Bay Area Chapter
Integrating informatics, automation and machine learning for smarter labs
LRIG Bay Area Fall Event - October 3rd, 2024
Embassy Suites, South San Francisco
Our next event will examine the latest developments making life science laboratories more efficient from bench top automation through data management and informatics. The impact of AI/ML will be highlighted. Presentations are typically 30-40 minutes including a Q&A period.
The vendor exhibition registration is open and filling fast!
As usual, the event is free to attend, but please register so we can gauge attendance for the technical program and buffet lunch.
Agenda
Coming Soon!
Vendor Exhibition
Over 20 vendors from the life science community will be exhibiting at the event. Their sponsorship makes our program possible, so please be sure to visit.
Confirmed vendors
Omni International - Sponsor
Genedata
Formulatrix
Omega Bio-tek
BMG Labtech
Computype
Tekmatic
Tecan
Hamilton Company
ThermoFisher
Titian Software
Biosero
Collaborative Drug
Analytik Jena
Matrix Fluidix
BioNex Solutions Inc.
Corning Life Sciences
Beckman Coulter Life Sciences
Altemis Lab
Greiner BioOne
Dynamic Devices
Biotage
Integrated Micro-Chromatography Systems (IMCS)
Andrews Cooper
Let's Go Robotics Inc.
Chapter Officers
Louis Murray, President
louis.murray@lrig.org
Louis Murray has spent over 20 years in the Bay Area focused on Lab Automation across various roles, including; current North Americas Sales Manager with the Lab Automation group at Thermo Fisher Scientific responsible for all commercial activities. Automation Engineer at Exelixis, beta tested the GeneMachines RevPrep, Field Application Manager at Velocity11 building and supporting robotic platforms around the globe and Product Manager at Agilent Technologies for the automation portfolio and launched the Encore MultiSpan Liquid Handler. Louis joined the LRIG Bay Area chapter in 2021 and accepted the role of Executive Chair in 2023. Louis holds a Master of Science from the University of Aberdeen.
Michael Biros, Treasurer
Mike has over 30 years marketing and sales experience working for companies developing emerging technologies that accelerate life science research. He was the first marketing hire at LJL BioSystems, which was acquired by Molecular Devices in 2000. At Molecular Devices, he led the Drug Discovery instrumentation-marketing group as Director of Marketing, introducing several major fluorescent imaging- and point-reading systems. He was a principal and co-founder of Kallidus Group, a marketing agency serving life science, diagnostic and technology companies. He served as Vice President, Product Marketing at IntelliCyt and founded Cellerynt Group, a marketing agency focused on improving marketing automation for life science companies. He served as Executive Chair of LRIG, Bay Area Chapter from 2002 to 2023 before assuming the role of Treasurer. Mike holds an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology from U.C. San Diego, and an MBA from the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University.
Maureen Beresini, Program Co-Chair and Scientific Advisor
Maureen Beresini has over 20 years of experience in small molecule drug discovery at Genentech. She leads a group that develops and provides biochemical and cellular assays to promote the discovery of small molecule therapeutics. In recent years, Maureen has focused on high-throughput screening. In addition to the assays, she has contributed to the establishment of high-throughput automated systems and processes for conducting assays, analyzing data, and managing compounds. Maureen began her industry career with Syva Company, developing assays for therapeutic monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs. She received her doctorate in Biological Chemistry from the University of California Davis and was a postdoctoral fellow in the Cancer Research Institute at University of California San Francisco.
Dave Wexler, Program Co-Chair
Dave Wexler is currently Senior Director, Process Development & Automation at Exact Sciences based in the San Francisco Bay Area where he is responsible for leading the Assay Development, Process Development, Systems Engineering and Process Validation teams to design, develop, implement, test and validate processes and instrumentation critical to enable complex molecular diagnostic testing in a clinical Reference Laboratory. He provides technology vision and strategy to enable histopathology and molecular laboratory operations to scale and increase efficiency Prior to Exact Sciences, over the course of 13 years, Dave served in leadership positions with increasing responsibility at CareDx. The most recent being Vice President, Automation Engineering where Dave led a multidisciplinary group of Automation Engineers, Software Engineers, RA/QA and laboratory operations personnel to implement laboratory technology to increase throughput 10x for a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) based diagnostic test.
Key accomplishment at CareDx: Dave directed the successful implementation and validation of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) equipment, LIMS and data analysis software required to launch AlloSure®, a novel diagnostic test using cell-free DNA as a biomarker in a CLIA Reference laboratory. Additionally, Dave held a previous role as Senior Director, Clinical Informatics and Automation Engineering for CareDx. In this position, and earlier positions at CareDx and AGY Therapeutics, Dave was instrumental in the design and validation of new laboratory space for clinical and high-throughput drug discovery operations. Key to the ongoing success of CareDx, Dave worked closely with the head of Laboratory Operations to research, develop and validate new processes for increasing throughput and efficiency for processing of patient samples.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from University of Denver, his Doctorate in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles and performed post-doctoral research at University of California, Berkeley.
Amer El-Hage, Secretary
Amer is an independent consultant in product development and project management for the transfer from development of life-science and laboratory instruments to quality manufacturing.
From 1991 to 2000 he was the Director of Engineering Programs at LJL BioSystems, and following its acquisition at Molecular Devices until 2004. Prior to LJL, Amer held engineering, manufacturing and project management positions at Beckman Instruments and Varian Associates.
Amer technical expertise is in instrument design and automation, micro-fluidics, plastic molding, Opto-mechanical, consumables and BioMEMS applications. He is versed in product design, verification and validation processes, ISO quality Design Control systems, and FDA regulatory compliance and CE/CSA/UL agency certifications. He currently chairs the Society of Bimolecular Sciences (SBS) Microplate Standards Development.
Mr. El-Hage’s name as an inventor is on fourteen US and two international patents. Amer co-authored journal articles and made presentations at international Laboratory Automation conferences and at academic institutions. Amer received his M.Sc. in Engineering with distinction from UC Berkeley in 1980.
Lisa Simmons, Board Member
Lisa Simmons is the Western Regional Sales Manager for Hamilton Storage Technologies where she is the sales product specialist for automated storage and retrieval systems. Lisa has over 20 years of life sciences industry experience in the area of benchtop automation and storage systems. for sample management. For 15 years Lisa was the key sales and marketing director for BioMicroLab (since acquired by STP Labtech) with robotic automation equipment for drug discovery laboratories. Lisa has held many roles from sales and marketing, account management, distributor channel management and production liaison. Lisa joined the LRIG, Bay Area Chapter in January of 2023. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and an MBA in Entrepreneurial Studies from Concordia University Irvine.