The Experts - In the Lab
Get to know the experts lending their knowledge to your projects!
Our team blends their strong scientific expertise with a unique collaborative approach to become a natural extention of your R&D operations.
Ben Curry, PhD
Divisional Director of Laboratory Services
Dr. Curry attended the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in biological science with a concentration in microbiology, and a Doctorate in nutritional sciences with a cognate in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology. Dr. Curry’s research project involved investigating the effects of dairy products on obesity – associated inflammation with particular focus on adipose tissue inflammatory cytokine production/signaling and how this process alters monocyte – endothelial cell adhesion.
Rick Alleman,PhD
Project Manager
He obtained a PhD in physiology from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University studying the role of cellular redox control and cardioprotective mechanisms in acute coronary syndromes. His background is in cardiovascular physiology where he has published peer-reviewed research articles in the fields of cardiac, vascular, and metabolic disease. Dr. Alleman’s research focus is on mitochondrial function in the treatment/prevention of acute coronary syndromes and heart failure. Dr. Alleman has worked with biotech companies since 2012 where he has managed preclinical and clinical studies, and developed high throughput screening assays for pharmaceutical drug discovery.
Juan Cárdenas, PhD
Project Manager, Sample Management Solutions
Dr. Cardenas-Mora graduated as a microbiologist from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia. To further his research experience, he interned at the National Institute of Health in the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases department where his worked aimed at understanding papilloma virus retention, and started his endeavor in cancer research with cervical carcinoma. He them moved to Lafayette, Indiana to pursue a doctorate in cancer cell biology at Purdue University.
Xue (Roger) Zhai, PhD
Scientist
Dr. Zhai obtained his PhD in Physiology from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. His research focused on ion channel function to understand the mechanism of hypertension in the cardiovascular system. During his PhD training, he studied protein trafficking of ion channels regulated by vasoconstrictors in the cerebral arteries. By using state-of-art patch-clamp electrophysiology and pressure myography, he found that protein trafficking of ion channels is dysfunctional in preclinical models that spontaneously develop hypertension. Prior to his PhD, Dr. Zhai obtained his Bachelor of Medicine (MBBS) from the College of Medicine, Nankai University in China.