| Scientific Advisory Board |
Charles J. Decedue, Ph. D. trained
as a microbiologist, he began his association
with the University of Kansas in 1976 as Director
of the Biochemical Research Service Laboratory.
In 1989, Decedue assumed the position of Executive
Director of the Higuchi Biosciences Center. The
Higuchi Biosciences Center has the dual mission
of enhancing the University’s environment
for basic biomedical research and advancing the
commercial development of the results of that
research. Companies launched from activities of
the Higuchi Biosciences Center include Oread Laboratories,
Inc., CyDex, Inc., ProQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.,
CritiTech, Inc., BioScience Innovations, Inc.,
and Admunex, Inc. Decedue has over 30 years experience
as a research scientist and administrator.

Valentino J. Stella, Ph. D. is
a Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
at the University of Kansas. His research centers
on the application of physical/organic chemistry
to the study of factors affecting drug delivery.
Dr. Stella is known for his work in improving
drug stability and solubility especially as these
relate to the preformulation of anticancer and
antiAIDS drugs. He also studies the use of prodrugs
to overcome problems of solubility and stability
and is the inventor of fosphenytoin, a safe injectable
form of sodium phenytoin. Current research on
prodrugs include the use of prodrugs with greater
safety profiles compared to the parent molecules,
drug targeting via prodrugs, and novel prodrugs
of tertiary amines, hindered alcohols, phenols,
imides, and amides. He is also studying the use
of novel cyclodextrins that can be used safely
in parenteral formulations as well as for oral
applications. His work led to the discovery of
Captisol™.

Bala Subramaniam, Ph. D. is a
co-founder of CritiTech. He is currently the Dan
F. Servey Distinguished Professor of Chemical
and Petroleum Engineering and the Director of
the National Science Foundation Engineering Research
Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis
at the University of Kansas (KU). Dr. Subramaniam
obtained a Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering
from the University of Madras, India and a Ph.
D. degree in chemical engineering from the University
of Notre Dame. He joined the KU chemical and petroleum
engineering department in 1985, and recently served
as chair of his department. He has held visiting
Professorships at the Institute of Process Engineering,
ETH in Zurich (Switzerland), University of Nottingham
(UK) and at the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Subramaniam's primary research interests are
in catalysis, reaction engineering and crystallization,
with emphasis on developing sustainable processes..
In recent years, his research has focused on systematically
exploiting the tunable physical and transport
properties of CO2-based solvents in developing
novel catalytic, particle formation and particle
coating processes. He has authored 100+ research
publications including 12 patents, presented invited
seminars at 70+ universities and companies, and
delivered keynote/plenary lectures at 20+ international
conferences. Dr. Subramaniam has received several
awards for his teaching and research, including
the Dow Outstanding Young Faculty Award from the
American Society for Engineering Education; the
Gould Award for Teaching and the Miller Award
for Research from the KU School of Engineering;
the Silver Anniversary Teaching Award from the
University of Kansas, and a Higuchi Research Achievement
Award from KU, the highest recognition for research
given by the University of Kansas.
View
Publications and Patents

David Johnston, Ph.D. is a highly
qualified executive with extensive leadership
experience in non-clinical chemistry (chemistry,
pharmaceutical product development) and clinical
development (Phase I through Phase IV), regulatory
approval, technology transfer, international operations,
sales and marketing, and brand management. With
over 30 years of pharmaceutical industry experience
he has demonstrated the ability to develop, commercialize
and market products covering a broad range of
dosage forms for use in a variety of therapeutic
indications. He serves as an advisor or is on
the scientific advisory board to numerous pharmaceutical
companies and venture capital groups, and is on
the board of directors for AerovectRx and Wilmington
Pharma LLC.
Dr. Johnston’s experience
includes serving as a board member for AerovectRx,
Inc. from January 2008 to present and serving
as the company’s interim President and CEO
from June 2008 – December 2008. This company
is a spin out from the Center for Disease Control
and is focused on leveraging proprietary nebulizer
technology for the delivery of therapeutic agents
for the treatment of a variety of lung diseases.
He remains on the board and serves as an advisor
to the company. From 2004 to 2007 he served as
Sr. Vice President of R&D for Nektar Therapeutics.
He held responsibility for Nektar’s research
and development activities ($150 million budget)
world-wide. In addition to his R&D responsibilities
he was Director of Nektar (UK), Chairman of Nektar
India (Pvt.) Ltd., and a member of the Joint development
committees for Bayer, Novartis, and Pfizer. From
1999-2002 he was President and COO of AAI International
directing business in North America, Europe, and
Mainland China involving approximately 1000 employees.
He previously held leadership positions with Oread,
Inc. as Ex. V.P for Drug Development, Sanofi-Winthrop,
Research Division as V.P. and Deputy International
Group Director of Pharmaceutical Product Development,
and Sterling Winthrop, Pharmaceutical Research
Division as Executive Director.
Dr. Johnston received his Ph.D.
in Organic Chemistry from St. Andrews University,
St. Andrews Scotland and did his Post Doctoral
Studies at Max Planck Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.

Michael J. Baltezor, Ph. D. has
been involved in the development of pharmaceutical
and medical products for over 30 years with Sandoz
Pharmaceuticals, Marion Laboratories (and subsequent
companies) and in the contract services business
with Quintiles. Most recently Dr. Baltezor has
been serving as the Vice President of R&D
for CareFusion, Inc. Experience has included a
spectrum of ethical and OTC drugs and devices
including traditional oral solid and liquid dosage
forms, topical products and injectable parenteral
products. Dr. Baltezor’s primary areas of
expertise are in pharmaceutics, physical chemistry
and analytical chemistry with a focus on novel
drug delivery and the resolution of drug solubilization
and stabilization.
Dr Baltezor received his Ph. D.
in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
from the University of Kansas in 1977.
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