The Facility’s team members have wide-ranging experience in stem and islet cell biology, technical expertise in ex-vivo cell/tissue manipulation and manufacture/characterization of a wide range of products, as well as preparation and administration of cellular products for therapeutic applications.
DR. CAMILLO RICORDI, MD, MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Camillo Ricordi, MD, FNAI is a Professor and a Director of the Diabetes Research Institute and Division of Cellular Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of Miami. Acknowledged by his peers as one of the world’s leading scientists in diabetes cure-focused research and cell transplantation, Dr. Ricordi is well known for inventing the method for large-scale islet isolation from the human pancreas and for performing the first series of successful clinical islet transplants.
XIUMIN XU, MS. MT, DIRECTOR
Xiumin Xu MS. MT is an expert in cellular therapy therapeutics. She has over 25 years of laboratory management experience across multiple cGMP processing facilities primarily focused on human cell and tissue product development of various types of stem cells, pancreatic islets, and cellular-based vaccines. Her particular expertise is in cellular therapy product pipelines development and scale-up cGMP production for clinical applications, as well as quality assurance and regulatory affairs pertaining to IND, IRB, and 510K applications.
ERIC MICHAEL LORUSSO, MSc
Eric LoRusso MS has over 6 years of scientific experience in the field of stem cell biology and cellular therapeutics. His expertise includes process and assay development of cell therapies, as well as manufacturing under cGMP guidelines. During his career, he has developed multiple manufacturing processes and quality control assays for Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell (PBMC) and Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) therapies used in clinical trials. In his Masters, his work focused on studying the molecular pathology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in motor neurons.
DR. GIACOMO LANZONI, PhD , RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
GIACOMO LANZONI, is a Research Assistant Professor at the Diabetes Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Miami. Dr. Lanzoni's area of focus has been in developing stem cell-based approaches toward the cure of Type 1 Diabetes. His current research is focused on human adult biliary tree stem cells and pancreatic progenitors for the treatment of diabetes. He is developing novel methods for transplanting cells in targeted sites, while inducing immunological tolerance to the transplant.
XIAOJING WANG, MD, ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST/ QUALITY ASSURANCE
Xiaojing, Wang, has over 20 years of experience in the field of cellular therapies. Xiaojing has wealth of knowledge and experience in the manufacture of human islet cells, cellular-based vaccines, and various types of stem cells for therapeutic applications. Her particular expertise is in cGMP cellular therapy product development and production for clinical applications, as well as quality assurance and regulatory affairs.
ALEJANDRO ALVAREZ, MS, MSN, ASSOCIATE SCIENTIST
Alejandro is highly skilled and knowledgeable scientist, with over 15 years of experience in the filed of cellular therapies, and product characterization assay development. Alejandro has taken lead in the manufacture of various cellular therapy products that include, but are not limited to islet cells, MSCs, NK cells, immune cell populations, BMCs and VBMCs.
RUDY RODRIGUEZ, BS, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE 3
Rudy Rodriguez is a multifaceted individual with experience spanning from 3D model design to tissue cell culture. Hailing from the nation’s largest tissue bank and organ procurement organization, Rudy brings to the table experience developing multitude HCT/Ps, development of alternative cryopreservation techniques, and primary cell isolation from a cornucopia of tissue types.
CLARISA LENERO MSc, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE 3
Clarissa Lenero MSc has over 7 years of experience in the fields of stem cell research and cellular therapies. Her expertise is in cellular therapy product pipelines development and scale-up cGMP production for clinical applications.