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Celerus Diagnostics is a Santa Barbara startup producing an automated instrument for speeding up pathology tests from hours to less than 20 minutes, which will dramatically reduce laboratory turn-around-time. Page Erickson, founder & CEO, will discuss his company's business plan and strategy before a panel of experts. Dr. Gary Ponto, founder of Santa Barbara Pathology Laboratory, will set the stage with a discussion of technology, medical and market trends in clinical pathology. The panel will include Dr. Ponto; Roberta Neilson, founder of eMentis and former part owner of Santa Barbara Pathology Laboratory; and Dorothy Pavloff of California Technology Ventures. Gary Kravetz, CEO of National Careers Corporation, will moderate the program.\n\nWednesday, April 19 \nUniversity Club (downtown) \n1332 Santa Barbara St. \nSanta Barbara, CA \n5:15 PM to 6:00 PM Registration and Networking\n6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Program\n\nAdmission includes light dinner. Payable by cash or check at the door. \n$30 advance registration \n$35 same-day registration \n$15 for students with valid ID \n\nRegister now at http://www.centralcoastmit.com/ \n\nCelerus Diagnostics is focused on addressing the unmet needs of the Anatomic Pathology Laboratory. As a partner to the Pathologist, Celerus is developing diagnostic testing systems designed to provide “real time†solutions for Cancer Patient Management. \n\nFounded in 2004 in Santa Barbara, Celerus Diagnostics is committed to enhancing the diagnostic capabilities of the pathology laboratory. After working for many years with biopsy samples from cancer patients and understanding first-hand the needs of laboratories and pathologists who test and interpret these critical samples, the founder of Celerus determined it was necessary to create a more rapid solution to provide results for an efficient “Continuous Flow†work environment.\n\nThe Celerus system of rapid biopsy testing will disrupt the industry status quo with the potential to simultaneously improve patient care and reduce health care costs via a more timely diagnosis and more efficient lab operation. For example, by having the biopsy tests performed in under 15 minutes, the Celerus system is supportive of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) guideline of 20-minute turn-around-time for intraoperative biopsy analysis. In addition, by providing a continuous flow of results each 15 minutes, the Celerus system provides pathology laboratories the ability to decrease their laboratory turnaround time dramatically. Celerus technology also provides the capability to decentralize testing to Outpatient Centers, thus moving results closer to the patient for real time decision making. These capabilities support fully integrated Cancer Patient Management, resulting in personalized medicine through diagnostics linked with therapeutics. \n\nThe Company has assembled a “best-of-breed†management team of seasoned industry professionals. The team has significant prior start-up experience dating back to the embryonic stage of automated biopsy testing.\n\nPage Erickson \nChief Executive Officer\nPage has over 25 years of experience in the Pathology business. Celerus is the third pathology company he has founded. Most recently, Page was VP, IHC for Chemicon International, establishing and operating an IHC (ImmunoHistoChemistry) and Molecular Anatomy Research Facility and introducing over 175 new products. Prior to Chemicon, he co-founded QualTek Molecular Labs, a provider of IHC and ISH contract research services to BioPharma, BioTech, and University laboratories. He also co-founded BioTek Solutions, which designed and built instrumentation and detection systems that automated IHC and ISH assays. BioTek Solutions was acquired by Ventana Medical Systems (NASDAQ: VMSI) in 1996. \n\nPage’s previous positions include Director of the Biological Microscopy Facility and Lecturer at UCSB. He has several patents in the area of automated IHC, ICC and ISH. Page earned his BA in Cellular and Organismal Biology and his PhD in Cell Biology at UCSB. He was also a Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular Biology at UCSB.\n\nKeynote Speaker\nDr. Gary Ponto founded the Santa Barbara Pathology Laboratory in 1988 and merged it with Central Coast Pathology Associates (CCPC) in January 2005. CCPC has over 125 employees and serves six hospitals with clients from Paso Robles to Thousand Oaks. CCPC provides the complete range of clinical pathology services.\n\nIn addition to being an owner-director of CCPC, Gary has been the Laboratory Director for Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital since 1981 when he first came to Santa Barbara. He is also a Clinical Professor of Pathology at the USC Keck School of Medicine and Staff Pathologist at Cottage Hospital. \n\nAmong his many responsibilities in the past, he was Chief of Staff at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, and Medical Examiner for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner.\n\nGary is a Clinical Fellow of the American Cancer Society and a Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He earned his BS at Cal Poly-Pomona and his MD at USC.\n\nPanelists\nRoberta Nielsen studied biomechanical engineering at Harvard and cytotechnology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She has worked since 1990 in Santa Barbara anatomic pathology (AP) laboratories, where she screens Pap smears and other cytologic specimens (from cell suspensions) for malignancy. Roberta was part-owner of Santa Barbara Pathology Laboratory and has consulted in many other AP labs in the United States. She currently works at Cottage Hospital where she screens Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsies and other cytology specimens.\n\nRoberta’s other work interest is in software development. She has worked for several years on programming projects for Cortex Medical Management Systems of Seattle, makers of laboratory software for AP laboratories. That experience led to her own development of Medder, a medical reports delivery system, which is in beta testing for release in mid-year 2006.\n\nMs. Dorothy Pavloff is a Managing Director with California Technology Ventures, LLC (CTV) and brings operational experience from information technology and communications companies. She has been involved in venture capital for the last five years and has played key roles in deal sourcing, selection, and managing the fund's information technology investments.\n\nDorothy was previously a manager of business development at Conexant Systems Inc., a leading manufacturer of semiconductors focused on communications applications. Her responsibilities included business development and strategic planning for Conexant's largest product division. She was also part of the team that spun Conexant out from the Rockwell Corporation. Prior to Conexant, Dorothy held various positions at Hughes Electronics in it's New Ventures Organization, and at the MITRE Corporation, a research and development corporation focused on systems engineering for military applications. \n\nDorothy has taught venture investing to MBA candidates at USC's Marshall School of Business. She received her Master of Business Administration from the Boston University Graduate School of Business, and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Boston College. |
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Wednesday, April 19, 2006 5:15 PM |
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Student
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$15.00 |
Regular |
$30.00 |
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At the Door |
$40.00 |
Parking |
$0.00 |
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