ABOUT AVANTBIO
AvantBio Corporation specializes in optimizing the propagation of mammalian cells and tissue under chemically-defined, animal/human origin-free (cdAOF) cell culture conditions and is focused on the further development and commercialization of this pioneering cell and tissue culture technology. This groundbreaking technology provides a unique solution to the global need for efficient cultivation and long-term propagation of cells and engineered tissue while at the same time eliminating the risks of transmissible disease and inter-lot variability.
The company was co-founded by Dr. Paul Cook, a leading expert in cell culture systems used for primary human cell and tissue propagation. Based on the pioneering work of Dr. Cook, AvantBio currently sells the world’s most efficient cdAOF cell/tissue culture media systems for cutaneous (skin) and cornea (eye) derived cells and epithelial tissue.
AvantBio’s technology has broad applications across various industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and regenerative medicine. The company’s goal is to expand the market reach of current products and commercialize its technology under development to make it available to researchers and companies worldwide. The use of this pioneering technology has the potential to revolutionize the field of cell and tissue engineering and pave the way for new and innovative products and therapies.
Management Team
Paul W. Cook, Ph.D., CEO, CSO, co-founder of AvantBio Corporation, Scientific Advisory Board Member and Chairman, Board of Directors. Paul Cook is a well-established scientist, leading expert, innovator and entrepreneur, with an extensive background in cell and molecular biology. More specifically, Paul has focused over the last 20 years on cutaneous (skin) biology with an interest in the emerging field of isolating and propagating normal human cells under synthetic, chemically defined animal origin-free (cdAOF) conditions. He continues to direct R&D at Avantbio within the areas of cdAOF cell propagation and cdAOF tissue reconstruction. As CEO, with his management and scientific team, he is pushing forward, focusing on cdAOF regenerative and esthetic medicine products and services, with an initial emphasis on the automated production (e.g. 3D-bioprinting) of therapeutic reconstructed human tissues (e.g. skin and cornea), as well as therapies that utilize stem cells and their acellular derivatives (e.g. conditioned media and exosomes). See Dr. Cook’s Publication & LinkedIn Profile.
Bob Ferlauto, Ph.D., COO, and Scientific Advisory Board Member. Bob Ferlauto is a Senior Operations Executive with more than 35 years of experience transforming and integrating operations and the end-to-end Supply Chain. He has made major contributions creating value in roles spanning the operations / supply chain continuum – from R&D, process engineering, and technology planning to procurement, demand and supply planning, manufacturing, logistics and customer service. Previously, Bob created significant value in operations and supply chain roles across various industries including Kyowa Kirin, a $4B global biopharmaceutical company, Solvay, a $12B global chemical company and Colgate-Palmolive Company, a $16B global Consumer Products corporation. He is keenly focused on fostering operations and supply chain excellence to drive the key financial metrics around growth, profitability, cash flow and complexity. Bob also has deep experience and passion for holistic work systems design methodology to drive alignment, agility and adaptability. See Bob Ferlauto’s LinkedIn Profile.
Corey Jacklin, M.B.A., Business Development Consultant and Member, Board of Directors. Mr. Jacklin is a highly accomplished senior business development professional with over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing across various sectors of the life science industry. He has a proven track record of success in selling services, reagents, instruments, and software. Currently, Corey is currently a sales executive at Kemp Proteins, where he is responsible for selling CRO discovery and preclinical services.
Prior to joining Kemp Proteins, Corey was instrumental in driving sales activities as a senior sales leader at Expression Systems, a company that was acquired by ANGUS Chemical in 2022. Additionally, Corey played a key role in leading the financing efforts for Genisphere, a start-up DNA tools company, early in his career. Corey has an MBA in B2B Marketing from CUNY (Baruch College) and a BS in Molecular Biology from University of CA at Berkeley. See Corey Jacklin’s LinkedIn Profile.
Lise Alexander, M.D., Medical Regulatory Officer for AvantBio. Lise is a practicing physician in the Seattle metro area and a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine. Concomitantly, Lise also holds leadership management positions within a major West Coast healthcare system. Lise is also a member of the Grand Ronde Tribes (CGRT) of Oregon as well as member of the Association of American Indian Physicians. She has participated in many committees involved in Healthcare delivery and has been an invited speaker, both nationally and internationally. Also see Lise’s LinkedIn Profile.
Rolf W. Winter, Ph.D., Co-founder, VP Director of Chemistry R&D, Scientific Advisory Board Member and Member, Board of Directors. Dr. Winter received his doctorate from Portland State University in the laboratory of Prof. Gary Gard (emeritus) on the topic of the synthesis of pentafluorosulfur (SF5)-substituted organic compounds, with an emphasis on the aliphatic series. After completing his doctoral research, Dr. Winter became a pharmaceutical chemist in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Riscoe at the PVAMC. His work centered on the synthesis of novel drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by different species of the phylum Apicomplexa, including malaria, babesiosis, toxoplasmosis, and others. He is still working in this capacity at present. Dr. Winter has published numerous papers on the fluorination of organic compounds, with a particular emphasis on aliphatic pentafluorosulfur (SF5) chemistry. He holds several patents in the field of sulfur-fluorine chemistry. His pharmaceutical chemistry work has resulted in numerous patents and publications. In 1990 Dr. Winter co-founded C. Haymond & Associates of Portland, Oregon, a firm specialized in environmental chemical analysis. He has also acted as a consultant with a firm developing a polyacrylamide gel as wound dressing, and has taught Organic Chemistry at Portland State University. In January 2008, Dr. Winter and Dr. Cook launched Avant Bio Corporation, a new company that leverages expertise in bioscience, biomedicine and chemistry to develop new products for the therapeutic, bioresearch and chemical reagent markets. See Rolf’s Publication
Frederick C. Laney, J.D., P.E., Member, Board of Directors. Currently, US Patent and Trademark Office Administrative Patent Judge. Former, Intellectual Property Partner at Niro, Haller & Niro and Research Engineer at PPC Mechanical Seals. Also see Mr. Laney’s LinkedIn Profile.