The Institute for Scientific Communications is a non-profit organization focused on exchange of scientific knowledge through effective communications. By sponsoring conferences and workshops, ISC will provide venues for the sharing of scientific observations and ideas, with the ultimate goal being timely application of the latest scientific discoveries to better human lives. The Board of Directors of ISC includes the following individuals:

Board of Directors

Albert P. Li, Ph. D. (Chair)

Dr. Li is a well-renowned scientist in the field of human in vitro experimentation. Dr. Li has published approximately 140 research papers/book chapters/reviews and edited/co-edited 6 books in toxicology, drug metabolism, and cell biology and has been active in the organization of various international conferences and workshops. Dr. Li’s research is focused on the development and application of human-based in vitro experimental models in the accurate assessment of human drug properties including metabolic fate, drug-drug interactions and drug toxicity. Dr. Li was one of the first scientists to successfully cryopreserve human hepatocytes to retain properties of freshly isolated cells. He is the inventor of the novel Integrated Discrete Multiple Organ Co-culture (IdMOC) system which models an organism with multiple organs interconnected by the systemic circulation. The IdMOC system is patented in United States, Japan, and China, and is patent-pending in Europe. Dr. Li is the President, CEO and co-founder of four interrelated companies:

 

  • Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences, Inc. , a company focused on the development novel technologies and approaches to accurate predict human drug properties. APS has an exclusive partnership with Invitrogen for the manufacturing of cryopreserved human hepatocytes. APS is the hold of the IdMOC patent.
  • In Vitro ADMET Laboratories, LLC. , a contract research service organization to provide higher throughput assays for the evaluation of in vitro drug metabolism, drug-drug interactions, and toxicity; and BRiVAL , a company formed via partnership with Dr. David Kwok and Ms. Clara Faan of BRI Inc., Vancouver, BC, to provide GLP contract services for in vitro drug metabolism and drug-drug interaction studies.
  • ALIVE LLC, a primate-based in vitro products and serves organization. ALIVE is a company formed in partnership with Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute to provide premiere primate-based products, including freshly isolated and cryopreserved primate hepatocytes and cell fractions.

 

Previously, Dr. Li was President and CEO of Phase 1 Molecular Toxicology, Inc. in Santa Fe, New Mexico, U. S. A. (2002-2003), Chief Scientific Officer of In Vitro Technologies, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, U. S. A. (1995-2002); Research Professor and Director of the Surgical Research Institute, Department of Surgery, St. Louis University Medical School (1993-1995); Senior Fellow and Director, Liver Biology Department, Monsanto Company (1982-1993); Group Leader, Cellular and Genetic Toxicology, Lovelace Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute (1979-1982); Assistant Professor and Research Scientist, Cancer Research and Treatment Center and Department of Radiology, University of New Mexico (1976-1979). Dr. Li obtained his B. Sc. (1972, Chemistry) from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, and Ph. D. (1976, Biomedical Sciences) from the University of Tennessee, Oakridge Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. His received his doctoral training and performed his dissertation research under Professor Abraham Hsie in the Biology Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

 

Alan Goldberg, Ph. D.:

Dr. Goldberg is the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing and the Chairman of CAAT’s Advisory Board. He has been a professor of toxicology in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health since 1978 and has held a variety of administrative posts within the school, including: Director of the Division of Toxicology (1980-82), Director of the Johns Hopkins Health Associates (1982-84), and Associate Dean (1984-99). In 1981 Dr Goldberg established CAAT, and he served as its director until 2009. He is a leading authority on the creation, development, and validation of alternative toxicological methods, and served as president of the In Vitro Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology. He has served on numerous committees for national and international organizations charged with protecting public health, including the federal Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods, the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He is the recipient of many awards, including the first Russell and Burch Award in 1991 from the Humane Society of the United States and the Society of Toxicology’s Ambassador of Toxicology Award in 1998. He is the 2001 recipient of the Society of Toxicology’s Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award. He is a member of the Pew Charitable Trust’s National Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, member of the ALEXANDRA (Monaco) Board of Directors, The Ethics Board of the Catholic University of South Korea, and a member of the EFSA (EU, Italy) Panel on Toxicology.

 

Alan Wilson, Ph. D.

Dr. Wilson is Vice President of Drug Metabolism, Pharmacokinetics, and Toxicology and Pathology at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals. He is internationally recognized in drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics and toxicology and has over 25 years of experience working on product discovery and development for both small molecules and biotherapeutics. Prior to joining Lexicon, Dr. Wilson held senior management and leadership positions with major international pharmaceutical and life science companies. He has been involved with the approval and registration of several successful marketed products and has extensive experience working with regulatory agencies in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. Dr. Wilson has Board of Director and Scientific Advisory experience with several companies. He is Board Certified in Toxicology and has produced more than 120 publications an invited speaker and presenter at international conferences and an organizer of several international Symposia.

 

Margaret Clotworthy, Ph. D.

Dr. Clotworthy is Director and co-founder of the Human Focused Testing Database. Dr. Clotworthy is also a strong proponent of the use of human tissue-based experimental systems for the evaluation of human toxicants in her roles as Science Director at the U. K.-based Safer Medicines Trust and Chair of the Human Tissues Working Party. Dr. Clotworthy is an invited reviewer at Cell & Tissue Banking.

 

 

Nola Mahaney

Ms. Mahaney, Vice President of Operations for the Institute for Scientific Exchange, has over ten years of experience in the organization of scientific conferences and workshops. Previously, Ms. Mahaney was at the Red Roof Inn Motels originally at the Buffalo Airport location in Bowmansville, NY starting as a Front Desk clerk and then in Hanover, MD, USA as the Front Desk Supervisor (1989-1999). Duties included managing other front desk clerks in customer complaints, scheduling of both front desk and housekeeping departments, inventory, purchasing, computer programming and troubleshooting; and training. Busboy, Server and Service Bartender at The Buffalo Marriott Niagara in Amherst, NY (1989-1985); duties included back of the house (kitchen) knowledge, keeping in step or ahead of server, inventory, memorization of cocktail recipes, wine list, drink orders from multiple servers, equipment troubleshooting, menu offerings, and generally assist in all hotel bar areas. Conference administrator (1992-1997) for CATCMB, Washington, DC (Center for Advanced Training in Cell and Molecular Biology at Catholic University). Duties included organization and reproduction of conference materials, food and beverage coordinator, attendee’s management, marketing and customer relations. Nola Mahaney received an Associates degree in 1988 from Erie Community College (ECC) in Hospitality Management after attending SUNY Fredonia; Fredonia, NY from 1984-1985 taking standard undergraduate courses. Ms. Mahaney consistently worked in the food & beverage business areas while attending school and acquired the position at the Marriott on recommendation from her professors at ECC. Ms. Mahaney’s schooling and years of experience in the hospitality industry has given her unique knowledge for the industry of meeting planning and conference production.