Meet the team.
Meet the team.
Jim Alferman
Associate Director, Business Development
Jim Alferman
Jim Alferman has worked in the biopharmaceutical industry for over 25 years. Prior to joining SEKISUI in 2017, he served as the North American Biotech Sales Manager for Procelys by Lesaffre, a global yeast company. Jim was with Sigma, now part of Merck KGaA, for 16 years. He started as a biochemist at Sigma, evolved into key account management roles and helped launch and develop the SAFC business. Prior to Sigma, Jim worked as a biochemist at Reliable Biopharmaceutical. Jim holds a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. from the Washington University in St. Louis.
Dr. Paul Bennett
Principal Scientist
Dr. Paul Bennett
Dr. Paul Bennett started in Genzyme Research and Development over 30 years ago. He stayed with the UK site when it became Sekisui Diagnostics in 2011 and was instrumental in the launch of BioProduction by Sekisui. He has broad experience in project and technical leadership focused on process and analytical development of a wide variety of proteins including enzymes for biopharma and diagnostic use. He has helped establish collaborative projects with Universities and co-authored papers demonstrating enzyme stabilisation under boiling conditions by cyclization. In his current role, as Principal Scientist, he is responsible for the technical planning of new projects and coordinating development efforts with CDMO customers. He holds a BSc in Biochemistry from Newcastle University and a Ph.D. from Bristol University on DNA-protein interactions.
Dr. Ruchir Bhomia
Senior Program Manager
Ruchir Bhomia
Ruchir Bhomia is head of our Project & Program Management department and responsible for BioPharma contract development projects. The group creates detailed project plans and tracks progress via regular cross-functional meetings.
Ruchir gained his PhD in Formulation Science from University of Greenwich (U.K) and a B. Pharm and M. Pharm in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance respectively from Manipal University (India). He is a yellow belt in lean six sigma and holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate from Project Management Institute.
He has more than 7 years of experience in scientific and project management roles across various muti-national Pharmaceutical companies such as Thermofisher Scientific, P&G and Merck KGaA.
Aurore Laborie
Senior Manager, R&D
Aurore Laborie
Aurore Laborie is responsible for the R&D group serving BioProduction by SEKISUI with specialist teams for Upstream and Downstream process development, and for Analytical development and verification. Aurore’s R&D team are outward-facing and closely engaged with SMEs on our clients’ project teams.
Aurore joined SEKISUI Diagnostics in 2012 and has over 10 years of technical expertise in microbial fermentation, protein expression and purification, process and design control, and technical transfer. She holds a BSc in Biology from the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) de Lyon and an MSc in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology from the University of Westminster.
Asa Liston
Senior Manager, Technical Operations
Asa Liston
Asa is responsible for the Technical Operations group serving BioProduction by Sekisui clients. The group’s focus is on the successful technology transfer of client processes and IP through all stages of the project lifecycle from process feasibility assessment to process qualification and commercialization of product.
Asa holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Kent. Before working for SEKISUI, he spent several years working in contract analytical laboratories developing analytical test methods to meet customer requirement.
Upon joining SEKISUI he worked in production gaining critical operational experience before moving to Technical Support and Process Development. He has over 20 years of experience in commercial products manufacture, process development, process scale up and process transfer of both Fermentation and purification process.
Dr. Kirsty Bellchambers
Study Leader
Kirsty Bellchambers
Dr. Kirsty Bellchambers works as an R&D Study Leader, where she is responsible for the technical planning and execution of new projects for our CDMO customers. Kirsty joined Sekisui Diagnostics in 2017, first within R&D as an Upstream Fermentation Scientist and Upstream Team Leader, before beginning her current role as a Study Leader in 2021.
Kirsty joined SEKISUI after several years as a postdoctoral research scientist, where she worked to develop a new generation of microbial expression platforms for high value, biotherapeutic recombinant protein production.
Kirsty has expertise in technical and project leadership, molecular biology, microbial fermentation, protein expression and purification and analytical development. Kirsty holds a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences and a Ph.D. in Protein Biochemistry (protein solution structure and biophysical characterisation) from the University of Kent.
Louise Digby
VP, Enzymes Business
Louise Digby
Louise Digby has over 25 years’ experience working for a variety of Manufacturers in various Medical sectors, including Pharma, Medical Devices, and Diagnostics, spanning various International Commercial leadership roles, in addition to Supply Chain Management roles. She has accumulated experience working with customers and clinicians globally, in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Louise holds a BSc degree in Biochemistry from Imperial College, University of London. She is fluent in German and French in addition to her native English.
Mohammad Naser
Head of Quality
Mohammad Naser
Mohammad Naser has over 20 years of industrial experience in Quality Management Systems and Compliance from pharmaceutical companies in the UK and abroad. Prior to Sekisui, Mohammad worked at Novo Nordisk in Copenhagen, Denmark. At Novo Nordisk, Mohammad worked in the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing department supporting manufacturing of sterile products and as project manager in support of establishment of aseptic manufacturing capabilities in other countries. Prior to Novo Nordisk Mohammad worked in Quality Assurance at Alk-Abello, Denmark. Over the years Mohammad has gained experience from FDA and MHRA audits, international work.
Mohammad holds a Master’s Degree from The Royal Danish school of Pharmacy, Copenhagen, Denmark.
See for yourself.
SEKISUI has vast experience with projects from pre-clinical to commercial, including but not limited to recombinant systems such as Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris, and associated purification and analytical technologies. Our primary expertise lies in the production of proteins; however, our capabilities are also suitable for plasmids, antibody fragments, DNA modifying enzymes, and other protein production.
