Gerald J. Vardzel, Jr., B.A. - CEO - has over 17 years of corporate experience in healthcare related businesses, including niche pharmaceutical applications, clinical and non-clinical pharmaceutical business segments, medical testing and device markets. Mr. Vardzel's operational expertise includes strategic planning, business intelligence, mergers and acquisitions and new market development in both start-up and established corporate settings. He has most recently served as acting Vice President of Business Development for Gene Express and has been instrumental in its strategic direction and initial growth. Previously, Mr. Vardzel was Vice President of the Pharmaceutical Development Center, where he doubled growth and positioned its acquisition by aaiPharma. He has held many key management positions at Becton Dickinson including Worldwide Marketing Manager. Mr. Vardzel has consulted for small to mid-size equity firms as an executive affiliate in the healthcare business to determine acquisition feasibility and growth. He currently is on the board of directors for JKM Group, a consulting, acquisitions, divestures and real estate holding company. Mr. Vardzel received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and has taken graduate courses towards an MBA.

Nick Lazaridis, Ph.D., President - Dr. Lazaridis brings over 18 years of pharmaceutical development experience to Gene Express. Most recently, Dr. Lazaridis served as Senior VP, Pre-Clinical Services at AAI Pharma, where he led a team of 400 professionals in three business units. This position included both business development and scientific responsibilities. Prior to that, he held the position of Senior Vice President, Laboratory Services for AAI Development Services, where he supported the development of six products and the building of relationships with 20 clients that provided 70% of the Company's backlog. Between 1992 and 2002, Dr. Lazaridis held several positions at AAI International, including Vice President Acquisition & Integration of Pharmaceutical Operations; Vice President Laboratory Operations Worldwide; Director, Analytical, Chemical Development, and Stability Services; and Laboratory Manager, Method Development and QC. In addition, Dr. Lazaridis has published several papers and contributed to two granted patents.

David S. Lester, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Development - Dr. Lester has over 14 years of pharmaceutical development experience and extensive knowledge as it relates to molecular diagnostics. He has served as New York Site Head Global Clinical Technology at Pfizer Global R&D, Director of Pfizer Human Health Technologies at Pfizer Global R&D, Director of Clinical Technology, New Product Development Medical at Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals, and Director of Clinical Technologies Experimental Medicine at Pharmacia. Moreover, Dr. Lester held many roles at the FDA, which included Acting Associate Director of Interdisciplinary Science, Office of Testing and Research and Senior Science Advisor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Currently, Dr. Lester is booked for multiple nationally and internationally 2007-2008 speaking engagements, and while serving on numerous conference advisory boards, is frequently asked to chair sessions and workshops. In addition, Dr. Lester has published over 60 refereed scientific publications, edited five volumes and has been included in numerous book chapters and reviews. 

Jonathan Rowe, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Strategy and Clinical Innovation - Prior to joining Gene Express, Dr. Rowe held numerous integral positions at Pfizer Inc. dating back to 1998. Most recently, he served as Senior Director of Worldwide Pharmaceutical Sciences in Pfizer's Global R&D Group. Dr. Rowe's previous positions at Pfizer Inc. included: Director of Intellectual Property Strategy Management, and Clinical Director of the Cardiovascular Risk Factors Group, where Dr. Rowe designed, developed and managed phase IIIB and IV clinical studies, and lead the strategic medical input into the marketing and commercial development of Lipitor. Prior to joining Pfizer Inc., Dr. Rowe was a scientific advisor for the law firm of Kaye, Scholer where he provided scientific support for IP litigation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Rowe's PhD is from the Department of Biochemistry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM), where he researched the expression of genes and their associated proteins involved in drug detoxification. Dr. Rowe has an MS with a focus on molecular biology (AECOM) and an MA in reproductive endocrinology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Dr. Rowe has published a number of articles in peer-reviewed journals, has served as a consultant on the topics of Innovation and Strategy Implementation, and currently serves as an expert panel member for The Innovator, a publication supported by www.innovationtools.com and the Monitor Group's Innovation Practice.

John C. Anders, Ph.D.,  Vice President of Operations - Dr. Anders has spent 26 years in the drug development sector for both small and large molecules in both government and private sector scientific organizations. Prior to joining Gene Express, Dr. Anders held various positions from Senior Scientist to Director in the Biotechnology Laboratory at AAI Pharma, where he was responsible for building and staffing a state-of-the-art cGMP Biotechnology analytical lab. In addition, Dr. Anders was charged with characterization and release of marketed products and development of investigational drugs in all phases of development.  From 1991 to 1993, Major Anders, Ph.D. served as the Chief of Applied Pharmacology Branch at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense. During his tenure, he led a staff of 19 military and civilian personnel in the research and development of various antidotal and pretreatment regimes against chemical warfare agents. Prior to this, Dr. Anders served in various capacities at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research developing anti-malarial drugs and vaccines. Dr. Anders has authored and co-authored more than 20 publications and abstracts.

Elizabeth Herness Peters, Ph.D., Vice President Science & Platform Innovation - Dr. Peters received her Ph.D. in Molecular Basis of Disease with an emphasis in Reproductive Immunology from the University of Toledo Medical Center Health Science Campus (formally known as Medical University of Ohio) in 2002.  Dr. Peters was the Assistant Director of Operations and Manufacturing for Gene Express, Inc. from June 2002 until October 2005. In this capacity, she played a key role in establishing the Toledo-based manufacturing laboratory for the company. In October of 2005, she was appointed Technical Director of Business Development where she provided scientific consultation to the executive team, presented scientific information to clients with the sales/business development team, and made available quality control assessments to the technical operations team. In September 2007, she was promoted to Vice President Science & Platform Innovation.