LC-MS Scientific Committee

Dr.Vince Taguchi received a B.Sc. in chemistry in 1969 and a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry in 1973 from McMaster University. He then completed post-doctoral fellowships in the Pathology Department in the McMaster Medical Centre, the Pharmacy Research Division of Merck Frosst Laboratories, the Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Unit at McGill University and the Division of Clinical Pharmacology at Toronto Western Hospital.

After several years as a research chemist at Polysar Limited, he moved to a mass spectrometry scientist position at the Ministry of the Environment, then to a supervisor’s position and eventually to a manager’s position with the Mass Spectrometry Section of the Laboratory Services Branch. This section has 7 technologists, 7 scientists and 18 mass spectrometers including 3 triple quadrupole mass spectrometers, 2 double-focusing magnetic sector mass spectrometers, 1 sector-quadrupole tandem hybrid mass spectrometer and 1 Fourier transform (ion cyclotron resonance) mass spectrometer [FT(ICR)MS]. The FT(ICR)MS is equipped with a 9.4 Tesla superconducting magnet, an LC-QQ vacuum cart and a GC-QQQ vacuum cart.

Vince is a member of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, American Chemical Society, Chemical Institute of Canada, Order of Chemists of Quebec, Association of the Chemical Profession of Ontario, Canadian Society for Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy, Canadian Society for Mass Spectrometry and is the current chair of the Toronto Area Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group.

Vince has 34 years experience in analytical chemistry and has 25 publications and 85 presentations.

Dr. Alan Viau has over 20 years of experience in the Management of the Science, Information Technology and Creative Arts sectors.

He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry, B.Sc. in Biochemistry.

He has been Vice President at Corel Corporation, National Manager at Hewlett-Packard, President and Artistic Director of Performing Arts companies.

He has provided strategic and operational advice to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Health Canada, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Department of National Defense, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission on Science and Security.

Since joining the Federal Public Service, he has progressed from Regulatory Project Manager, Senior Science Policy Analyst, Associate Director, to his current position of Acting Director in the Bureau of Pharmaceutical Science at the Therapeutic Drugs Directorate at Health Canada.

He sits/sat on the executive board of Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Society of Toxicology of Canada, Organizing Committee for DIA Canada 2007. He is also a member of the CVG LC-MS Scientific Committee.

Dr. Viau has published over 30 papers in scientific peer reviewed and trade journals.

He is also Chaplain, Actor/singer, Director in both stage and film Published musician. He was on the academic staff at Algonquin College's School of Media Arts and Design.

Dr. Viau is listed in the International Who’s Who of Professionals (2006).

First degree in Hong Kong; - M.Sc.: University of Birmingham (U.K.) -Ph.D.: Dalhousie University.

Research Associate -> Research Officer: Analytical Chemistry Group, Division of Chemistry at the National Research Council.

Senior Research Officer: Institute for National Measurement Standards.

1989-1998: Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Queen’s University.

1989-1998: Adjunct Research Professor, Department of Chemistry and the Centre for Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Carleton University.

1996-1998: Adjunct Professor, Ottawa-Carleton Chemistry Institute.

1998: Professor of Chemistry and NSERC / MDS SCIEX Industrial Research Chair in Analytical Mass Spectrometry (York University).

Founding Director of the Centre for Research in Mass Spectrometry (York University).

Member of the Executive Committee in the Analytical Chemistry Division, Canadian Society for Chemistry, from 1988 to 1998, serving as Chair of the Division 1994-1996.

Member of the editorial advisory boards of the Journal of American Society for Mass Spectrometry and Mass Spectrometry

Until June 2005, Professor Siu has published over 130 scientific papers and 4 peer-reviewed book chapters, co-edited two books, , and given about 250 presentations, of which over 60% were invited, keynote or plenary.

1991: Maccoll Prize for ‘most outstanding contribution to science’

1994: F.W. Karasek Award from the University of Waterloo and the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy for his achievements in environmental science.

1996: McBryde Medal from the Canadian Society for Chemistry for his achievements in pure and applied analytical chemistry.

2002: Award of Merit from the Federation of Chinese Canadian Professionals Education Foundation for his long-term impact and exceptional achievement in science.

2004: Gerhard Herzberg Award from the Spectroscopy Society of Canada for outstanding achievement in the science of spectroscopy.

Dr. Nicola Hughes is the Director of the Bioanalytical Laboratory at Biovail Contract Research.

Dr Hughes obtained her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of London (UK), where she studied the covalent binding of carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons to DNA in mouse tissues using the 32P-postlabelling technique.

Dr Hughes did her postdoctoral fellowship at the hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She specialized in the development of phenotyping methods and the design, development and utilization of molecular genotyping methods to investigate the pharmacogenetics of drug metabolizing enzymes (isoforms of the Cytochrome P450s and the N-acetyl transferases) in relation of bladder cancer susceptibility and exposure to aromatic amines.

Dr. Hughes has been at Biovail Contract Research since 1997, when she first joined the Bioanalytical Laboratory as a Senior Scientist in the method development group.

Over the years Dr. Hughes has evolved into a well-respected scientist and has been responsible for providing leadership in the development and application of novel and highly sensitive LC-MS/MS bioanalytical methods.

Dr. Hughes is member of American Society of Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) and American Society of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS).

B.Sc.: University of Toronto; Ph.D. in chemistry: York University.

1989-2008: Glaxo Canada - >GlaxoSmithKline Inc. (Canada)

Research scientist: analytical method development and validation

Managed product development projects to support IND and NDA

Managed analytical operation in the product development development

Manager of Analytical Technologies in the Product Development Department

Responsible for laboratory automation and implementation of new analytical technologies.

1995: Founding president of the Calibration & Validation Group (CVG) in Canada. CVG is a professional group with focus on the calibration and validation issues in the pharmaceutical industry.

Developed an instrument qualification and performance verification course for Agilent Technologies and presented the course in various cities in North American and Asia.

2004: Authors/editors (5 chapters) a book titled "Analytical Method Validation and Instrument Performance Verification" published by Wiley Intersciences

Dr. Musuku is the Director of Bioanalytical Division, Innovator Sector at Anapharm.

Dr. Musuku obtained a Doctor of Science degree in analytical chemistry and toxicology with Greatest Distinction from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

As a Senior Assistant Professor at the University of Burundi, and later a Research Scientist at the University of Antwerp, Dr. Musuku carried out extensive research with emphasis on analytical and structural organic chemistry, and pharmacological studies.

He also worked as a Research and Certifying Scientist at the Centre for Toxicology, University of Calgary, Alberta.

Prior to joining Anapharm in September 2006, he was formerly Director, Laboratory Operations of the Cantest BioPharma Services division and then Director of Research for the entire company, responsible for planning, coordinating and directing the research and development activities of the entire organization and providing technical advise in support of the organization’s business development activities.

Dr. Musuku has more than 18 years of experience in development and validation of analytical methods in accordance with GLP and ICH requirements for biological samples by GC/MS, LC/MS and LC/MS/MS.

He also has a great deal of experience with regulatory requirements set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), carrying out study direction under GLP requirements, report preparation and submission to the FDA, and handling FDA inspections.

Dr. Garofolo has been working on Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for more than 18 years. His work is specialized in applications of LC-MS in FORENSIC, ANALYTICAL and BIOANALYTICAL fields.

Dr. Garofolo started teaching LC-MS since 1995. He is the official LC-MS Instructor and Regulatory Advisor for the Calibration and Validation Group (CVG is a non-profit, scientific organization based in Toronto). Capitalizing on an extensive occupational background within his specialization field, Dr. Garofolo provides innovative solutions and specific training for fast method development in LC-MS. He has developed a multilevel LC-MS course focused on High Throughput LC-MS/MS and Advance Method Development. More than 2000 students, mainly from Canada but also from USA, Europe, and Mexico, have already successfully attended different levels of Dr. Garofolo’s courses. He has taught over 37 courses on LC-MS/MS and Method Development.

Dr. Garofolo is also the founder and chair of the LC-MS Discussion Group in Toronto. The most well-known scientific meeting of this LC-MS group is the Annual Symposium & Exhibition, which reached more than 400 attendees during its 6th edition in 2007 (Toronto & Montreal). Dr. Garofolo was also the organizer of the 1st Canadian Workshop on the Crystal City AAPS/FDA White Paper on May 2007(a 1-day full immersion workshop for CROs and pharmaceutical companies involved in providing bioanalytical data for bioavailability, bioequivalence, pharmacokinetic, and comparability studies, attended by 106 professionals).

At present he is leading the Bioanalysis Services department at Algorithme Pharma Inc., a world leader contract research organization (CRO) offering a complete range of clinical development and bioanalytical services to the pharmaceutical industry.

Career Steps:
Vice-President Bioanalytical Services, Algorithme Pharma Inc. (Present); Bioanalysis & Pharmacokinetic Head, Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (2003-2006); Technical Manager, Eli Lilly Canada (2000-2003); Laboratory Director, Biovail Contract Research Canada (1998-2000); Laboratory Director, R&D Dept.-Analytical Laboratory, Italian Air Force Italy (1994-1998).

Accomplishments:
18 years of experience in Method Development. 69 Publications & Presentations in International Conferences. 142 Innovative Bioanalytical and Analytical Methods Developed and Validated. Author and instructor of 37 LC-MS courses from Basic to Advanced level. Designer and inventor of 3 innovative bioanalytical approaches: Universal Bioanalytical Method theory (UBM) and TFC coupled with High Flow Normal Phase (TFC-HF-NPLC-MS/MS), IPA/Acid Ionization approach for natural antibiotics. Energetic and result oriented Executive with an extensive and progressive managerial and technical experience of groups of up to 100 personnel.

Education:
Specialization in Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology – Doctor’s Degree in Psychology, Northcentral University, USA (2002-2005). Advanced Management, York University, Canada (1998-2000). Specialization in Meteorology, Aeronautica Militare – Doctor’s Degree in Chemistry, Universita’ degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza"-Italy (1985-1994)

E-mail: fgarofolo@algopharm.com
Updated: September 30th, 2007