John P. Longenecker, PhD, President, CEO and Director, has over 25 years of executive management experience in the biopharmaceuticals industry and has participated in all aspects of company development including venture funding, public equity offerings, corporate partnering and management of collaborations, mergers and acquisitions. Prior to HemaQuest, Dr. Longenecker served as President, CEO and Director at Vitreoretinal Technologies (2009-2010). From 2002 until 2009 he was President, CEO and Director of Favrille Inc. a company developing therapeutic cancer vaccines for patients with lymphoma. He led Favrille through multiple private financings, an IPO in Jan 2005, and several additional equity financings, raising over $210 million dollars to support the company’s growth. Dr. Longenecker led the downsizing and eventual reverse acquisition of MyMedicalRecords.com, (now MMRGlobal) in early 2009, following the clinical trial failure of Favrille’s lead drug candidate.

In 1992, Dr. Longenecker joined DepoTech as Senior Vice President of Research, Development and Operations. He was instrumental in taking DepoTech public in Sept 1995 and served as President from February 1998 to April 1999, during which time the company’s lead product, DepoCyt, was approved by the FDA. Following SkyePharma PLC’s acquisition of DepoTech in 1999, Dr. Longenecker served as President of SkyePharma Inc.(now Pacira, Inc.) and as a member of the Executive Committee for SkyePharma plc until joining Favrille in early 2002. From 1982 to 1992, Dr. Longenecker was at Scios, a biotechnology company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was Vice-President and Director of Development at Scios from 1986 to 1992. Dr. Longenecker was also a Director of a number of Scios subsidiaries during this period including Meta Bio (a JV with Pfizer in diabetes and obesity) and Karo Bio (now a public company in Sweden). Dr. Longenecker holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from The Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. He was a post doctoral fellow at Stanford University prior to joining Scios. Dr. Longenecker currently serves as a member of Dean’s Leadership Council of the School of Science at Purdue and was recently recognized by the College of Science of Purdue University with the Distinguished Science Alumnus award. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors of Pacira, Inc.

Tamara A. Seymour, MBA, Chief Financial Officer, has over 20 years experience in the biotechnology industry. Prior to joining HemaQuest, Ms. Seymour served as Chief Financial Officer for Favrille, Inc., a company developing therapeutic cancer vaccines for patients with lymphoma, where she was responsible for finance, investor relations, information technology, human resources and administration (2001 – 2009). While there she was instrumental in raising over $210 million in multiple private and public equity and debt financings including the IPO in February 2005. She was also instrumental in Favrille’s downsizing and reverse acquisition of MMR Global, Inc. (MMR) in January 2009 and served as head of the MMR/Favrille transition team until June 2009. From 1991 to 2001, Ms. Seymour served as consulting chief financial officer for a number of biotechnology companies. From 1988 through 1991, Ms. Seymour was Director of Finance and Controller with Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. From 1980 and 1988, she worked with Deloitte & Touche LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in various positions including audit manager from 1985-1988. Ms. Seymour is a Certified Public Accountant and received an M.B.A. with an emphasis in Finance from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from Valdosta State University.

Richard G. Ghalie, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, is a Board certified hematologist and medical oncologist, who brings more than 17 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining HemaQuest, he served as Chief Medical Officer of Novalar Pharmaceuticals and Favrille, Inc., Vice-President of Medical Affairs at Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Vice-President of Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs at NeoRx, and Senior Medical Director at Immunex. Previously, he was Medical Director of the Bone Marrow Transplant Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Ghalie is coauthor of over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and scientific abstracts. He received his medical doctorate from the French School of Medicine in Beirut, a MS from the University of Paris VII, and an MBA from the University of Washington in Seattle.

Elsa Johnson, MBA, PMP, Director, Project Management, brings 18 years of experience in business and drug development at large and small biopharmaceutical companies. Prior to HemaQuest, she served as Senior Project Manager at Nastech Pharmaceuticals and Corus Pharmaceuticals (later acquired by Gilead) where she led drug development teams in the planning and implementation of multiple lead candidates. She held project and clinical operations manager positions at PAREXEL International, a leading contract research organization. Ms. Johnson has a BS degree in Economics from Southern Methodist University, an MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Business, and a certification from the Project Management Institute. 

Maria Aiello, MA-ORGL, Director, Clinical Development, has over 14 years of experience in drug development at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies where she has held roles of steadily increasing responsibility. She has served as Associate Director, Clinical Operations for Geron Corporation, Program Manager for Elan Pharmaceuticals, and fulfilled several scientific and management roles within Clinical Development and Operations at Immunex and Amgen between 1995 and 2008. Ms. Aiello has a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington and a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University in Spokane.