Imaging Mass Spectrometry Society

Erik Cressman, PhD, MD, FSIR

Dr. Cressman is both a chemist and a practicing Interventional Radiologist Attending Physician at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. His research focus is on minimally invasive image-guided therapies with an emphasis on the biology of cell stress and protective responses to stress. He applies his background in organic synthesis through novel in situ reactions delivered percutaneously under image guidance to deliver a therapeutic benefit. At MD Anderson, he runs the Image Guided Chemistry Laboratory (IGCL), directs the John S. Dunn Center for Radiologic Sciences and also the Chemical Imaging Research Core Facility within the Center for Radiation Oncology Research, which includes mass spectrometry imaging as a major component. Correlating macroscopic findings from CT-, MRI-, Fluoroscopic-, and Ultrasound-guided image guided interventions with the microscopic capabilities of mass spectrometry is an exciting new area of research. Previously he was on the faculty of the Department of Radiology at the University of Minnesota where he invented the concept of image-guided in situ chemistry and began development of one variant known as thermochemical ablation. He is a fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology, a past president of the Society for Thermal Medicine, serves as chair of the Grants and Research Division at the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation, has published numerous papers, presented many abstracts, authored several book chapters on various aspects of interventional radiology, and serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Hyperthermia.

Dr. Stacy Ho

Stacy Ho, Ph.D. is an associate director of bioanalysis at Sanofi in Waltham, Massachusetts.  She worked at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1996 to 1998, where she analyzed human plasma to monitor smoking and second hand smoking within the US population.  Following her tenure at CDC, she worked at two CROs: first at MDS Pharma Services (1998 to 2002) as a scientist of Analytical Services, performing pharmaceutical testing and per-formulation and formulation support and later at WIL Research Laboratories, LLC (2002 to 2007) as the manager of Bioanalytical Chemistry before she joined Genzyme, a Sanofi company, in 2007.  She has a master degree in Organic Chemistry from East Tenseness State University and Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Georgia Institute of Technology.  

Stacy has authored and co‑authored several journal articles and book chapters.  She served as guest editor for Bioanalysis journal special focus issue on tissue analysis in 2012 and edited the eBook entitled “Tissue Analysis for Drug Development” in 2013.  She has presented podium talks and poster presentations at national meetings. She has been a member of the Organization Committee for Land O’Lakes Bioanalytical Conference since 2008 and served as the Conference Chair in 2013.  She is the current Chair of American Association of Pharmceutical Scientists (AAPS) CRO Focus Group. 

Dr. Walter Korfmacher

Walter Korfmacher, PhD has over 25 years of experience in mass spectrometry, including working for the FDA (the NCTR), as well as nearly two decades at Schering-Plough (SP)/Merck.  He set up the first MS Imaging (MSI) group at SP and has multiple publications as a result of this group’s efforts in the MSI field.  Walter is currently Director of Bioanalysis at Sanofi in Waltham, MA. The Sanofi bioanalysis group provides analysis for discovery PK and PK/PD studies as well as MSI for drug discovery teams. Walter has served as the chairperson of the North Jersey Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group. He is a member of three editorial boards: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry; Current Drug Metabolism; and Drug Metabolism Letters and serves as an Associate Editor, pharmaceutical sciences, for the Journal of Mass Spectrometry. He has also edited three books on mass spectrometry and its use in the drug discovery and drug metabolism arenas. He has written chapters in five additional books and has over 150 publications in scientific literature and has made over 80 presentations at various scientific forums. Walter received his MS and PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the U of Illinois (Urbana) and his BSCh from St. Louis U.

Stefan Linehan

Stefan Linehan has nearly twenty years of experience in the ADME (DMPK) and Toxicology areas, with more recently an involvement in the Discovery field. He is also well known for his development and expertise with the 3D cryo-imaging and autoradiography techniques.

Linehan’s most recent position was the Director of North American and Head of Japan at ImaBiotech, where he was responsible for overseeing and directing the operations in North America, including business development as well as establishing and building a team responsible for selling mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) services out of the ImaBiotech Greater Boston, MA facility. Linehan has also held previous positions at inviCRO, XenoBiotic Laboratories, and WIL Research Laboratories; where he set up and managed the quantitative whole body autoradiography (QWBA) capabilities and conducted mass balance/pharmacokinetic studies. He has also worked at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, where he developed the 3D cryo-imaging techniques and conducted regulated tissue distribution, mass balance, and pharmacokinetic studies.

Linehan received his Masters in Clinical Biochemistry from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia and his Bachelors in Biology from Colorado State University, CO. He has also lived overseas in both Australia and Japan, which has provided him with a deep understanding of business and culture on a global scale. Stefan Linehan was the last President of the Society for Whole Body Autoradiography (SWBA) and has held multiple Executive Committee Officer Positions since 2003. He is a co-founder and currently an Executive Committee Councilor for the Imaging Mass Spectrometry Society (IMSS).

Dr. Kevin Schey

Dr. Schey is currently Professor of Biochemistry within the Mass Spectrometry Research Center at Vanderbilt University. He also serves as Deputy Director of Research for the NIH Center on Imaging Mass Spectrometry. His research interests lie in the areas of proteomics of aging in ocular tissues, exosome proteomics, and imaging mass spectrometry. He is particularly interested in method development for IMS and applications to diseases of ocular tissues. Dr. Schey received his B.S. in Chemistry from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University working under the mentorship of Dr. Graham Cooks. After post-doctoral training at the University of Chicago he began his academic career at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. After 18 years at MUSC, he moved to Vanderbilt University where he directs the Core laboratories in Imaging MS, Proteomics, and small molecule MS. He is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Biological Chemistry and has published over 140 manuscripts.

Dr. Eric Solon - Treasurer

Eric Solon, Ph.D., is currently the Treasurer of the Imaging Mass Spectrometry Society and the Senior Director of Pharmacology and ADME at Madrigal Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Solon now directs and supports various preclinical and clinical studies to support the development of Madrigal Pharmaceuticals lead new drug candidate. Before joining Madrigal, Eric was the Senior Director and Fellow of Autoradiography in Pre-Clinical Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) for QPS, LLC. Eric Joined QPS in 2002 as Director and business head of Autoradiography and Animal Resource units. Dr. Solon is an internationally recognized expert in the study of drug tissue distribution at the macro/micro level and has published >25 articles and 4 book chapters. Eric earned his Ph.D. Rutgers Univ.; and MS at Fairleigh Dickinson University while holding various positions in the Pathology Department of the Safety Evaluation Facility for Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals (Novartis). Dr. Solon held various positions in DMPK as well as coordinating ADME studies and all QWBA tissue distribution/ADME studies at DuPont Pharmaceuticals, and Schering-Plough Corporation. He has expertise in managing lab operations, profit center operations, lab animal anatomy, physiology, necropsy & histology, gross pathology, pre-clinical ADME studies, and laboratory and computer validations.  He served as President, President-elect, President Ex Officio, Webmaster, Secretary, and Councilor for the Society for Whole-Body Autoradiography (SWBA) and is an active member of the International Isotope Society.