LSRO - Key Persons

Dr. Klein completed internships in the Pre-Professional Practice Program in Dietetics at the University of Maryland Medical System, where she developed guidelines for nutrition assessment, documentation, and continuity of care. As Clinical Coordinator of Research in the Division of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Maryland's R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, she developed, initiated, and administered research projects involving nutritional issues in critical care. She is certified by the American Dietetic Association in both Adult Weight Management and in Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management. Dr. Klein is the primary author of nine peer-reviewed publications including a book chapter, and has lectured or presented at more than 25 professional meetings. She served as editor for LSRO reports on preterm infant formula, adverse event monitoring systems for dietary supplements, and resuscitation fluids and adjunct therapies for use in combat. Dr. Klein is a member of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and the American Dietetic Association.

is Director of Business Development and Marketing for LSRO. His primary responsibilities are to oversee the growth of business development projects and to coordinate all marketing programs. Mr. Frumkin received a B.A. degree in Mass Communications from St Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. Mr. Frumkin previously was the manager of Sales and Marketing at New Jersey Packaging (NJP; Fairfield, NJ), a cGMP printer serving the pharmaceutical industry. A key accomplishment while at NJP was positioning his company as a valuable supplier to the pharmaceutical market for high-tech anti-counterfeit packaging solutions. Mr. Frumkin also transformed NJP's marketing program by re-doing literature, website design, and developing a brand strategy. Before coming to New Jersey Packaging Mr. Frumkin was employed at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Roswell, GA) where he held various positions in sales, marketing, and sales management. He was responsible for numerous new product roll-outs, implementing market penetration, and representing the corporation to large scale customers including Boeing, Barnes-Jewish/Christian Healthcare, and Washington University.

Dr. Gorby is the co-author of a peer-reviewed journal article and three book chapters. She is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the Endocrine Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Back to Staff Bios

Job Titles:

• Director
• Member of the Board of Directors of the Intersociety Committee

Jacob J. Steinberg, M.D., (Director, 2002-2009) is a Professor in the Department of Pathology and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. His primary interest is in cancer, DNA toxicology and environmental medicine. Dr. Steinberg is a member of the Board of Directors of the Intersociety Committee on Pathology Information, national chair of the Pathology Program Directors Association, and a member of the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP). He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Public Health Association of New York City and is a member of the Advisory Panel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

, an authority in the area of vitamin and mineral interactions, is a Senior Scientific Consultant at the Life Sciences Research Organization. At LSRO he has participated in the preparation and editing of several reports. Dr. Smith received a B.S. in Agricultural Education and a doctorate in Nutritional Sciences/Biochemistry from the University of Maryland, and continued his work as part of a postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Biological Chemistry, UCLA. During the 36 years prior to joining LSRO, Dr. Smith was employed in federal research laboratories, including the Veterans Administration Medical system and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He has directed research on trace metals and vitamins, as well as clinical studies on carotenoids. Dr. Smith has published over 375 articles including book chapters and encyclopedia entries and has served as an editorial board member, assistant editor, and ad hoc reviewer for several national/international journals. Dr. Smith is a Fellow of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, and is a member of the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, and the Commissioned Officers Association, U.S. Public Health Service.

is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Life Sciences Research Organization. Dr. Lewis completed postdoctoral research in the Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University after receiving her Ph.D. in biology, with a concentration in neuroscience, from Clark University. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Spelman College. Her research has focused on taste and smell in the fruitfly (Drosophila melanogaster), and on molecular mechanisms of sweet taste transduction in the blowfly (Phormia regina). Dr. Lewis is a coauthor of three peer reviewed scientific articles and has served as co-editor of the LSRO report, Evaluation of Cigarette Ingredients: Scientific Criteria. She is a member of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences.

Ms. Bernhard completed internships in the Towson University Adult Psychology Research Lab, where she coordinated an ongoing study which contributed to a symposium presentation at the 57th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. As Project Coordinator/Lab Manager, Ms. Bernhard collected, recorded, and analyzed data for the study and presented her research findings at the Sixth Annual Research and Scholarship Expo. Prior to joining LSRO, Ms. Bernhard worked in the Marketing Department of Crist Instrument Company, a research and development facility for biomedical research equipment. Ms. Bernhard has also participated in community outreach efforts through the Dowell Health Center HIV Counseling and Testing Program. Ms. Bernhard is currently working toward completing her Master of Public Health degree (MPH) at the George Washington University Medical Center School of Public Health and Health Services, with a concentration in disease prevention, community health, and health promotion.

is the Executive Director of the Life Sciences Research Organization (LSRO) and Secretary of the Board of Directors, positions he has held since joining the organization in 1998. Dr. Falk received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Cornell University, and was awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postdoctoral Fellowship to Harvard University Medical School. For almost 20 years he served in a variety of positions at the National Naval Research Institute, Bethesda, MD. He was Director, Wound Repair Program; Director of Biochemistry and Cell Biology; Director, Septic Shock Research Program; Acting Director, Resuscitative Medicine Program; and a consultant to the Diving Medicine Program. For two years he was a principal of MCF Science Consultants. Dr. Falk has published more than 80 scientific articles, presentations, and technical reports and has served as a reviewer for a variety of scientific journals in the fields of biochemistry, shock, and clinical research. He is a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, and the Institute for Food Technologists.

Job Titles:

• Executive Assistant
• Office Manager

is a Senior Scientific Advisor to the Life Sciences Research Organization. He was Science Officer and Executive Director of the American Society for Nutrition from 1984 until 2006. Prior to this, he was a Senior Staff Scientist with LSRO. Dr. Allison earned a B.S. in biochemistry at the Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA) and a Ph.D. in nutrition at the University of California at Davis. Dr. Allison's primary research interests have been in the area of protein chemistry. He has authored numerous papers on a variety of food and nutrition-related topics for the Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Information Service and the Food and Drug Administration's Bureau of Foods. He was honored with an FDA Commissioner's Special Citation in recognition of outstanding scientific contributions to public health in human nutrition and the safety of food substances through his work on food ingredients Generally Recognized as Safe. Dr. Allison is a member of ASN, the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives and the Institute of Food Technologists. Back to Staff Bios

Rita Colwell, Ph.D., (Director, 2005-2010) is Distinguished University Professor both at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and Chairman of Canon US Life Sciences, Inc. Dr. Colwell holds a B.S. in Bacteriology and an M.S. in Genetics, from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Washington. Her interests are focused on global infectious diseases, water, and health, and she is currently developing an international network to address emerging infectious diseases and water issues, including safe drinking water for both the developed and developing world. Dr. Colwell served as the 11th Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), 1998-2004. In her capacity as NSF Director, she served as Co-chair of the Committee on Science of the National Science and Technology Council. She has held many advisory positions in the U.S. Government, nonprofit science policy organizations, and private foundations, as well as in the international scientific research community. She is a nationally-respected scientist and educator, and has authored or co-authored 16 books and more than 700 scientific publications. She produced the award-winning film, Invisible Seas, and has served on editorial boards of numerous scientific journals. Before joining the NSF, Dr. Colwell was President of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and Professor of Microbiology and Biotechnology at the University of Maryland. She was also a member of the National Science Board from 1984 to 1990. She has previously served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the American Academy of Microbiology and also as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Washington Academy of Sciences, the American Society for Microbiology, the Sigma Xi National Science Honorary Society, and the International Union of Microbiological Societies. Dr. Colwell is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. Dr. Colwell has also been awarded 46 honorary degrees from institutions of higher education, including her Alma Mater, Purdue University. Dr. Colwell is an honorary member of the microbiological societies of the UK, Australia, France, Israel, Bangladesh, and the U.S. and has held several honorary professorships, including the University of Queensland, Australia. A geological site in Antarctica, Colwell Massif, has been named in recognition of her work in the polar regions.

Job Titles:

• Director of Industry Communications and Research

Susan Finn, Ph.D., (Director, 2007-2010) serves as chair of the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition. She guides the organization's educational efforts to uncover and support programs and research aimed at finding long-term solutions to the growing problem of overweight and obesity. Dr. Finn received her Ph.D. from the Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) and her B.S. degree from Bowling Green State University. Dr. Finn is a past president of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She has been active in many leadership roles with the ADA, from creating a presence for nutrition professionals in health care reform legislation to developing multifaceted campaigns to advance nutrition support and women's nutritional health. Dr. Finn is also the Director of Industry Communications and Research in the Department of Nutrition at the Ohio State University, and she holds clinical professorships in the College of Medicine. Previously employed by Ross Products, a division of Abbott Laboratories, Dr. Finn served as Director in Nutrition at Whittier College in California, a special lecturer at California State University at Los Angeles, and assistant professor in medical dietetics in the School of Allied Medicine at the Ohio State University. Dr. Finn is the co-author of two books and has participated in more that 500 radio and television interviews. She also has produced public education programs for the electronic and print media. Dr. Finn's articles have appeared in numerous consumer magazines including New Choices, American Baby, Family Circle, Mother Today, Working Parents, and Healthy Kids. Dr. Finn is widely published in professional publications including the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the Journal of Nutrition Education.

Job Titles:

• Chairman

Taffy Williams, Ph.D. (Chair, 2006-2008, Director 2003-2011) is President and Chief Executive Officer of Colonial Technology Development Co. and the company founder. Dr. Williams holds a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of South Carolina, and did postdoctoral training at the University of South Carolina and the University of Michigan. Prior to founding Colonial Technology, Dr. Williams served as president and Chief Executive Officer of Photogen Technologies Inc., IMCOR Pharmaceutical Co. and he was president of InKine Pharmaceutical Company. Prior to that, he was president, CEO and Chairman of Panax. In addition to executive management skills, the ability to grow companies and his new business development experience, Dr. Williams is the author of eight patents, one invention registration, seven patent applications and 53 published articles. He also has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, "Most Significant Scientific Publication" awards from the Naval Medical Research Institute in 1985 and 1986, and the Civil Service Special Achievement Award for restructuring research activities in 1986.

Terry Quill, M.S., J.D., (Vice Chair, 2001-2010) is an attorney at Quill Law Group. He specializes in environmental law and product liability litigation, and focuses on the legal and technical matters associated with potential human and environmental exposures to toxic substances. He is experienced in environmental and toxic tort litigation, administrative hearings and appellate challenges to EPA rulemakings. Mr. Quill, who is also Past President of the International Society of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (ISRTP), has held research positions in molecular and development genetics, immunochemistry and tumor immunology and holds advanced degrees in both biology and toxicology. A graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, he chairs the American Bar Association's Special Committee on Science and Technology.

Mr. Stagnaro specializes in the pharmaceutical industry. He serves on the Board of Directors of both InKine Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded company focusing on the development and sale of pharmaceutical products to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal disorders, and Protalex, Inc., a biotechnology company engaged in developing new classes of drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. In the last 12 years he has raised over $200 million for development stage companies involved in the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. MacLean has served in for-profit and non-profit environments, having been vice president of medical and regulatory affairs for Ross Products Division, a division of Abbott Laboratories, and as the field director for the Instituto de Investigation Nutricional (Nutritional Research Institute) in Peru.