SONG LI, PH.D
Chairman and CEO
Song Li, Ph.D., founder, Chairman and CEO of Frontage Laboratories, Inc., has more than 15 years of pharmaceutical industry experience. Dr. Li held senior level management positions at Wyeth-Ayerst and S.L. Pharma Labs, Inc. due to his expertise in analytical chemistry, method development, validation, and regulatory affairs. Dr. Li received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from McGill University, Canada, in 1992, and did two years post-doctoral research in Pharmacokinetics at the Oncology Department, McGill University. Dr. Li has more than twenty (20) scientific publications covering topics in chiral separations, drug-protein binding, pharmacokinetics, and analytical chemistry. Dr. Li leads numerous technical projects relating to the development of pharmaceutical products.
 
 
RON CONNOLLY
Senior Vice President, Operations
Ron Connolly, Senior Vice President, Operations, is responsible for overseeing the operations of the company, ensuring excellent client relationships, providing technical leadership to the drug development activities at Frontage Laboratories, and creating new business development opportunities. Ron combines over 17 years of hands-on API and finished product development experiences from Glaxo Smithkline, Aventis, Wyeth, and Flavine North America to lead the efforts at Frontage. Ron has been involved in more than 25 FDA inspections in the last 10 years and is called on by clients to provide QA GMP consulting, regulatory guidance, and training for IND, NDA and ANDA development projects and personnel. Ron also has accumulated project and corporate management experience over the last 10 years and has successfully managed numerous API and finished dosage form projects from development through FDA approval and commercial launch in the USA, Europe, China, Taiwan, South America, India, Korea, and Japan. Ron graduated Drexel University with a BS in Chemical Engineering in 1991 and is active in supporting the social development of his local community through charitable contributions and volunteer efforts.
 
 
ZHIHE (ZEKE) LI, M.D., PH.D.
Senior Vice President, Preclinical Services
Zhihe (Zeke) Li, M.D., Ph.D., is Senior Vice President, responsible for Preclinical Research and Translational Medicine. Dr. Li received his medical degree from Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences in China and PhD in Experimental Pathology from McGill University. After 4 years post-doctorial training at the National Institutes of Health, he took positions of increasing responsibility in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry for more than 10 years (including Scios / Johnson & Johnson). Dr. Li has extensive experience in the design and execution of preclinical pharmacology research studies and research and development for small molecule and protein drugs. He has authored and co-authored more than 30 scientific papers and has contributed to numerous new drug applications to the US FDA.
 
 
ANTHONY J. MARCUCCI, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Anthony J. Marcucci, CPA, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, joined the Company in February 2007 and is responsible for all of the financial and human resource functions for the Company. Anthony brings to Frontage Laboratories than 20 years of experience as a financial and human resource executive within the pharmaceutical, professional service, financial service and industry sectors. Previously, Mr. Marcucci served as Vice President of Internal Financial Reporting for CDI Corporation, a $1.3 billion professional services company that provides cost-effective and high value solutions in the engineering, IT and professional staffing industries. While at CDI, Anthony managed all phases of internal financial reporting and the 25 member corporate accounting department. Prior to CDI Corporation, Anthony was Vice President and Corporate Controller at Lockwood Financial Group and Director of Corporate Human Resources for Hunt Corporation. Prior to joining Hunt Corporation, Mr. Marcucci spent 7 years as the Corporate Controller for Apollon, Inc., a start-up pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of non-viral DNA-based vaccines and other DNA-based gene therapy products for the prevention and treatment of infectious and autoimmune diseases. Before starting his career at PricewaterhouseCareers (formerly Coopers & Lybrand), Anthony received his Bachelor of Science degree at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.
 
 
ELLEN JIMENEZ, M.S.
Director of Quality Assurance
Mrs. Ellen Jimenez, M.S., is the Director of Quality Assurance. Ellen has over 10 years of pharmaceutical experience at Wyeth, Baxter Healthcare, and Fujisawa, USA Inc. Mrs. Jimenez has a broad range of knowledge and experience in pharmaceutical research and development, quality control, quality audit and compliance, training, and computerized systems implementation, validation, and administration. She currently oversees all of the quality operations at Frontage. Ms. Jimenez received her Master’s of Science Degree in Chemistry from Ateneo de Manila University in 1987. She became a Microsoft Certified Professional in 2003.
 
 
HARRY ZHAO, PH.D.
Senior Vice President, Bioanalytical Services
Harry Zhao, Ph.D., is Senior Vice President, Bioanalytical Services and has been with the company since its inception. Harry has extensive scientific experience in LC/MS/MS, HPLC, Mass Spectrometry, spectral elucidation, separation science, method development and applications for biological samples with profound understanding of chemical and physical principles. Harry has authored several publications in the field of mass spectroscopy as it pertains to bioanalytical analysis. As part of his work experience at Spectramedix, Harry has also developed software to operate Mass Spectrometry systems, giving him an in-depth knowledge of the instrumentation that is utilized in developing highly sensitive bioanalytical methods. Dr. Zhao received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Iowa State University in 1997.
 
 
ZHONGPING (JOHN) LIN, PH.D.
Vice President, Bioanalytical Services
Zhongping (John) Lin, Ph.D., Vice President, Bioanalytical Services, is responsible for Bioanalytical R&D and project support. John received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada and did his post-doctoral research in Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism at the College of Pharmacy and the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Ohio State University. John has more than 19 years of bioanalytical chemistry experience and has held both management and scientific positions in Avantix Laboratories, Inc. (Contract Research Organization) and AstraZeneca (multi-national pharmaceutical company). He is familiar with the drug discovery and development process, the pharmaceutical project lifecycle and data management. His main research focus was in the area of bioanalysis, pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism using LC-MS/MS. John’s achievement can be evidenced by more than 19 research publications covering the development and validation of LC-MS/MS methods for the determination of small and large molecules in biological matrix. John is also very familiar with various regulatory requirements and guidelines, as well as laboratory automation.
 
 
MIRA HONG, PH.D.
Director, Bioanalytical Project Management
Mira Hong, Ph.D., Director, Bioanalytical Project Management, has 12 years of experience in the scientific and pharmaceutical industries. She manages the portfolio of multiple concurrent projects with Frontage’s clients, ensures successful project completion and timeline goals, prepares and presents project proposals for prospective clients, liaises between external clients and internal departments to ensure on-time delivery of projects. Mira has solid hands-on experience in GLP/GCP/GMP laboratories and has many years’ experience in the global marketplace. Her background includes clinical study protocol design, report writing and study execution, bioanalytical assay development/validation and sample analysis using LC-MS/MS, protein chemistry including protein expression and purification, cell and molecular biology, and pharmacokinetic analysis for pre-clinical and clinical studies. Mira has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Connecticut and is originally from Seoul, Korea.
 
 
DONGMEI WANG, PH.D.
Vice President, Pharmaceutical Analysis
Dongmei Wang, Ph.D., Vice President, Pharmaceutical Analysis, is responsible for managing pharmaceutical projects and analytical groups at Frontage Laboratories. Dr. Wang has more than 10 years of experience in pharmaceutical industry where she has gained expertise and familiarity in many areas of pharmaceutical industry including pharmaceutical analysis, product development, regulatory filing, and product launching for several dosage forms. While holding managerial positions, she demonstrated her skills in managing technical projects, groups in multiple disciplines, and coordinating complex tasks. Prior to joining Frontage, Dr. Wang served NovaDel Pharma Inc. as the Director of Analytical/QC for more than three years where she provided analytical services in product development, clinical supplies manufacturing, CMC section of regulatory filings, and technology transfer to commercial manufacturing sites. Prior to NovaDel, Dr. Wang served Therics Inc seven years with increased responsibilities, and in her last three years she headed the Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and Control. Her extensive academic training includes a BS in Chemistry from Peking University , an MS in Chemical Engineering from Chinese Academy of Science, a PhD in Chemistry with honors from Iowa State University, and subsequent post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago .
 
 
DONNA EASH, PH.D.
Director, CMC Project Management
Donna Eash, Ph.D., Director, CMC Project Management, has over 6 years of commercial industry experience. Donna’s group is responsible for method development and validation, drug substance characterization, excipient compatibility, impurity identification, stability testing, dissolution testing and compendial tests. Donna has several publications in the field of chromatography. Dr. Eash received her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Maine in 1999.
 
 
KANG WANG, PH.D.
Director, Pharmaceutical Analysis
Kang Wang, Ph.D., Director, Pharmaceutical Analysis, has about 10 years of pharmaceutical analysis experience. His group is mainly responsible for method development and validation, impurity identification, and some routine analysis. Before joining Frontage, he had been with a big contract manufacturing company for about 8 years, where he held a Section Head position, and developed and validated a number of methods to support NDA and ANDA filings. He had also worked in Department of Pharmacokinetics in St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for about two years. Dr. Kang Wang received his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Memphis in 1997 and his B. S from Wuhan University in 1982.
 
 
VENKATA KOTA, PH.D.,
Vice President, Pharmaceutical R&D
Venkata Kota, Vice President, Pharmaceutical R&D, has more than fifteen years of Pharmaceutical Industry experience in various Pharmaceutical Labs like Ranbaxy Research Lab, Ivax Pharmaceutical and Teva Pharmaceuticals, USA specializing in Generic product development, Value added generics and Novel drug delivery systems. His main research focus was on Formulation Development, Process Development starting from concept development to commercial stage. Extensive experience in new technology developments for establishing novel drug delivery systems. Dr. Kota received his MS in Pharmaceutical Technology from Birla Institute of Technology, India and PhD in General Engineering specializing in Pharmaceutical Technology areas main emphasis on Solid Dispersion technology for enhancing drug solubility, controlling crystals growth and polymorphs by implementing Process Analytical Techniques (PAT) from St. Johns, NY-Warren University . His achievements can be evidenced by Twelve research publications and Two patents covering various novel drug delivery systems. Dr. Kota managed several Projects and Technology Transfers between various plants located in India, Israel, Canada, Ireland and North America.
 
 
VAISHALI KETKAR, PH.D.
Director of Formulations
Vaishali Ketkar, Ph.D., Director of Formulations, has over 10 years of hands-on pharmaceutical development experience. Vaishali, formerly senior development scientist at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, has expanded experience in the development of complex liquid dosage forms for oral and parenteral use, including suspensions, colloids and emulsions, as well as in-depth knowledge of preformulation studies and first-in-vivo formulations. Dr. Ketkar received her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from The University of Iowa in 1997 and has five (5) scientific publications covering topics in the stability of pharmaceutical substances. Dr. Ketkar leads numerous technical projects relating to the development of liquid and solid dosage forms.
 
 
VENKATA VADLAPATLA, PH.D.
Director of API and Organic Synthesis
Venkata Vadlapatla, Ph.D., Director of API and Organic Synthesis of Frontage Laboratories, Inc., has over 20 years of research and pharmaceutical industry experience in several pharmaceutical companies in India and Australia. He has extensive experience in process development and scale-up of new drug candidates for clinical trials. His areas of expertise including technology transfer operations, he has developed various innovative processes for a number of APIs. Before joining Frontage, he spent over 8 years in Australian pharmaceutical industry. He is also very familiar with various regulatory requirements and guidelines and he has gained considerable expertise in preparing technical data packages for regulatory support documentation.
 
 
DAVID HUANG, PH.D.
Finance Manager
David Huang, Ph.D., Finance Manager, has over 10 years of financial planning, budgeting and management experience. David is responsible for all financial and accounting activities at Frontage Laboratories, Inc. Dr. Huang received his Ph.D in Economics in United Kingdom in 1993.
 
 
YICHEN WEI, CPA
Director of Support Services
Yichen Wei, CPA, is the Director of Support Services at Frontage. Mr. Wei also holds a M.S. in Pharmaceutical Science from the Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, China. Yichen brings a diverse background of science, public accounting (via five years in public accounting firm), sales, and business development. His experience includes auditing, financial statement preparation and tax service.