Press Release 22 December 2009

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 December 2009

Cambridge, United Kingdom - The Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative has announced that Larry J. Dumont, MBA, PhD has been elected as its new Chair, effective October 2010.

Dr. Dumont received his B.S. in Biology at Regis College, Denver, and M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Clinical Sciences at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver where he received training in biostatistics and epidemiology. He has four years clinical background in Pediatric Dialysis at the University of Colorado. He was with COBE Laboratories / Gambro BCT for 27 years as an engineer and manager in Quality Assurance and scientist in R&D. He has been an active member of BEST since 1992, and has served on the Executive Committee and Co-Leader of the Clinical Studies Team during the past 4 years. He is currently Assistant Professor of Pathology at Dartmouth Medical School and Director of the Cell Labeling Laboratory. He has extensive experience in experimental design and data analysis both in the industrial and clinical settings. His current interests are in platelet physiology, in vivo cell survival kinetics, and clinical outcomes in transfusion medicine.

"I am delighted that Larry will be my successor as Chair of BEST, " said Lorna Williamson, MD, current Chair of the BEST Collaborative. "He has been a leading member of BEST for some years, and has made major contributions to BEST studies. His experience of both manufacturing and academia will bring great strengths to BEST's endeavours to undertake the kind of studies that bridge these two spheres. I wish him every success."

"I am honored to be elected as Chair of this internationally recognized group that comes together to improve the safety and efficacy of blood transfusion, which keeps a special eye on practical, real-world problems and solutions," states Dr. Dumont. "As BEST moves forward, I will strive to see where we might shape the direction and participate in the conversation on the questions to be asked, and the ways to measure the outcomes."

Dr. Dumont will serve a four-year term as Chair.

About the BEST Collaborative: The BEST Collaborative is an international research organization that works collaboratively to explore ways to improve transfusion-related services through standardization of analytic techniques, development of new procedures and execution of clinical trials in hemotherapy.

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CONTACTS:
Lorna Williamason, MD; Chair of the BEST Collaborative, in Cambridge, England: +44.1223.548009
OR
Eileen Selogie, MT(ASCP)SBB; Administrator of the BEST Collaborative: +1.310.497.6469 x2