Expert Details

Molecular Biology, Molecular Pathology, Polymerase Chain Reaction Technology

ID: 107825 Pennsylvania, USA

Expert has expertise in the adaptation and development of molecular biological techniques to answer medical questions of human genetics, differential gene expression, diagnostics, epidemiology, and pathogenesis, particularly in regard to infectious agents and genetic diseases.

The CGS is a multidisciplinary center designed to foster gene discovery research through family studies and comparative expression studies. Recent work has resulted in the mapping and cloning of several human disease genes including: Crouzon syndrome, hereditary pancreatitis, DAIA.

Expert has worked extensively with the human retroviruses, HIV and HTLV, and was instrumental in the original development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology for the identification of low copy number infectious agents like the AIDS virus (HIV) and HTLV-I and -II. He has also developed specific serological and antigenic assays for retroviral detection and nucleic acid-based diagnostics for these viruses.

Recently, he has developed PCR-based assays for hepatitis C virus, lyme disease, TB, otitis media, CMV and others. In addition, he was instrumental in using PCR technology for quantitative assessments of viral load, and in coupling PCR with reverse transcriptase for RNA amplification. He served as founding co-chair of the Infectious Disease Section of the Association of Molecular Pathology (AMP)

He was involved in the detection of HTLV-I in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in cases of chronic progressive myelopathy. The PCR technologies have provided a means to monitor the spread of a specific infectious agent through various populations via different modes of transmission and to monitor changes in HIV over time. PCR has also been used by him for the analysis of HIV'S ability to infect different cell types in both humans and chimpanzees.

Expert is currently establishing the Center for Genomic Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. He is exploring the utility of PCR as a means to identify food pathogens, settle paternity suits, provide linkage for genomic mapping, examine flanking regions of proviral integration sites, accomplish in-vitro mutagenesis, and analyze genetic variability. He is also knowledgeable of hybrid toxins, PCR-based cloning and mutagenesis techniques, and DNA sequencing and synthesis.

Most recently he has been charged with the design and operationalization of a University’s COVID-19 testing facility. Expert began his career as one of the founders of the field of clinical molecular diagnostics (MDx), having been involved in the original application of PCR for the detection of human retroviruses in 1985. His vision and expertise came together in 1989 when he was hired to launch what became the MDx Division. From these experiences he then authored the first text book for infectious disease MDx2, and together with a team of like-minded pioneers he was one of the founders of the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) for which he served as one of the first co-chairs of the AMP ID section. At his signature center, he and his teams have pioneered many of the genomic and MDX technologies that have revolutionized these fields over the past quarter century including microsatellite mapping, microarrays, GWAS, PCR-ESI-TOF-MS, next generation sequencing and now third generation sequencing technologies 3,5,11,13.

Expert was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science based on his work in the development of molecular diagnostics and modelling bacterial pathogenesis.

**Please note- expert has an extensive CV- available upon request.

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Education

Year	Degree	Subject	Institution
Year: 1987	Degree: Ph.D.	Subject: Molecular Biology	Institution: Syracuse University
Year: 1977	Degree: B.A.	Subject: Biology	Institution: Alfred University

Work History

Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2016 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Executive Director Meta-Omics Core	Department: (Genomics, Transcriptomics, Epigenomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Bioinformatics)
Responsibilities: An NCI-designated Consortium Cancer Center including Thomas Jefferson University and Drexel University
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2013 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Founder and Head	Department:
Responsibilities: Received $5 million in Series A funding
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2013 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Professor of Microbiology and Immunology	Department:
Responsibilities: Primary academic appointment
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2013 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Professor and Director of Research Dept of Otolaryngology	Department:
Responsibilities: Secondary academic appointment.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2013 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Executive Director	Department:
Responsibilities: Center for Genomic Sciences (CGS) Center for Advanced Microbial Processing (CAMP) Genomics Core Facility
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2017 to Present	Employer: Undisclosed	Title: Executive Director	Department:
Responsibilities: Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2011 to 2013	Employer: GenLab	Title: Founder and CSO	Department:
Responsibilities: TX-based MDx start-up with License from Abbott Molecular’s Ibis Bioscience Division to develop FDA-approved kits to run on the PLEX-ID for specific clinical indications (Orthopaedics, GU, Respiratory).
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1997 to 2013	Employer: Drexel Uninversity College of Medicine (DUCOM)	Title: Professor and Vice Chairman	Department:
Responsibilities: Professor of Human Genetics, Otolaryngology, Pathology, and Surgery; Executive Director, Center for Genomic Sciences; and Vice Chairman, Department of Human Genetics.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2009 to 2012	Employer: Genomisphere	Title: Founder and CSO	Department:
Responsibilities: Indiana PA-based bioinformatics start-up with license from Relavance to develop genomic and biotech-based applications for Relavance’s revolutionary n-dimensional data architecture.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 2009 to 2011	Employer: FracBiologics	Title: Founder and CSO	Department:
Responsibilities: Pittsburgh PA-based bioremediation start-up company based on a group of founders’ patents to use bacterial biofilms for hydraulic fracture water and acid mine drainage water clean-up.
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1996 to 1997	Employer: University of Pittsburgh & the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center	Title: Associate Professor of Pathology and Otolarygology	Department: School of Medicine
Responsibilities:
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1990 to 1997	Employer: University of Pittsburgh & the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center	Title: Head, Molecular Diagnostics Unit	Department: School of Medicine
Responsibilities:
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1990 to 1997	Employer: University of Pittsburgh & the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center	Title: Assistant Professor	Department: School of Medicine
Responsibilities:
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1989 to 1990	Employer: SUNY HSC@ Syracuse & Syracuse University	Title: Assistant Professor	Department:
Responsibilities:
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1987 to 1988	Employer: SUNY HSC@ Syracuse & Syracuse University	Title: Post-Doctoral Work in Hematology and Oncology	Department:
Responsibilities:
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1983 to 1984	Employer: Genetic Engineering Group	Title: Research Scientist B	Department: Bristol Myers Industrial Division
Responsibilities: -Characterized expression patterns of amidohydrolase and purified mRNA from Fusarium oxysporum -Establish in vitro translation assay for F. oxysporum mRNA
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1980 to 1981	Employer: Bethesda Research Laboratories	Title: Research Microbiologist	Department:
Responsibilities: Cloning and mutagenesis of genes for amino acid biosynthesis
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1978 to 1980	Employer: Self Employed	Title:	Department:
Responsibilities: Agri-business
Years	Employer	Title	Department
Years: 1975 to 1977	Employer: Alfred University	Title: Sponsored Tutor	Department: Biological and Chemical Sciences
Responsibilities: Laboratory specimen preparation

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
Board of Directors: Member, Board of Directors, Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI) Member, Board of Directors, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF) Treasurer, Board of Directors, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF) Founder and Treasurer, Mark Shirtliff Memorial Biofilm Foundation President, Board of Directors, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF) Memberships: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Sigma Xi American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG) Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) International Society for Otitis Media (ISOM) – Founding member American Association for Aging Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists Association for Research in Otolaryngology Society for Leukocyte Biology Association for Molecular Pathology - Founding Member Infectious Diseases Committee Co-Chair Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Institute American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Tissue Engineering Society Member, Drexel University’s COVID-19 Leadership Team Advisory Committees Alfred University - Health Sciences Advisory Committee NIDCD - Molecular Genetics of Speech and Language Development NIDCD – Board of Scientific Counselors, ad hoc Medical Biofilms (Symposium) – Tokyo Japan Pasteur Institute – Research Program Evaluations committee, external ad hoc

Associations / Societies

Board of Directors:
Member, Board of Directors, Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI)
Member, Board of Directors, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF)
Treasurer, Board of Directors, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF)
Founder and Treasurer, Mark Shirtliff Memorial Biofilm Foundation
President, Board of Directors, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Education Foundation (ILADEF)

Memberships:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
Sigma Xi
American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG)
Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF)
International Society for Otitis Media (ISOM) – Founding member
American Association for Aging
Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists
Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists
Association for Research in Otolaryngology
Society for Leukocyte Biology
Association for Molecular Pathology - Founding Member
Infectious Diseases Committee Co-Chair
Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Institute
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Tissue Engineering Society

Member, Drexel University’s COVID-19 Leadership Team

Advisory Committees
Alfred University - Health Sciences Advisory Committee
NIDCD - Molecular Genetics of Speech and Language Development
NIDCD – Board of Scientific Counselors, ad hoc
Medical Biofilms (Symposium) – Tokyo Japan
Pasteur Institute – Research Program Evaluations committee, external ad hoc

Licenses / Certifications
New York State License – Direct Detection of Infectious Agents – DNA (1994 – 2008)

Professional Appointments
Academic and Administrative Positions: Professor of Microbiology and Immunology DUCOM (primary academic appointment) Professor and Director of Research Dept of Otolaryngology DUCOM (secondary academic appointment) Executive Director, Center for Genomic Sciences (CGS), Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, DUCOM Executive Director, Center for Advanced Microbial Processing (CAMP), Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, DUCOM Executive Director, Genomics Core Facility, Clinical and Translation Research Institute, DUCOM Executive Director, Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, DUCOM Member, Drexel University’s COVID-19 Leadership Team Executive Director Meta-Omics Core (Genomics, Transcriptomics, Epigenomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Bioinformatics) Assistant – Associate Professor of Pathology (with early promotion and tenure granted at five years), University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine Assistant – Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh Head, Molecular Diagnostics Unit, Department of Pathology Clinical Director, Central Testing Facility, Molecular Diagnostics Division, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Member, Graduate Faculty, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine Director, Core PCR Facility, Department of Pathology Adjunct Member, Central Blood Bank of Pittsburgh Assistant – Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, and Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Chief, Virology, Microbiology and Infectious Disease Section, Molecular Diagnostics Division, Department of Pathology Acting Director, Molecular Diagnostics Division Executive Director, Center for Genomic Sciences, University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Research Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, SUNY Health Science Center @ Syracuse and Principal Research Scientist SUNY Research Foundation Research Instructor, Department of Medicine, SUNY Health Science Center @ Syracuse Technical Specialist II, SUNY Research Foundation at SUNY Health Science Center @Syracuse -Development of PCR as a diagnostic tool in retrovirology -Evaluation of the effect of retroviral infections on chromosomal methylation patterns Technical Specialist I, SUNY HSC @ Syracuse -Detection, epidemiology and spectrum of disease associated with HIV, HTLV-I and II -Correlation of HTLV-I tax gene expression with disease Doctoral Student, Syracuse University, Biology Department Research Specialist, Syracuse University, Biology Department

Professional Appointments

Academic and Administrative Positions:
Professor of Microbiology and Immunology DUCOM (primary academic appointment)
Professor and Director of Research Dept of Otolaryngology DUCOM (secondary academic appointment)
Executive Director, Center for Genomic Sciences (CGS), Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, DUCOM
Executive Director, Center for Advanced Microbial Processing (CAMP), Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, DUCOM
Executive Director, Genomics Core Facility, Clinical and Translation Research Institute, DUCOM
Executive Director, Center for Surgical Infections and Biofilms, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, DUCOM
Member, Drexel University’s COVID-19 Leadership Team
Executive Director Meta-Omics Core (Genomics, Transcriptomics, Epigenomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Bioinformatics)
Assistant – Associate Professor of Pathology (with early promotion and tenure granted at five years), University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Assistant – Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases & Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh
Head, Molecular Diagnostics Unit, Department of Pathology
Clinical Director, Central Testing Facility, Molecular Diagnostics Division, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Member, Graduate Faculty, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
Director, Core PCR Facility, Department of Pathology
Adjunct Member, Central Blood Bank of Pittsburgh
Assistant – Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, and Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Chief, Virology, Microbiology and Infectious Disease Section, Molecular Diagnostics Division, Department of Pathology
Acting Director, Molecular Diagnostics Division
Executive Director, Center for Genomic Sciences, University of Pittsburgh and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, SUNY Health Science Center @ Syracuse and Principal Research Scientist SUNY Research Foundation
Research Instructor, Department of Medicine, SUNY Health Science Center @ Syracuse
Technical Specialist II, SUNY Research Foundation at SUNY Health Science Center @Syracuse -Development of PCR as a diagnostic tool in retrovirology -Evaluation of the effect of retroviral infections on chromosomal methylation patterns
Technical Specialist I, SUNY HSC @ Syracuse -Detection, epidemiology and spectrum of disease associated with HIV, HTLV-I and II -Correlation of HTLV-I tax gene expression with disease
Doctoral Student, Syracuse University, Biology Department
Research Specialist, Syracuse University, Biology Department

Awards / Recognition
Visiting Professor, Cleveland Clinic Heritage Foundation Lecturer, Cross Cancer Institute Edmonton CANADA Honorary Professor of Medical Genetics, West China University of the Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China Adjunct Professor of Biomedical & Health Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Visiting Professor, Shantou University School of Medicine, Shantou, Guangdong, China Foreign Visiting Professor, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, CHINA Visiting Professor, Skin Diseases Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio Dr. Andrew Bruce and Margaret Bruce Visiting Scholar, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, CANADA Visiting Professor, Department of Botany & Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia (project aborted after first phase due to low oil prices) Visiting Professor, Massey University, North Palmerston, NEW ZEALAND Conference Chair (honory) BioSpectrum, University of Engineering and Management, Kolkata INDIA New York State Regents Scholarship Advanced biology GRE 840 (98th percentile) American Chemical Society Organic Chemistry Exam 56 (99th percentile) Departmental Honors (Biology) conferred upon graduation from Alfred University Member Phi Kappa Phi, Alfred University (general scholastic honorary) Nominated by Alfred University for the Danforth Fellowship competition Honorable mention NSF predoctoral fellowship competition National Institutes of Health predoctoral Fellowship, University of Chicago Research Assistant SUNY HSC at Syracuse Invited Participant, NIH Workshop on PCR Invited participant NMMS meeting on MS, HTLV-1 and PCR, Montreal, Canada Invited participant NCI symposia on HTLV-I Invited participant NIAID symposia on detecting HIV-1 in urogenital fluid Honorary member, Association of Medical & Laboratory Immunologists Invited Participant, NICHD/NIDCD Symposia on Infectious agents and SIDS Cited in Marquis's Who's Who in the East Cited in Marquis's Who's Who in Science and Engineering Invited speaker NIDCD Council Meeting Alumni Citation Award, Alfred University, Alfred, New York Heritage Foundation Lecture, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta CANADA Feinstein Lecturer, Alfred University, Alfred, New York Invited Guest, Visible Genetics, Toronto Ontario, Canada Invited Guest, Third Wave Technologies, Madison, Wisconsin Invited Speaker & Guest, Kaiyuan Bioengineering, Ltd., Xian, CHINA Invited Participant, NIDCD Workshop on Molecular Genetics of Language and Speech Acquisition Career featured as cover story in the Sunday Magazine Section of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Keynote speaker, National Convention of Directors of Clinical Diagnosis Centers and the National Symposium of the Academic Exchange for young scientists, sponsoring agency, Health Ministry of P. R. China, Xian, CHINA Work on medical biofilms featured in news article in Science Cited in Marquis’ Who’s Who in America Invited Participant, DARPA biowarfare PI’s conference, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Guest of Honor, PAGER’s Annual Walk-Run, San Diego, CA National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Board of Scientific Counselors, ad hoc Invited Participant, NIH NIDCD Workshop, Otitis Media: New Approaches for Analysis, Treatment, and Prevention, Rockville, MD Invited Participant, MCP-Hahnemann University Pre-Commencement Dinner with Dr. Craig Venter, Philadelphia, PA Keynote Speaker, Indian Association of Medical Microbiology, Silver Jubilee Meeting, New Delhi, India Invited Speaker, NIDCD Council Meeting Cited in the Marquis Who’s Who is Medicine and Healthcare 5th Edition, 6th Edition, 7th Edition, etc Finalist, Healthcare Hero Award, Research and Innovation, Pittsburgh Business Times Top 1% of cited authors for journals in the Life Sciences NSF Panel Member on Future Areas for Biotechnology Research and Development Invited Participant NIH Human Microbiome Project: Community Outreach Workshop Visiting Professor, Skin Diseases Research Center, Case Western Reserve University Invited Participant, NHLBI Workshop on the Lung Microbiome Career featured as a sidebar in an article written for ASM’s Microbe Morton Klein Memorial Conference, Distinguished Speaker, Temple University School of Medicine Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Career featured in Syracuse Biology Department alumni magazine, BIO@SU Career featured in Drexel University’s Annual Research Magazine, Exel Outstanding Established Investigator Award from the Graduate School for Biomedical Science and Professional Studies, Drexel University Julian Marsh Faculty Scholar Award, Drexel University Career featured in an article “Rewriting the Book on Alzheimer’s Disease” Drexel University College of Medicine Alumni Magazine 5:8-9 Research featured (w/ PhD student Kayla Socarras) in an article "What Makes Lyme Tick” in Drexel University’s Annual Research Magazine, Exel Keynote Speaker, Biospectrum Kolkata, India

Awards / Recognition

Visiting Professor, Cleveland Clinic
Heritage Foundation Lecturer, Cross Cancer Institute Edmonton CANADA
Honorary Professor of Medical Genetics, West China University of the Medical Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Adjunct Professor of Biomedical & Health Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Visiting Professor, Shantou University School of Medicine, Shantou, Guangdong, China
Foreign Visiting Professor, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, CHINA
Visiting Professor, Skin Diseases Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Dr. Andrew Bruce and Margaret Bruce Visiting Scholar, Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, CANADA
Visiting Professor, Department of Botany & Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia (project aborted after first phase due to low oil prices)
Visiting Professor, Massey University, North Palmerston, NEW ZEALAND
Conference Chair (honory) BioSpectrum, University of Engineering and Management, Kolkata INDIA
New York State Regents Scholarship
Advanced biology GRE 840 (98th percentile)
American Chemical Society Organic Chemistry Exam 56 (99th percentile)
Departmental Honors (Biology) conferred upon graduation from Alfred University
Member Phi Kappa Phi, Alfred University (general scholastic honorary)
Nominated by Alfred University for the Danforth Fellowship competition
Honorable mention NSF predoctoral fellowship competition
National Institutes of Health predoctoral Fellowship, University of Chicago
Research Assistant SUNY HSC at Syracuse
Invited Participant, NIH Workshop on PCR
Invited participant NMMS meeting on MS, HTLV-1 and PCR, Montreal, Canada
Invited participant NCI symposia on HTLV-I
Invited participant NIAID symposia on detecting HIV-1 in urogenital fluid
Honorary member, Association of Medical & Laboratory Immunologists
Invited Participant, NICHD/NIDCD Symposia on Infectious agents and SIDS
Cited in Marquis's Who's Who in the East
Cited in Marquis's Who's Who in Science and Engineering
Invited speaker NIDCD Council Meeting
Alumni Citation Award, Alfred University, Alfred, New York
Heritage Foundation Lecture, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta CANADA
Feinstein Lecturer, Alfred University, Alfred, New York
Invited Guest, Visible Genetics, Toronto Ontario, Canada
Invited Guest, Third Wave Technologies, Madison, Wisconsin
Invited Speaker & Guest, Kaiyuan Bioengineering, Ltd., Xian, CHINA
Invited Participant, NIDCD Workshop on Molecular Genetics of Language and Speech Acquisition
Career featured as cover story in the Sunday Magazine Section of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Keynote speaker, National Convention of Directors of Clinical Diagnosis Centers and the National Symposium of the Academic Exchange for young scientists, sponsoring agency, Health Ministry of P. R. China, Xian, CHINA
Work on medical biofilms featured in news article in Science
Cited in Marquis’ Who’s Who in America
Invited Participant, DARPA biowarfare PI’s conference, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Guest of Honor, PAGER’s Annual Walk-Run, San Diego, CA
National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Board of Scientific Counselors, ad hoc
Invited Participant, NIH NIDCD Workshop, Otitis Media: New Approaches for Analysis, Treatment, and Prevention, Rockville, MD
Invited Participant, MCP-Hahnemann University Pre-Commencement Dinner with Dr. Craig Venter, Philadelphia, PA
Keynote Speaker, Indian Association of Medical Microbiology, Silver Jubilee Meeting, New Delhi, India
Invited Speaker, NIDCD Council Meeting
Cited in the Marquis Who’s Who is Medicine and Healthcare 5th Edition, 6th Edition, 7th Edition, etc
Finalist, Healthcare Hero Award, Research and Innovation, Pittsburgh Business Times
Top 1% of cited authors for journals in the Life Sciences
NSF Panel Member on Future Areas for Biotechnology Research and Development
Invited Participant NIH Human Microbiome Project: Community Outreach Workshop
Visiting Professor, Skin Diseases Research Center, Case Western Reserve University
Invited Participant, NHLBI Workshop on the Lung Microbiome
Career featured as a sidebar in an article written for ASM’s Microbe
Morton Klein Memorial Conference, Distinguished Speaker, Temple University School of Medicine
Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Career featured in Syracuse Biology Department alumni magazine, BIO@SU
Career featured in Drexel University’s Annual Research Magazine, Exel
Outstanding Established Investigator Award from the Graduate School for Biomedical Science and Professional Studies, Drexel University
Julian Marsh Faculty Scholar Award, Drexel University
Career featured in an article “Rewriting the Book on Alzheimer’s Disease” Drexel University College of Medicine Alumni Magazine 5:8-9
Research featured (w/ PhD student Kayla Socarras) in an article "What Makes Lyme Tick” in Drexel University’s Annual Research Magazine, Exel
Keynote Speaker, Biospectrum Kolkata, India

Medical / Professional
Founded, operationalized, and directed the: PCR Core Facility; the Molecular Diagnostics Unit; and the Infectious Diseases Section of the Molecular Diagnostics Division in the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). These facilities were among the very first CAP and CLIA certified MDx facilities and provided routine clinical molecular diagnostics testing for infectious disease agents to UPMC patients. Founding Director of Molecular Diagnostics for Oncogenetics, Phoenix, AZ. Obtained Certificate of Qualification as Lab Director for DNA Detection of Infectious Agents from the State of New York State, Department of Public Health (Wadsworth Laboratories).

Medical / Professional

Founded, operationalized, and directed the: PCR Core Facility; the Molecular Diagnostics Unit; and the Infectious Diseases Section of the Molecular Diagnostics Division in the Department of Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). These facilities were among the very first CAP and CLIA certified MDx facilities and provided routine clinical molecular diagnostics testing for infectious disease agents to UPMC patients.

Founding Director of Molecular Diagnostics for Oncogenetics, Phoenix, AZ. Obtained Certificate of Qualification as Lab Director for DNA Detection of Infectious Agents from the State of New York State, Department of Public Health (Wadsworth Laboratories).

Publications and Patents Summary
He has been a very prolific author of scientific publications and has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international scientific forums. In 1994, Expert published a comprehensive book on PCR-based clinical diagnostics for infectious agents. Scholarly Citation Metrics - Google Scholar: h-factor 72; ~22,000 citations (~ 1100-1400/year) - Google Scholar decadal citation classic for otolaryngology, 2017 - Faculty of 1000 citations for 6 manuscripts for which served as corresponding author or PI (2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012) - Research Gate score = 50.41 (98th percentile); h-factor 65

Publications and Patents Summary

He has been a very prolific author of scientific publications and has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international scientific forums. In 1994, Expert published a comprehensive book on PCR-based clinical diagnostics for infectious agents.

Scholarly Citation Metrics
- Google Scholar: h-factor 72; ~22,000 citations (~ 1100-1400/year)
- Google Scholar decadal citation classic for otolaryngology, 2017
- Faculty of 1000 citations for 6 manuscripts for which served as corresponding author or PI (2002, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012)
- Research Gate score = 50.41 (98th percentile); h-factor 65

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Case breakdown to date: Defendant cases: 13 Plaintiff Cases: 24

Training / Seminars
POSTGRADUATE TRAINING Post-Doctoral Fellow in Human Retrovirology - Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, SUNY HSC (Upstate Medical Center) at Syracuse, Syracuse, New York TEACHING EXPERIENCE: Graduate Program (2017) Oversaw the complete restructuring of the 2nd year Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis Course to a student-led class model designed to teach students how to develop a research program and determine the time frame; man-power; and resources necessary for a project. Additional goals were: 1) for students to improve their critical thinking skills particularly in relation to identifying and framing problems for research and then developing a program to move the science forward; 2) for students to improve their preparative skills for public presentations; and 3) for students to improve their public speaking skills, and practice collegiate professional interactions. Graduate Program (2017) Oversaw the complete restructuring of the 1st year bacteriology course and integrated it with journal club and our departmental (M&I) lecture series to provide students with an immersive experience in the evolutionary and genomic aspects of bacteriology and bacterial pathogenesis. Gave one two our lecture on chronic bacterial pathogenesis Graduate Program (2016) Three hours of lecture in Bacterial Pathogenesis course on Chronic Bacterial Pathogenesis; Two hours of lecture on the use of Statistical Genetics to identify Bacterial Virulence genes. Graduate Program (2015) one hour lecture in vaccine technology course on “Microbiome-Sparing” vaccines; three hour lecture on “Using Deep Sequencing, Comparative Genomics, and Statistical Genetics to Identify Virulence Factors in a non-biased way” in Clinical correlations in Infectious Disease Course Medical Student (2015, 2016, 2017) – Gave a one hour lecture to 4th year translational research class on chronic bacterial pathogenesis; Member (2015 – present) Graduate Program in Molecular & Cellular Biology & Genetics, DUCOM Graduate Program (2014) – Gave three hours of lectures on omics research in Structural Biology course; Two hours of lectures in vaccine technology course on “Microbiome-Sparing” vaccines Graduate Program (2012) - Developed and gave three hours of lectures on omics research in microbiology “Omics:” Molecular Microscopes; “Using Next Generation Molecular Diagnostics to Understand the Etiology & Pathogenesis of Chronic Inflammatory Conditions; A Universal Microbial Pathogenic Process Revealed by Comparative Genomics Graduate Program (1997-1998) - Developed Ph.D./M.S. graduate programs in Molecular and Human Genetics at the Allegheny Campus of Allegheny University of the Health Sciences which consisted of a 10 hour 2 semester core course in Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, Human Genetics, Cell Biology and Physiology.

Training / Seminars

POSTGRADUATE TRAINING
Post-Doctoral Fellow in Human Retrovirology - Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, SUNY HSC (Upstate Medical Center) at Syracuse, Syracuse, New York

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Graduate Program (2017) Oversaw the complete restructuring of the 2nd year Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis Course to a student-led class model designed to teach students how to develop a research program and determine the time frame; man-power; and resources necessary for a project. Additional goals were: 1) for students to improve their critical thinking skills particularly in relation to identifying and framing problems for research and then developing a program to move the science forward; 2) for students to improve their preparative skills for public presentations; and 3) for students to improve their public speaking skills, and practice collegiate professional interactions.
Graduate Program (2017) Oversaw the complete restructuring of the 1st year bacteriology course and integrated it with journal club and our departmental (M&I) lecture series to provide students with an immersive experience in the evolutionary and genomic aspects of bacteriology and bacterial pathogenesis. Gave one two our lecture on chronic bacterial pathogenesis
Graduate Program (2016) Three hours of lecture in Bacterial Pathogenesis course on Chronic Bacterial Pathogenesis; Two hours of lecture on the use of Statistical Genetics to identify Bacterial Virulence genes.
Graduate Program (2015) one hour lecture in vaccine technology course on “Microbiome-Sparing” vaccines; three hour lecture on “Using Deep Sequencing, Comparative Genomics, and Statistical Genetics to Identify Virulence Factors in a non-biased way” in Clinical correlations in Infectious Disease Course
Medical Student (2015, 2016, 2017) – Gave a one hour lecture to 4th year translational research class on chronic bacterial pathogenesis;
Member (2015 – present) Graduate Program in Molecular & Cellular Biology & Genetics, DUCOM
Graduate Program (2014) – Gave three hours of lectures on omics research in Structural Biology course; Two hours of lectures in vaccine technology course on “Microbiome-Sparing” vaccines
Graduate Program (2012) - Developed and gave three hours of lectures on omics research in microbiology “Omics:” Molecular Microscopes; “Using Next Generation Molecular Diagnostics to Understand the Etiology & Pathogenesis of Chronic Inflammatory Conditions; A Universal Microbial Pathogenic Process Revealed by Comparative Genomics

Graduate Program (1997-1998) - Developed Ph.D./M.S. graduate programs in Molecular and Human Genetics at the Allegheny Campus of Allegheny University of the Health Sciences which consisted of a 10 hour 2 semester core course in Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, Human Genetics, Cell Biology and Physiology.

Other Relevant Experience
Industrial & Early Employment Founder and CSO, Dallas TX-based MDx start-up with License from Abbott Molecular’s Ibis Bioscience Division to develop FDA-approved kits to run on the PLEX-ID for specific clinical indications (Orthopaedics, GU, Respiratory). Founder and CSO, Indiana PA-based bioinformatics start-up with license from Relavance to develop genomic and biotech-based applications for Relavance’s revolutionary n-dimensional data architecture. Founder and CSO, PA-based bioremediation start-up company based on a group of founders’ patents to use bacterial biofilms for hydraulic fracture water and acid mine drainage water clean-up. Research Scientist B, Bristol Myers Industrial Division, Genetic Engineering Group -Characterized expression patterns of amidohydrolase and purified mRNA from Fusarium oxysporum -Establish in vitro translation assay for F. oxysporum mRNA Research Scientist C, Bristol Myers Industrial Division, Genetic Engineering Group -Initiated amidohydrolase cloning project -Studied F. oxysporum growth kinetics vs. regulation of amidohydrolase Research Microbiologist, Bethesda Research Laboratories; cloning and mutagenesis of genes for amino acid biosynthesis Self-employed Agri-business University-sponsored tutor in the Biological and Chemical Sciences. Laboratory specimen preparation

Other Relevant Experience

Industrial & Early Employment
Founder and CSO, Dallas TX-based MDx start-up with License from Abbott Molecular’s Ibis Bioscience Division to develop FDA-approved kits to run on the PLEX-ID for specific clinical indications (Orthopaedics, GU, Respiratory).
Founder and CSO, Indiana PA-based bioinformatics start-up with license from Relavance to develop genomic and biotech-based applications for Relavance’s revolutionary n-dimensional data architecture.
Founder and CSO, PA-based bioremediation start-up company based on a group of founders’ patents to use bacterial biofilms for hydraulic fracture water and acid mine drainage water clean-up.
Research Scientist B, Bristol Myers Industrial Division, Genetic Engineering Group
-Characterized expression patterns of amidohydrolase and purified mRNA from Fusarium oxysporum
-Establish in vitro translation assay for F. oxysporum mRNA
Research Scientist C, Bristol Myers Industrial Division, Genetic Engineering Group
-Initiated amidohydrolase cloning project
-Studied F. oxysporum growth kinetics vs. regulation of amidohydrolase
Research Microbiologist, Bethesda Research Laboratories; cloning and mutagenesis of genes for amino acid biosynthesis
Self-employed Agri-business
University-sponsored tutor in the Biological and Chemical Sciences. Laboratory specimen preparation

Fields of Expertise

molecular biology, genomics, human genetics, human genome, human immunodeficiency virus, infectious disease, retrovirus, sexually-transmitted disease, virology, molecular pathology, polymerase chain reaction, in vitro mutagenesis, site directed mutagenesis, protein synthesis, pediatrics, pathology, oncology, neuroscience, nervous system disease, neoplastic process, mutagenesis, microorganism observation, lymphatic disease, Lyme disease, immunoassay, hybrid toxin, hematology, hematologic disease, genetic probe technology, genetic manipulation, gene therapy, gene fusion, epidemiology, bacterial endotoxin, encephalopathy, diagnostics, biomedical diagnostic instrumentation, culture maintenance, cloning technique, chronic disease epidemiology, cell culture, cell anatomy, bacteriology, bacterial plasmid, artificial animal vaccine, animal model, Alzheimer's disease, craniotomy, hepatitis C, spinal cord disease, genital wart, medical genetics, otolaryngology, clinical diagnostics, assay development, microbiology laboratory, genetic disease, human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I, hepatitis C virus, reverse transcriptase, pathogenesis, viral assay, food-borne pathogen, molecular medicine, biomedical instrumentation, otitis media, technology evaluation, disease, bone marrow disease, tissue fixation, gene expression regulation, human T-cell lymphotropic virus, DNA sequencing, AIDS, DNA synthesis, polymerase, biomedical instrument, RNA, nucleic acid, whole cell culture, veterinary virology, toxin, tissue culture

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Expert Details

Molecular Biology, Molecular Pathology, Polymerase Chain Reaction Technology

Education

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Career Accomplishments

Additional Experience

Fields of Expertise