About Us

The Story and People Behind Our Company

 

AssayQuant Technologies was founded in 2015 by scientists Dr. Barbara Imperiali and Dr. Erik Schaefer. For over two decades, Barbara and Erik have been innovators in life science research, technology and new product development. Under their leadership, AssayQuant delivers robust, easy-to-use, and high-value assays, backed by innovative and proven technologies, to enable your research efforts. With over 250 peer-reviewed publications and a dozen patents between them, Barbara and Erik have unmatched expertise that's passed along to every customer through strong technical support and a commitment to meeting the needs of our customers.

Patented Technology, Validated Research, Exclusively Licensed

Our technology is well validated with 100's of publications using the Sox-based format published in leading scientific journals. Use of the sulfonamido-oxine (Sox) fluorophore to report kinase activity via Chelation-Enhanced Fluorescence (ChEF) is covered by nine patents that are exclusively licensed by MIT to AssayQuant Technologies, Inc.

Click here to read Dr. Imperiali's "Perspectives on the Development of the PhosphoSens® Kinase Assay Technology".

Executive Leadership

Erik Schaefer, Ph.D.

Co-founder, President, CEO, CSO, & Board Member

Erik is co-founder and President, CEO and CSO of AssayQuant Technologies, Inc. He has over 25 years of experience leading innovative life science tool companies, including Promega, BioSource, Invitrogen/Life Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific and now AssayQuant Technologies, Inc. In his many leadership roles, Erik has built and led high-performing R&D and manufacturing teams focusing on integrating innovative technologies to enable customers across diverse market segments and drive business performance. He has developed and commercialized more than 750 new products with a focus on workflow solutions and novel assay formats to improve understanding of signal transduction pathways and phosphoregulation in normal and disease states and to enable drug development leading to more effective treatments of human disease.

Erik holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, with a focus on molecular and cellular biology, from the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. He has 65 peer-reviewed publications and one patent (1 pending). He did his postdoctoral studies at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX and the Texas A&M Institute of Biosciences & Technology in Houston, TX, working on insulin receptor structure-function and creating animal models for diabetes.

Outside of AssayQuant, Erik enjoys time with his family, fly fishing, gardening and hiking.

ResearchGate Profile

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Barbara-Imperiali
Barbara Imperiali, Ph.D.

Co-founder, CTO & Board Member

Barbara is co-founder and CTO of AssayQuant Technologies. She is currently the Class of 1922 Professor of Biology and Chemistry at MIT and has run an independent research group working in the fields of chemical biology and glycobiology at Carnegie Mellon, Caltech and MIT. Barbara received a B.Sc.(Hon) in Medicinal Chemistry (University College London, UK) in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry (MIT, Cambridge MA). She also carried out postdoctoral studies at MIT and Brandeis University.

Barbara’s research focuses on diverse aspects of protein structure, function and design, and she applies multi-disciplinary approaches involving organic synthesis, state-of-the-art spectroscopy, molecular modeling, enzymology, and molecular and cellular biology to address fundamental problems at the interface of chemistry and biology.

Barbara has co-authored over 220 peer-reviewed publications and 14 patents, and she is a member of the National Academy of Science.

In her free time, Barbara enjoys hiking and CrossFit and on longer escapes, she likes to go on long-distance backpacking trips.

ResearchGate Profile

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Gerry Labonte

Chief Financial Officer

Gerry is a finance and accounting executive with 30+ years of leadership experience focused on system implementation, defining roadmaps, and developing financial platforms. He has successfully led a broad range of financial implementations impacting private equity and real estate, including investment returns and calculations, and performance reporting.  Gerry’s finance and accounting experience is in diverse industries (Real estate, public accounting, consulting, etc.) for both public (State Street Bank, Brookfield Asset Management) and private (Hipercept, AEW Capital Management) companies. He has delivered operation excellence across diverse areas, including RFP process management, accounting operations outsourcing analysis, ERP software selection and integration, large-scale implementation of accounting, finance, and warehouse management systems and automation of common financial processes to deliver improved function and efficiency.

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Michelle Lyles, Ph.D.

Vice President, Commercial Operations

Michelle Lyles, P.D., Vice President of Commercial Operations at AssayQuant, has 20+ years of Sales/Marketing experience ranging from early-stage Start-Ups to large global Life Science companies. Michelle’s professional focus is dedicated to an unambiguous application/scientific focus to the sales and marketing of advanced technologies, an inspirational-aspirational philosophy to leadership and a disciplined rigor to managing business processes. Prior to joining AssayQuant, Michelle held positions of increasing responsibilities including Senior District Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Vice President of Commercial Operations at Trianja Technologies, Vice President of Global Sales and Support at Hamilton Thorne, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Febit, Director of Sales at Sigma Aldrich, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Panomics (Affymetrix). 

Michelle received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Baylor College of Medicine, and post-doctoral training at Emory University.  She also has B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Chemistry, and is the author of a dozen publications.

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Earl May, Ph.D.

Senior Director of Discovery Technologies

Earl brings over 25 years of expertise in biochemistry, biophysics, and enzymology across multiple therapeutic areas. He has held research and leadership roles for companies like SmithKline Beecham, GlaxoSmithKline, OSI Pharmaceuticals, and numerous innovative biotechnology companies. He has explored hundreds of drug targets at the early end of the pipeline and has driven dozens of projects into and through screening and hit to lead activities. 

During his tenure at GlaxoSmithKline, Earl provided quantitative analysis to multiple therapeutic areas and was a part of Bob Copeland's Enzymology and Mechanistic Pharmacology group. He then moved into biotech, taking on more significant leadership roles in screening sciences and lead discovery. Over the last decade, his enzymology experience has deepened with a focus on time-dependent and irreversible inhibition, protein-protein interaction inhibitors, and three-body biophysics problems, with over half of the enzymes he targeted being kinases.

Earl received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University after his undergraduate work in Biochemistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. His post-doctoral work was in Nancy Craig's lab at Johns Hopkins University, where he dissected bacterial transposition in reconstituted systems. 

Earl and his wife live in Watertown and have three adult children, scientists all, although one has unfortunately chosen not to use that gift.

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Jefferson Chin

Director of Inventory Management & Automated Services (IMAS)

Jeff brings over 30 years of experience to AssayQuant within the fields of chemistry and compound management. Jeff has worked in a variety of small and large companies such as Cheminpharma, Bayer, Novartis, BMS and Pfizer. Jeff started out as a peptide chemist before transitioning to analytical chemistry, primarily NMR spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry and finally into leadership positions within Compound Management. Jeff’s broad experience has enabled him to bring innovative ideas into compound management such as acoustic ejection mass spectrometry for the analysis of compound integrity. Jeff has co-authored over a dozen articles within the field of NMR spectroscopy and presented at SLAS conferences regarding best practices in compound management.

Jeff obtained his MBA from the University of New Haven and then decided to become an Adjunct professor within the Chemistry department teaching laboratory skills in Organic Chemistry and Instrumentation. 

In his spare time, Jeff enjoys woodworking, pottery and volunteering as a mentor. Jeff is most proud of his three adult children and being able to donate a kidney to improve the quality of life.

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Board of Directors

Charles Baltic

Chairman of the Board

Mr. Baltic has served as a Director of MEI Pharma, a publicly-traded development-stage biotechnology company focused on hematology / oncology (MEIP – Nasdaq CM), since October 2011 and as Chair of its Nominating and Governance Committee since 2012. Mr. Baltic has been affiliated with Needham & Company, LLC since 2009, as Managing Director and Co-Head of Healthcare Banking until 2019 and as Senior Advisor from 2019. Mr. Baltic has served as acting CEO of Amyndas Pharmaceuticals, a private development-stage biotechnology company focused on immunology and innate immunity complement therapeutics based on technology licensed from the University of Pennsylvania, since March 2021. Mr. Baltic served as Executive Vice President and COO of SIDIS Corp., a private life sciences management and investment company, from 2019, where he oversaw the execution of the sale of the Propel Labs flow cytometry business to Thermo Fisher Scientific in February 2021. Mr. Baltic was a Managing Director and head of the biotechnology practice at CRT Capital Group from 2006 to 2008. From 2001 to 2006, he served as a Managing Director in Healthcare Investment Banking at Wachovia Securities. Prior to Wachovia, he was with Healthcare Investment Banking at Cowen and Company for six years, ultimately serving as a Director. Prior to beginning his investment banking career in 1996, Mr. Baltic practiced corporate and securities law with the firm of Dewey Ballantine, representing numerous healthcare and securities clients. Mr. Baltic previously served as a Director of SIDIS from 2015 - 2019. Mr. Baltic served as a Director of the non-profit trade association Life Science Washington from 2013 to 2018. He served as a Director of MedVantage Inc., a private health informatics company which was ultimately acquired by IMS Health (now IQVIA Holdings), in 2011. Mr. Baltic served as a member of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Growth Companies from 2013 to 2015. He served as a founding Trustee of the non-profit Hope Funds for Cancer Research from 2007 to 2017. Mr. Baltic earned B.A (honors) and J.D. degrees from Georgetown University and a M.B.A. degree in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Jeff Hoerle

Board Member

Jeff Hoerle is Managing Partner of Stone Run Capital, LLC, an investment firm based in New York.  Prior to founding SRC in 2010, Jeff worked at Reich & Tang Asset Management from 2003 as an investment analyst and portfolio manager.  Formerly, he worked at Ovid Technologies, Inc. from 1993 in a number of roles including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.  Mr. Hoerle has a B.A. from Yale University (1990) and an E.M.B.A. from Columbia University (1997).

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Gil Price, MD

Board Member

Dr. Price is an experienced biotech executive and entrepreneur with expertise across clinical asset investment strategy, evaluation, financing and execution. Additional leadership experience within R&D, Medical, and Strategy corporate functions.

Dr. Price was previously responsible for the strategic and tactical management of all business at Drug Safety Solutions, acquired in June 2017 by Linden Capital Partners. Dr. Price now functions as the Chief Medical Consultant for the global ProPharma Group.

Over the years, Dr. Price has served on multiple corporate boards, including public, private, and not-for-profit. His board duties have included the Chairman's role on Compensation and Governance and a member's role on Audit Committee. He has served on boards that report to; TSX, NYSE American, and NASDAQ. In his recent most recent experience at Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: RNN), he serves on Compensation, Governance, and Business Development Committees. In his previous role with Sarepta Therapeutics NASDAQ: SRPT, he helped guide the company's transition from an $80 million market (2008) to its current $8.4 billion market cap (2019).

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Careers at AssayQuant

Behind our technology is a powerful group of innovative individuals driven to help identify powerful therapies to help create a healthier world.

Are you ready to join our team?

View Available Positions

AQT-Team-Picture-1

News and Timeline

June 21, 2023 Kinetic insights with AssayQuant's fully automated KinSight™ Kinome Profiling Services (press release).

June 8, 2023 AssayQuant launches KinSight™ Quantitative Profiling Services.

February 13, 2023 – AssayQuant Expands Panel for Kinome Profiling Services (press release).  

January 6, 2023 – AssayQuant to present at Biotech Showcase™ 2023 (press release).

August 2, 2022 – AssaQuant partners with Vibliome Therapeutics to establish a Collaborative, Kinetic Relationship (press release).

September 15, 2021AssayQuant reaches 375 validated PhosphoSens kinase, phosphatase and lipid kinase (DGK) assays in their product catalog.

May 5, 2021 – AssayQuant closes Series A Funding. 

October 2020 – Patent granted for "Kinase and/or Phosphatase Sensing via Hydroxyquinoline-Sensitized Chelates," patent exclusively licensed from MIT to AssayQuant Technologies, Inc.

January 2, 2019 – AssayQuant completes 1st 254 validated PhosphoSens assays.

January 15, 2018 - AssayQuant partners with Carna Biosciences to distribute exclusively PhosphoSens assay products and services in Japan.

May 12, 2016 - AssayQuant partners with 21st Century Biochemicals, Inc.

July 9, 2015 - AssayQuant Technologies, Inc., founded by Drs. Barbara Imperiali (CTO) & Erik Schaefer (President & CSO).


Upcoming Events & Presentations

Discover all the latest with AssayQuant and PhosphoSens Technology with our upcoming posters and events. Please check back as we add new dates frequently.

 April, 1-4 2024 | San Diego, CA

Drug Discovery Chemistry

A proven activity-based workflow for the identification and characterization of time-dependent kinase inhibitors using a continuous assay format

 April, 8 2024 @ 9:00AM-12:30PM (Section 14) | San Diego, CA

AACR Annual Meeting

Session PO.MCB03.01 - Cell Signaling Components as Therapeutic Targets
A novel sox-based continuous and homogeneous assay for the discovery of inhibitors of inactive and active AKT (1666/13)
Susan Cornell-Kennon, Sr. Scientist

 April, 8 2024 @ 9:00AM-12:30PM (Section 14) | San Diego, CA

AACR Annual Meeting

Session PO.MCB03.01 - Cell Signaling Components as Therapeutic Targets
A continuous kinetic assay to quantitate specific protein kinase activity in unfractionated cell lysates (1676/23)
Venky Nemmara, PhD, Sr. Scientist

San Diego 2-1
 April, 8 2024 @ 9:00AM-12:30PM (Section 28) | San Diego, CA

AACR Annual Meeting

Session PO.ET02.07 - New Technologies
A proven activity-based workflow for the identification and characterization of time-dependent kinase inhibitors using a continuous assay format (2061/18)
Earl May, PhD, Senior Director of Discovery Technologies

Previous Events & Presentations

Boston
 Feb 3, 2024 @ 2:00PM | Boston, MA

SLAS2024 International Conference and Exhibition

A Proven Activity-Based Workflow for the Identification and Characterization of Time-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors Using a Continuous Assay Format (1093-B)
Earl May, Ph.D., Senior Director of Discovery Technologies

Boston
 Feb 3, 2024 @ 2:00PM | Boston, MA

SLAS2024 International Conference and Exhibition

Miniaturization of fluorescent kinetic assay for optimal conditions: maximizing fluorescence while minimizing volume (1345-B)
Kiefer Fortunato, IMAS Associate

Boston
 Feb 4, 2024 @ 12:00PM | Boston, MA

SLAS2024 International Conference and Exhibition

A continuous kinetic assay to quantitate specific protein kinase activity in unfractionated cell lysates (1030-C)
Venky Nemmara, Senior Scientist

Boston
 Feb 4, 2024 @ 12:00PM | Boston, MA

SLAS2024 International Conference and Exhibition

Evaluation of Capillary Mediated Vitrification as an Alternative to Traditional Cold Temperature Storage for Kinase Assay Reagents (1282-C)
Gabriela Pikul, QCSM Scientist

Boston
 Feb 4, 2024 @ 2:00PM | Boston, MA

SLAS2024 International Conference and Exhibition

A Novel Sox-based Continuous and Homogeneous Assay for the Discovery of Inhibitors of Inactive and Active AKT (1091-D)
Matthew Hakar, Research Associate II
Haley McMahon, Research Associate

Boston-1
 Dec 14, 2023 @ 10:00AM | Boston, MA

Covalent Drug Discovery Summit

Kinetic Activity Assays Enable Data-Rich Decisions for Improved Covalent Drug Discovery
Daniel Urul, Ph.D., Senior R&D Scientist

 

Boston-1
 Dec 12-14, 2023 | Boston, MA

Covalent Drug Discovery Summit

Sponsored by AssayQuant

 

Boston
 Feb 3-7, 2024 | Boston, MA

SLAS2024 International Conference and Exhibition

 

San-Fransisco
 Oct 18-19, 2023 | San Francisco, CA

Drug Discovery Strategic Summit

 

San-Fransisco-2
 Oct 10, 2023 | Santa Rosa, CA

JBEI Annual Meeting

 

Boston
 Sep 25, 2023 | 10:00 AM | Boston, MA

Discovery on Target 2023 - Strategies for Targeting Kinases Symposia

Continuous Assays Provide New Strategies for Targeting Kinases: Time Dependent Inhibition Characterization
Daniel Urul, Ph.D., Senior R&D Scientist

Boston
 Sep 26, 2023 | 2:20 PM | Boston, MA

Discovery on Target 2023 - Small Molecules for Cancer Targets-Part 1

Monitoring Enzyme Activity with Fluorogenic Sensors Enables Data-Rich Decisions for Kinase and Phosphatase Drug Discovery
Erik Schaefer, Ph.D., CEO, CSO, and Co-Founder

Boston
 Sep 26-28, 2023 | Boston, MA

Discovery on Target 2023 - Booth 510

Stop by to talk to us about your science and meet our team!

SLAS-Europe
 May 23-26, 2023 | Brussels, Belgium

SLAS Europe 2023 Conference and Exhibition

 

Orlando-FL
 Apr 14-19, 2023 | Orlando, FL

AACR Annual Meeting 2023

 

Cambridge
 Mar 27-28, 2023 | Cambridge, UK

Binding Kinetics and Mechanistic PK/PD modeling in early Drug Discovery

 

San-Diego
 Feb 25-Mar 1, 2023 | San Diego, CA

SLAS 2023 Conference and Exhibition

 

Boston
 Feb 22-23, 2023 | Boston, MA

2nd Next Generation Kinase Inhibitors Summit

 

Boston
 Oct 17-20, 2022 | Boston, MA

Discovery on Target 2022

 

Boston
 Mar 29-31, 2022 | Boston, MA

Next Generation Kinase Inhibitors Summit Conference

 

Boston
 Feb 5-28, 2022 | Boston, MA

SLAS2022 International Conference and Exhibition

 

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