Advanced Biobanking and Biotechnology

Igor Katkoc is a trained biophysicist with 30+ experience in cryobiology and cryogenic engineering. The last 5 years the reserach has been focused on the fundamental aspects of kinetic vitrification (K-VF) as welll on designing the practical system for K-VF KrioBlastâ„¢ (in cooperation with V.F. Bolyukh from Ukraine). Chief Scientific Officer of CELLTRONIX (San Diego, CA, USA). Has recently accepted a professor-level position of the Head of the Laboratory of amorphous stae in the Belgorod National Research University, Russia.

Reproductive Biology & Cryobiology

Dr. Young is internationally known as a leader and innovator in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He introduced prenatal genetic diagnosis and performed the first amniocenteses at the NYU Medical Center, founding the Prenatal Diagnosis program in 1972 and the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine in 1975. Other innovations followed, including fetal heart rate monitoring, fetal scalp blood pH, umbilical artery blood measurements in labor, intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate for pre-eclampsia instead of an intramuscular injection, the world’s first Obstetrical Intensive Care Unit, and a technique for fetoscopic closure of preterm ruptured membranes. He has edited 2 books on Maternal-Fetal Medicine and written 2 books for the general reader. He directed the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine until 2005 and presently directs the NYU Pregnancy Loss Prevention Center. He is a member of the Kimmel Stem Cell Center at NYU Medical Center. His current research focuses on human amniotic fluid derived stem cells.

Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine

Kelvin Brockbank, CEO, and Founder of Tissue Testing Technologies LLC is a Research Professor of Bioengineering at Clemson University and Adjunct Professor of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina. His research interests include cell, tissue and organ cryopreservation for test systems and transplantation and manufacturing methods for cell-based bioengineered therapy products. His work has led to the establishment of two successful publicly traded low temperature technology platform companies, CryoLife, Inc., and Lifeline Scientific. He has over 500 publications and presentations at national and international conferences including more than 30 patents related to hypothermic, frozen and vitrified biomaterial preservation.

Cryopreservation

Pasquale De Blasio, is an international manager with more than 40 years experience in industrial and academic positions. He is the founder and Managing Director of ISENET (Integrated Systems Engineering srl (www.isenet.it) an Italian SME which operates in the following fiends: 1. Tissue Microarray Technology, with the design, manufacture and distribution world wide of the Galileo Tissue Microarray Instruments (http://www.isenet.it/index.php/eu/products/ck-family) and (http://www.isenet.it/index.php/eu/services/cell-microarray-services) 2. Stem Cell Banking (including iPS). Service provider of Characterization, Quality Control, Cryopreservation and distribution of high quality and well characterized stem cells lines (http://www.isenet.it/index.php/eu/services/cytogenetic-services) 3. Biobanking International Consultant. Consultant to the Qatar Foundation and member of the Qatar Biobank Advasory Committee (http://www.qatarbiobank.org.qa/). Founding Member of the Management Committee of the GET Consortium (Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium - http://www.getafrica.org/)

Tissue Microarray

Dr. Mathew was part of the founding team of BioLife Solutions, Inc., and is a co-developer of BioLife’s biopreservation media solutions. 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 BioLife’s first Director of Manufacturing, established BioLife’s initial Quality system, and is currently Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Mathew is a member of: AABB, BEST Collaborative, ISCT, ARM, TERMIS, and the Society for Cryobiology. Dr. Mathew is a member of the Board of Directors and the 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, and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Clinical Advisory Panel.

Biopreservation