Opus Scientific

Dr. Sharon Mates Named Chairman of New York Biotechnology Association, Robert Easton and Barbara Gebhardt Elected to Board of Directors

New York January 12, 2009 New York Biotechnology Association (NYBA), the voice of New York States biotechnology industry, today announced that Dr. Sharon Mates, CEO of Intra-Cellular Therapies Inc., has been elected Chairman of the Board for 2009-2010. The Association also announced the appointments of Robert Easton, Chairman of Scisive Consulting, and Barbara Gebhardt, President of Opus Scientific, to the Board of Directors.......

Dr. Nathan Tinker, NYBA Executive Director, said: I am delighted that Dr. Mates will be chairing the Association....... Her business acumen combined with her long-time support for the Association will be a great asset as the industry addresses todays economic challenges....... I am also pleased to welcome Robert Easton and Barbara Gebhardt to the Board and thank them for bringing their skills and experience to NYBA. Their track records of professional achievement and intricate knowledge of the complex issues facing todays biotechnology industry will further broaden the capabilities of our association as we work to enable a new platform for growth.

Along with the new appointments, NYBAs Executive Committee has also been revised.. Robert Van Nostrand, formerly NYBA Chairman, has been named Immediate Past Chairman; Vijay Aggarwal (CEO, Aureon Laboratories), formerly NYBA Secretary, has been elected Vice Chairman; and Joel Papernik (Partner, Mintz Levin) has been elected Secretary.......

Dr. Sharon Mates
Dr. Mates is the Chairman and CEO of Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (ITI). From 1989 to 1998, Dr. Mates was the President of North American Vaccine and its predecessor companies. Since 1998, Dr. Mates has been involved in the formation of several biotech and healthcare companies. Intra-Cellular Therapies was formed in 2002 by Dr. Mates along with Dr. Paul Greengard and Dr. Allen Feinberg of Rockefeller University to develop new therapeutics for CNS diseases based on proprietary technologies developed in Dr. Greengard's laboratory.
Dr. Mates is a member of the Board of Visitors of the Biotechnology Institute of the University of Maryland, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Center for Society and Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Mates received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington and was a postdoctoral fellow and fellow at Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Robert J. Easton, Chairman, Scisive Consulting
For over 25 years, Bob Easton has been recognized as a global leader in healthcare business consulting. He has built and led two top firms, beginning with The Wilkerson Group in 1985. He has led scores of market development and strategic advisory assignments for clients throughout the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries. He has advised and supported hundreds of client executives in North America, Europe, Israel, and Asia. His interest in healthcare began when he managed a medical diagnostics business for Union Carbide.

Mr. Easton has been highly visible in the industry, having written and spoken about multiple industry issues in scores of venues. He has served on 8 medical company Boards including Apex Bioventures, CollaGenex, and Cepheid. He also serves as Chairman of Gildas Club of New York City, which provides social and emotional support to people living with cancer. Mr. Easton holds two degrees in Chemical Engineering from Rice University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Barbara Gebhardt, President, Opus Staffing
Barbara Gebhardt began her career with Career Blazers in the 1980s. She went on to open its first franchise in 1987, and established Career Blazers Learning Center in 1989, and implemented a unique partnership between it and the NYS Department of Labor. In 1996, Gebhardt became Executive Vice President / Chief Operating Officer of Career Blazers, responsible for the companys national operations.
In 2004, Gebhardt founded Opus Staffing, specializing in administrative and staff functions. In 2006 she created the Opus Scientific division which provides contract staffing, contract to hire and direct hire staffing to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, cosmetic, chemical, food and other scientific intensive industries that require skilled talent. Based on Long Island, Opus Scientifics reach has rapidly expanded to provide services throughout the United States.
In 2008, Gebhardt was recognized as one of Long Islands Most Influential Women in Business by Long Island Business News. Gebhardt is currently Sponsorship Co-Chair for the American Heart Associations Go Red Movement. Gebhardt has served as Vice President of the Long Island Chapter of the Alzheimer\\\'s Association and President of the Advisory Council for the National Council for the Aging. She also served on the board of the New York Staffing Association and is a past president of the Association of Personnel Consultants, Long Island Chapter.

For more information on NYBA programs and initiatives, visit our website atwww.nyba.org.

About New York Biotechnology Association

NYBA is the leading advocate for advancing the success of the biotechnology industry in New York State and is its main representative to state policy makers, the media and communities. NYBAs mission is to support the development and growth of New Yorks biotechnology industry, and serve our members and the biotechnology community by providing a network for information exchange, shared services and collective action. NYBAs membership comprises bioscience companies, world-class research institutions and related professional services. Under the banner of The Cures Start Here, the Associations goal is to amplify the success New York has had and continues to have in discovering major medical advances and growing a vibrant biotech industry.