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Robert W. Buckheit, Jr., Ph.D. President and Chief Scientific Officer |
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Todd Parsley, Ph.D., Molecular Biology Services |
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Tracy Hartman, M.S., Anti-Infective Services |
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Karen Watson, M.S., Topical Microbicide Services |
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Lu Yang, MD., Anti-Infective Services |
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| ImQuest Publications |
ImQuest Research Interests |
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| Robert Buckheit, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer |
 Dr. Buckheit is President and Chief Scientific Officer of ImQuest BioSciences, Inc., a contract research services provider dedicated to the rapid development of anti-infective and anti-cancer therapeutics.
Since 1989, Dr. Buckheit has been intimately involved in the preclinical development of anti-infective agents with a focus on agents for use against HIV. During this period of time Dr. Buckheit has developed and managed infectious disease research programs for commercial, academic and government clients at both Southern Research Institute and TherImmune Research Corporation/Gene Logic Inc. During these past 15 years, Dr. Buckheit has managed a variety of multi-million dollar and technically complex federal contracts, hundreds of programs with virtual and small biotechnology companies, research programs with pharmaceutical industry companies and collaborative programs with academic investigators. Dr. Buckheit's experience with anti-infective evaluations includes the evaluation of well over 250,000 anti-infective molecules that has resulted in a wide variety of publications in the peer reviewed literature.
Dr. Buckheit participated in several National Cooperative Drug Discovery Group Programs, in Drug and Vaccine Evaluation programs, Topical Microbicide Development Programs and programs involving the development of vaccines to potential biodefense agents. In addition to HIV, Dr. Buckheit directed programs involving herpes viruses, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, respiratory and enteric viruses and agents of potential bioterrorism.
Dr. Buckheit oversees the entire Scientific team at ImQuest's Laboratory located in Frederick, Maryland. |
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| Todd Parsley, Ph.D., Director, Molecular Biology Services |
 Dr. Parsley is the Director of Molecular Virology and Microbiology at ImQuest. He received his B.A. in microbiology from the University of California San Diego in 1991 and his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of California Irvine in 1998.
With over ten years of molecular microbiology research experience Dr. Parsley has specific experience in: site directed mutagenesis and manipulation of DNA coding sequences, the expression and purification of recombinant viral and mammalian proteins using an E. coli expression system, affinity purification of antibodies, immunoblot analysis, the development and implementation of biochemical assays to examine proteinase and RNA binding characteristics of purified recombinant proteins, the analysis of gene expression using northern blot hybridization and quantitative real time RT-PCR, Lamba phage-and cosmid-genomic library screening, the manipulation of eukaryotic genome to express foreign genes and delete genomic sequences through homologous recombination, the development of a stable transgenic fungal promoter/reporter strain to examine the impact of virus on G-protein coupled signal transduction, the design of novel molecular assays for the detection of gene therapy vectors in biodistribution assays, and the design of novel molecular assays for the assessment of the efficacy and mechanism of action of anti-viral agents. |
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| Tracy Hartman, M.S., Director, Anti-Infective Services |
 Ms. Hartman graduated from Towson State University in Towson, MD with a B.A. in Biology in 1992 and from Hood College in Frederick, MD with a M.S. in Biomedical Sciences in 2000. She joined ImQuest Biosciences in February 2004 as Director, Anti-Infectives and has worked as part of the anti-infective research team lead by Dr. Robert Buckheit since 1992. Ms. Hartman has significant experience in the performance of antiviral assays involving CPE, plaque reduction, PCR and reporter gene endpoints for HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis, Respiratory and Enteric viruses. In addition to routine anti-infective screening, confirmatory and range of action assays, Ms. Hartman performs mechanistic assays for government and commercial projects. She has also developed expertise in virus replication assays to measure HIV fitness. Ms. Hartman is a member or the American Society for Microbiology and International Society for Antiviral Research. |
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| Karen Watson, M.S., Director, Anti-Microbial and Topical Microbicides Program |
 Ms. Watson graduated from Hood College in Frederick, MD with a B.A. in Biology in 1996 and a Master's Degree in Biomedical Science in 2006. She joined ImQuest Biosciences in February 2004 and has worked as part of the anti-infective research team lead by Dr. Robert Buckheit since 1996. Ms. Watson has significant experience in the performance of antiviral assays involving CPE, plaque reduction and reporter gene endpoints. Currently, Ms. Watson is responsible for the day to day operation of government and commercial sponsored virucidal and topical microbicide programs which involve antiviral and antibacterial assays. In addition to routine anti-infective screening, confirmatory and range of action assays, Ms. Watson performs mechanistic assays including virus attachment and fusion assays for government and commercial projects. She has also developed expertise in the virus-gp120/gp41/CD4/coreceptor-cell assays and has extensive experience identifying and quantifying the activity of virucidal compounds. Ms. Watson's M.S. thesis project from Hood College in 2006 involved studies on the mechanism of antiviral resistance, fitness and compensation. |
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| Lu Yang, M.D., Molecular Biology and Anti-Infective Services |
 Since 1999, Dr. Yang has worked in the United States in various bioscience research areas. During this time, she has worked at the National Cancer Institute, Southern Research Institute and TherImmune Research Corporation/Genelogic Inc. At ImQuest Bioscience, Dr. Yang has utilized her laboratory skills in the cellular and molecular biology arenas, as well as anti-HIV drug screening techniques. Dr. Yang is highly experienced in performing tissue culture, blood cell isolation, ELISA, cell proliferation/viability/cytotoxicity assays, and highly skilled in the following research tasks: anti-HIV drug screening with PBMCs (RT assay endpoint) and with macrophage (p24 ELISA assay endpoint), and robotic workstation for high output anti-HIV drug screening. In addition, Dr. Yang has prior experiences in chemotactic assays, calcium mobilization assays, radiolabeled ligand binding assays, flow cytometry sample preparation, and anti-angiogenesis assays.
Prior to Dr. Yang's research in the biotechnology area, she served as a medical resident in Otolaryngology for 4 years in Affiliated Hospital of Hubei College of Chinese Medicine and Shenzhen Red Cross Hospital, and as surgeon in charge in Otolaryngoloty for 6 years in Shenzhen Red Cross Hospital. Although mainly educated and trained in clinical medicine (over ten years as surgeon), Dr. Yang has also utilized her experience in cardiovascular pharmacology to pursue research interests based on animal model studies. |
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| Anthony Ham, Ph.D, Director of Formulation and Delivery |
Dr. Ham is the Director of Formulation and Delivery Services at ImQuest. He received his B.S. from the University of Illinois in Chemical Engineering in 2000, and his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in Biomedical Engineering in 2007. Prior to joining ImQuest, Dr. Ham did a post-doctoral fellowship at the Magee-Womens Research Institute at the University of Pittsburgh in pharmaceutics and formulation development for anti-HIV microbicides. Dr. Ham has worked in developing and researching nanoparticle technology for over 9 years. Ranging from nanoparticle engineered surfaces for specific targeting for inflammation responses to drug delivery systems for the prevention of HIV, Dr. Ham has developed drug delivery formulations to enhance drug efficacy. Additionally, Dr. Ham has experience in developing conventional formulations such as semi-solid gels, as well as novel formulations including bio films and intra-vaginal rings.
Dr. Ham is responsible for the management and research of drug formulation development for anti-HIV microbicides and anti-cancer therapeutics. He has experience in drug pre-formulation, drug analytical method development, drug formulation and physicochemical characterization, evaluation and stability, and R&D manufacturing.
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| Copyright © 2010, ImQuest BioSciences. | | | |
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