MANAGEMENT
Richard D. Richmond
Chairman
Rick Richmond is a specialist in scientific business development. His experience encompasses venture fund raising, business planning and development, marketing including domestic and international product launches, finance and division and company management. Prior to SiMPore, Rick was CEO of STS Biopolymers, a leading developer and producer of polymeric coatings for medical devices. He led the development of the company from a two-person research and development operation to a 46-person research, development, licensing and production leader in the field, with operations in the U.S. and the Netherlands, and led the sale of STS Biopolymers to Angiotech Pharmaceuticals. Prior to STS Biopolymers, Rick was managing Executive Vice President of Sterilization Technical Services, a pre-clinical testing lab and sterilization and packaging company serving the medical device industry. He was also the co-founding CEO of Diffinity Genomics and Panorama Plastics and a co-founder of Gradient Lens, Microdispersions and Fairfield Cosmetics. He is an investor in and advisor to other tech startups. He has a BS with honors from St. Lawrence University and an MBA and an MS from the University of Rochester Simon School. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon, Gamma Sigma Epsilon and Beta Gamma Sigma honorary societies. He is a member of the advisory boards of the University of Buffalo Center for Advanced Technology and Center of Excellence and Excell Partners investment fund and a founding member of the Rochester Angel Network. He is a past Director of the Health Care Industry Association and past President of the Rochester High Technology Business Council.
Thomas R. Gaborski, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Thomas Gaborski is a technical entrepreneur who bridges the gap between life sciences, engineering and business operations. He is one of the co-inventors of the SiMPore membrane technology developed at the University of Rochester and currently leads the production, product development and membrane characterization teams. Tom completed a BS in Biological and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Rochester. As a graduate student, he was a university presidential fellowship winner and a National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Fellow. His graduate work initially focused neutrophil recruitment and the biophysics of adhesion receptor interactions. It was during this work that Tom became involved with the life science applications of ultrathin membranes leading to the co-founding of SiMPore. Tom is a co-inventor on five issued and pending patents in bionanotechnology and also has a passion for teaching, for which he was recognized with awards both at Cornell and the University of Rochester. Outside of work, he enjoys endurance sports and was a member of the Nordic Ski Team and Cycling Team at Cornell and the captain of the Rochester Cycling Team.
Christopher C. Striemer, Ph.D.
VP of Membrane Development
Christopher Striemer is an engineer focused on transforming laboratory-developed nanotechnologies into commercially successful products. He received his Ph.D in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Rochester in 2004 with a thesis titled "Applications of silicon nanostructures compatible with existing manufacturing technology," targeting problems in biotechnology and solar energy. Through his graduate studies, Chris gained considerable experience in the processes used to manufacture computer chips and solar cells, concentrating his efforts on how novel nanostructured materials could be integrated into factory processes to improve efficiency and/or create new functionality. This research led to his discovery and initial development of the nanoporous membrane technology that is the basis of SiMPore's separations platform. In addition to his work in membrane manufacture and scale-up at SiMPore, he has worked for two university spinout companies in the life science tool (LST) and in vitro diagnostics (IVD) markets, leading projects that have produced optical analytical tools and diagnostic sensors for cancer biomarkers and human immune response.
James L. McGrath, Ph.D.
Director of Life Sciences
Professor McGrath is a founder of SiMPore. He holds degrees from MIT in both Mechanical Engineering (MS) and Biological Engineering (PhD). McGrath founded and leads the Nanomembrane Research Group (NRG) at the University of Rochester. The Nanomembrane Research Group (NRG) is a group of students, senior scientists, faculty, and entrepreneurs working on the development and application of porous nanocrystalline silicon (pnc-Si), with a focus on microfluidics, precision biomolecule separation, and cell culture.
James Roussie, Ph.D.
Director of Products
James Roussie holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Rochester and a M.S. in technology commercialization from the University of Texas. He is a co-founder of SiMPore and has been involved in SiMPore's sales and marketing since 2008. Prior to joining the company, he was involved in marketing academic intellectual property at the University of Rochester.