Carlos L. Aparicio, CEO and President
Carlos Aparicio, Ph.D., is CEO and President of ImmunoSite Technologies, LLC. He has almost 20 years experience in technical and scientific leadership in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries where he has worked in R&D process and product development for Ciba-Geigy, Warner-Lambert, and Beckman Coulter. Dr. Aparicio is a world leader in the robotic automation of biological assays and pharmaceutical processes that enhance operating efficiency in both research settings and drug discovery-development, and is inventor on many patents.
Prior to assuming the role of CEO in 2012, Carlos was the COO of ImmunoSite, directed the Automation Business Center, and established the Particle Testing Business Center. Carlos earned a Ph.D. in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering from Rutgers University, a B.S. in Engineering Science from the University of Miami, and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University.
- Ileana Munoz
Ileana Muñoz Antoni, Vice President, Quality
Ileana Muñoz Antoni is the Vice President of Quality at ImmunoSite Technologies, LLC. She has more than 20 years of experience in cellular analysis, immunology, flow cytometry, laboratory quality systems and reagent system R&D. Ileana came to IST after 17 years at Beckman Coulter Corporation, where she directed continuous process improvement programs, ensured GMP operations, conducted quality audits and assessments, worked with NSAI auditors for ISO 13485 audits, and managed all CAPA activities associated with audit results. As a Development Scientist, she has held positions in reagent systems development and R&D at Beckman Coulter, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine – Diabetes Research Institute, and the Joslin Diabetes Institute. Ileana has co-authored numerous scientific papers in addition to presenting at scientific meetings.
With a B.A. in Biology from State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, Ileana has extensive training in quality systems, laboratory quality practices, ISO, GMP, Global CAPA, and R&D Process. She is a member of the American Society of Quality (ASQ) and has a Quality Auditor Certification.
- Julie Wilkinson
Julie G. Wilkinson, Director of Pharma Services, Chief Information Officer
Julie Wilkinson is the Director of Business Development for Pharma Services and CIO of ImmunoSite Technologies, LLC. She brings over 25 years of technical, regulatory, and management experience in global diagnostics and clinical research to client relationships, business management, new technology integration, intellectual property, product development, and clinical research testing services within a GLP organization and total Quality Management System. Julie creates partnerships with drug R&D clinical research investigators, sites, and sponsors, to design and implement accurate, precise, efficient, and cost-effective biomarker testing strategies for immune monitoring of their biotherapeutics. She manages the company IT systems and infrastructure in compliance with industry best practices to ensure data integrity and operations. During her 17 years at Beckman Coulter, a global diagnostics company, Julie played an integral role in creating solutions for global biopharma and clinical research clients, assessing new technology business opportunities, patenting cellular analysis inventions; presenting scientific data to international audiences; and working under GMP/ ISO-9001:13485. She also managed the development of many successful diagnostic reagents and instrument systems, and established in-house core testing lab facilities for complex immune monitoring with external clinical research trial organizations such as the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN).
Prior to joining industry, Julie spent 10 years in academia where she gained valuable research experience in molecular biology, immunology, virology, veterinary pathobiology, and biochemistry. During this time, she learned the business of basic research. Julie earned her M.S. in Molecular Biology and a B.S. in Biology from The Ohio State University. She has been published in many peer-reviewed scientific publications and trade magazines, and is co-inventor on several patents.
Wade E. Bolton, Ph.D.
Wade is a co-founder ImmunoSite Technologies, LLC in August, 2009, and served as CEO and President until February 2012. During 27 years of distinguished work at Beckman Coulter Inc., serving in a number of senior management positions in immunology research and development, Wade is credited with the development of over 100 reagents (RUO & IVD), researching and identifying new reagents and applications for acquisition, and successfully managing more than 80 scientists and engineers responsible for development of five new instrument platforms, software, reagents and assays for the cell analysis and immunoassay market segment. For many years, Wade worked closely with industry legends Wallace and Joseph Coulter, the co-founders of Coulter Corporation. Wallace Coulter invented the Coulter Principle, the reference method for electronically counting and sizing blood cells and other microscopic particles, still used by most cell counting instruments. Wade led Coulter’s Immunology research and development activities, including Organic Chemistry, Cell Biology, ImmunoActivation, Histopathology, Cell Based Research, Fine Particle Chemistry, Tissue Culture/Hybridoma, Technology Transfer and Cell Marker Research. In 2000, Beckman Coulter Corporation picked Wade to be vice president of a new Custom Biopharma Solutions (CBS) department whose mission was to address specific needs of the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in preclinical and clinical trials. The division’s goal was to implement comprehensive solutions in immune monitoring and surveillance, flow cytometry, application development, automation, particle characterization, assay development and testing for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
In August, 2009, Wade, together with a specially selected group of CBS professionals, spun off from BEC to create ImmunoSite Technologies, an independent contract research organization offering a suite of unique, proven, functional, immune monitoring assays as a testing service for pharma and biotech companies involved in immune-based drug and biologics discovery and development. The IST team was selected to work in partnership with a number of leading international immune monitoring organizations, such as the Imperial College London’s CD4 Initiative, the Immune Tolerance Network, and the Immune Tolerance Institute.
Wade has a Ph.D. and M.S. in Cell Biology from Columbia Pacific University, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Houston.
Sybil S. D’Costa, Ph.D.
Sybil is a co-founder of ImmunoSite Technologies and served as VP of R&D activities focused on interrogating immune mediated mechanisms of disease and associated therapies, both vaccines and biologics until 2012. She is principal investigator of international projects such as the CD4 Initiative, dedicated to the R&D of diagnostics for HIV in resource-limited areas.
Prior to joining IST, Sybil worked together with the Beckman Coulter’s Custom Biopharma Solutions (CBS) department, developing comprehensive solutions in immune monitoring,surveillance and point of care diagnostics for resource limited settings. She leads a number of immune response related research projects in application development, assay development, automation and testing for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Her IST team has been distinguished by their ongoing partnerships with best-in-class clinical trial organizations such as the Immune Tolerance Network and the Immune Tolerance Institute.
Sybil received a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the Medical College of Ohio, and bachelor and master’s degrees in microbiology from St. Xavier’s College in Bombay, India. She conducted post-doctoral research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on an HIV vaccine strategy to elicit broadly cross-neutralizing antibody responses in ongoing phase I trials, as well as to develop novel methodologies to condition oncogenic cells to improve chemotherapeutic strategies.
Our Founders
