PURITY LABORATORIES - Key Persons
David Humphrey is Vice President and CEO of Purity Laboratories, Inc.
Kulani Mahikoa is President of Purity Laboratories, Inc. She has had successful careers both as a journalist and as an entrepreneur.
After graduating from Lewis and Clark College, she worked for the Oregonian, KATU-TV and Community Press Newspapers in Portland, Oregon.
Ms. Mahikoa also lived in Honolulu, Hawaii where she started Hawaiiana Products, that manufactured fragrances and bath products. That company was sold to General Atlantic Corporation, a major stock holder of Duty Free International.
Job Titles:
- Laboratory Director
- Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology / CLS
Zahra Mehdizadeh Kashi, PhD, HCLD, is a board-certified molecular immunohematologist with over 33 years of experience in clinical laboratories with extensive leadership. Dr. Kashi completed her undergraduate studies in Clinical laboratory Science (CLS) at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU). Dr. Kashi pursued her graduate studies by attending Portland State University (PSU), where she obtained her Masters degree in Immunology. Dr. Kashi obtained her doctorate degree in molecular immunohematology from Portland State University, and completed her doctoral thesis under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Heinrich at Oregon Health Sciences University. She also completed the Michigan Ross Executive MBA Program at the University of Michigan.
Shortly after graduation, she successfully obtained her Board certification and was appointed as the Histocompatibility Laboratory Director of the American Red Cross. It was during this tenure that she
recognized there were unmet transplant/transfusion-related needs in the Histocompatibility community. Consequently, despite the progressive advancement of responsibilities in her career with the ARC, Dr. Kashi proceeded with establishing another clinical laboratory (Kashi Clinical Laboratories) to better support cellular therapy advancements. Her goal was to offer services that provided better patient care before and after transplantation. She is currently serving as the Director and Clinical Consultant of both laboratories.
Dr. Kashi has managed a quality operation in the field of transplantation and transfusion support for over 33 years. Her main research interest is the role of histocomatibility molecules in the pathophysiology of Transfusion-Related Acute Lung injury (TRALI); she has multiple publications on the topic.
recognized there were unmet transplant/transfusion-related needs in the Histocompatibility community. Consequently, despite the progressive advancement of responsibilities in her career with the ARC, Dr. Kashi proceeded with establishing another clinical laboratory (Kashi Clinical Laboratories) to better support cellular therapy advancements. Her goal was to offer services that provided better patient care before and after transplantation. She is currently serving as the Director and Clinical Consultant of both laboratories.
Dr. Kashi has managed a quality operation in the field of transplantation and transfusion support for over 33 years. Her main research interest is the role of histocomatibility molecules in the pathophysiology of Transfusion-Related Acute Lung injury (TRALI); she has multiple publications on the topic.
Dr. Kashi has significant expertise in clinical laboratory development, quality system auditing, GMP development, project management, regulatory compliance, strategic planning and business development. She is a highly sought clinical laboratory consultant, with dozens of peer-reviewed publications and abstracts, as well as numerous invited presentations.
Dr. Kashi is active in various regulatory agencies including the American Society of Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics (ASHI), College of American Pathologists (CAP) and American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) where she has served in many roles ranging from inspecting laboratories to serving on the Board of Directors.
In addition, Dr. Kashi has served as a clinical assistant professor in the department of pathology/CLS at Oregon Health & Science University and has held a number of other education and research positions at local universities, hospitals, and corporations.