CANTEST Continues to Grow its Bioanalytical Division

Special Announcement

Burnaby, British Columbia, April 5, 2005 – Today CANTEST announced the addition of five key appointments in the last three months, thus marking the continued dynamic growth of its bioanalytical services division (ABR):

Dr. Adrien Musuku, Laboratory Director, has commented on how the recent appointments will benefit the business: “We are increasing our capacity by continually hiring highly experienced staff. Our ambition is to offer a full spectrum of resources that meet and exceed the needs of the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Our commitment to our customers includes providing timely analytical solutions, generating quality data and operating at the most rigorous of scientific compliance standards.”

Dunmin Mao, Ph.D., Research and Development Scientist
Dr. Mao brings extensive knowledge in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) to the method development team. His previous breadth of experience in bioanalytical chemistry and instrumentation—acquired most recently at Covance in Madison, Wisconsin, and at the University of British Columbia, respectively—will enhance research and development capabilities. His primary responsibilities include developing rugged methods in a timely manner to provide high quality service to clients. He is also responsible for implementing new technology applicable to bioanalytical business that work to improve CANTEST’s scientific excellence. Dr. Mao holds both a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Chemistry from Fudan University in China, as well as a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He is a member of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry and the American Chemical Society.

Dave Anderson, M.S., Principal Bioanalytical Scientist
Mr. Anderson joins the team with considerable experience in bioanalytical applications of quantitative LC-MS/MS, and over 15 years of industrial experience in analytical chemistry. His previous scientific responsibilities have covered all project areas, including method development, method validation, and sample analysis. He also has experience in training and supervision of scientific staff, as well as instrument maintenance and trouble-shooting. Having spent the previous 9 years at Advion BioSciences in Ithaca, New York, the knowledge and experience he brings makes him a valuable addition to the company. He will take on the role of lead scientist, as well as study director, primarily for method validation and sample analysis studies. Mr. Anderson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of South Florida and a Master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry from Indiana University. He is a member of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, American Chemical Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has also published numerous papers in the field of analytical chemistry.

Lorelei Lutter, B.Sc., MBA, Director of Business Development
Ms. Lutter is responsible for leading general business development activities, maintaining relationships with key clients and their associates and promoting external communication with sponsors and clients. In addition, she is responsible for managing marketing and advertising opportunities and participates in strategic planning with other members of the management team. She brings to high-level business development and expertise to the company—most recently at Biovail Contract Research—where she led its global marketing, sales and business development activities for over 3 years. She carries over 12 years of diverse experience and expertise in the contract research and pharmaceutical industry, having worked in marketing, sales, business development, scientific affairs and technical writing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences from the University of Toronto and an MBA from York University in Toronto, Canada. She is an active member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, as well as the Canadian Society of Pharmaceutical Scientists.

Sheila McMeekin, B.Sc., Quality Analyst
Ms. McMeekin is responsible for internal audits for CANTEST’s bioanalytical services division. She assists in ensuring compliance with regulations and improvement beyond compliance. As an experienced auditor with certification from the National Quality Institute of Canada (NQI) and the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA), she also carries out assessments for accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

Athena Juneson, B.Sc., Project Manager
Ms. Juneson’s education and recent project management experience from INEX Pharmaceuticals will enhance project management and improve the efficiency of processes within the company. In her new role, Ms. Juneson builds and maintains positive relationships with clients, reduces method development times and ensures that projects are completed within allotted time frames and budgets. Her specific responsibilities include project planning, tracking, reporting, coordination and, foremost, being a consistent and direct client liaison for all project related communications. Ms. Juneson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of British Columbia and will play a key role as the company manages its increased demand for high quality bio-analytical services. 

For more information regarding CANTEST, please contact:
Lorelei Lutter Director of Business Development (ABR) llutter@cantest.com
Steve Timuss Director of Business Development (Corporate) stimuss@cantest.com