Based in Irvine, California with R&D lab facilities located in San Diego, California, Cellgen’s core platform is based on a portfolio of patent-pending technologies exclusively licensed from the laboratory of Dr. Yuhwa Lo at the University of California San Diego.
The Cellgen team consists of experienced diagnostic, clinical and entrepreneurial executives that have unique insights into the development of a successful start-up enterprise through initial product launch. Cellgen also retains a strategic and medical advisory team composed of industry veterans and opinion leaders with strong track records in the diagnostic and medical industries. Collectively, we have over 100 years of diagnostic experience along with over 150 products commercialized through the FDA.
Team
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LAVANCE L. NORTHINGTON, MBAMr. Northington brings more than 25 years of entrepreneurial and corporate leadership experience. His career has focused on strategic partnership, corporate development and operational efficiencies in founding and growing several start-up technology companies. Most recently, Mr. Northington co founded and was President at Soberlink, Inc., developer of the worlds first handheld, wireless breathalyzer. Mr. Northington has held leadership roles at several mid market and start up firms as well as senior level sales positions at Fortune 100 companies like Avaya, ATT and Verizon Business. He earned his M.B.A from Oregon State University.
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Richard Creager, Ph.D.Mr. Creager has over 35 years of diagnostic experience having served as a Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Beckman Coulter where he took the molecular diagnostic unit from $40M to $700M in revenue during his tenure. He also led the immunoassay business for Beckman Coulter. Richard has over 150 products that have been commercialized through the FDA approval process.
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Dr. Maher Albitar, M.D.Dr. Albitar is formally trained in clinical pathology, hematopathology, and genetics. During his professional and academic tenure, he has published over 300 publications including peer-reviewed papers, review articles and book chapters focused on molecular characterization and diagnosis of cancer. He previously served as Chief Medical Officer and Director of Research and Development at NeoGenomics. Prior to NeoGenomics, Dr. Albitar served as the Medical Director of Hematopathology and Oncology and Chief of R&D for Hematopathology and Oncology, Quest Diagnostics. He has held academic positions at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center as Tenured Full Professor, Director of Leukemia and Director of Molecular Laboratory in the Departments of Laboratory Medicine/Pathology.
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JOHN RADAK, MBAJohn is a well respected Wall Street CFO with public and private experience at global, mid-size medical, manufacturing, life sciences, CPG, technology and ecommerce companies. John has served as CFO and similar positions at ArborGen, Inc., Quidel and Life Technologies and is known for transforming businesses to create value.
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BOB MATSON, Ph.D.Bob has 30+ years in DNA, RNA and Protein microarray-based research & development. Bob has 12 US patents and 6 European patents and was voted into the Beckman Coulter Inventors Hall of Fame. Was the co-Inventor of the A2 microarray system and introduced the concept of using arrays within conventional plastic microtiter plates. He has deep experience in microarray production, multiplexed assay development, gene expression, immunoassay, allergen testing automation, surface chemistries and novel devices.
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Bill Coty, Ph.D.Mr. Coty has over 35 years of diagnostic experience and has served in VP of Research and Development roles at several molecular diagnostic companies. He has a successful record of directing multi-disciplinary, product-focused biotechnology R&D programs, with experience in clinical diagnostic and life science research product design, manufacturing process development, production-level scale-up, regulatory clearance and GMP/ISO compliance.
Advisory Board
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Dipak Shah, BSEE, MSEE, MBAMr. Shah has over 30 years in financial services and technology as a former investment banker where he led financing on over $1.5Billion in financial transactions, including Initial Public Offerings, Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions. As a CEO, Mr. Shah has had success developing, leading and growing organizations from inception to IPO or sale that ranged from $40M-$750M. Mr. Shah brings a disciplined and strategic approach that is invaluable to the team.
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YUHWA LO, Ph.D.Dr. Lo is the lead inventor of this technology. As a Professor of Electrical Computer Engineering at UCSD, Dr. Lo heads a team of 17 Ph.D and Postdoc researchers where their focus is on biomedical devices and systems, bioelectronics, microfluidics, nanophotonics, and semiconductor nanoscaled devices. He also serves as the Director of the Nano3 Facility (Nanoscience, Nanoengineering, and Nanomedicine). Dr Lo has published nearly 400 technical papers, 10 book chapters, been awarded 26 patents and has spun-out several technologies from his lab that have been commercialized.
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ROBERT THOMPSON, MBACurrently CEO of Emerge Diagnostics, Robert has been CEO of 2 previous venture-backed firms that achieved considerable shareholder value with their exits. Robert has been employed at the "C" level for over 20 years and brings a great deal of operational experience in growing small biotech companies to exit. As the CEO, he architected the sale of eScreen to Allere.
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ALEXANDER KHALESSI, MD, MSA board-certified neurosurgeon, Dr. Khalessi is also an associate Professor of Surgery and Neurosciencesat the University of California @ San Diego. Dr. Khalessi is the vice chairman of clinical affairs, the director of endovascular neurosurgery and surgical director of neurocritical care. Dr. Khalessi is the only neurosurgeon to serve on the Interventional Advisory Panel for the StrokeNetSteering Committee and also leads the National Football League's (NFL) Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant (UNC) Program in the Southern California region.
