in May 2011, Elena held senior management positions at Lark Technologies/Cogenics/Beckman Coulter Genomics. She brings to the ApoCell team a combination of broad scientific expertise with a focus on molecular biology and biomarkers, management, leadership and problem solving skills, deep understanding of biotech and pharmaceutical industry and customers, regulatory compliance, product development, business line management and sales/marketing knowledge. Elena received her M.S. degree in biology; completed her Ph.D. in Russian Research Anti-Plague Institute, “Microbe” on genetics of Vibrio Cholerae, and spent her postgraduate research at the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Jacky Woo, Ph.D., MBA
Director, Translational Research
Jacky Woo has over 15 years biotechnology industry experience with expertise in drug development in small molecules and biologics for both immune system related diseases and cancer. Dr. Woo is a recognized expert in biomarkers and has over 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications and co-authors in book chapters and review articles. He is a co-inventor of 4 issued U.S. patents on the use of heme oxygenase modulator in immunoregulation. Dr. Woo received his Ph.D. in Immunology from University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, and his MBA from San Jose State University.
Larry E. Kahn, M.S.
Director, Cellular Analysis
Larry Kahn has 25 years pharmaceutical industry experience with expertise utilizing flow cytometry and cellular analysis in preclincical research and and biomarker development. Mr. Kahn is recognized as an expert in the incorporation of cellular analysis technologies into Pharma drug discovery projects and has co-authored 25 papers in peer reviewed scientific journals. He is also a co-inventor of 4 U.S. and World patents. Mr. Kahn received his M.S. degree from the University of Iowa, Iowa City.