Management Team

Jay Teich

Founder, President and CEO

Mr. Teich incorporated Seahorse Bioscience (formerly Thermogenic Imaging) in 2000, completed the technology licensing and initial funding in 2001 and in 2004 completed the acquisition of Innovative Microplate.

Prior to forming Seahorse Bioscience, over a seven year period, Mr. Teich led the growth, management buyout, and sale of Inframetrics Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of thermal imaging systems for industrial and law enforcement applications. In 1999, he negotiated the merger of Inframetrics with FLIR Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:FLIR) to form the world's largest supplier of commercial thermal imaging systems.

During a twenty-five year career, Mr. Teich has led engineering and marketing teams in the development and commercialization of a diverse range of electro-optical, ultrasound, and biochemical instruments for Honeywell, Damon Corporation and Ciba Corning Diagnostics Inc.

Steve Chomicz

VP Sales and Marketing

Mr. Chomicz has over twenty-seven years of sales and business experience with twenty three years focused on clinical & research instrumentation and reagents. Mr. Chomicz spent nineteen years with Coulter Electronics from 1979 thru 1998 where he progressed from Sales Rep to being one of Coulter's Senior Sales Executives. Mr. Chomicz was responsible for driving Coulter's commercialization of flow cytometry, its foray into monoclonal antibody technology and subsequent commercialization as well as being a key strategist for all Coulter cytometry decisions. Coulter was acquired in 1997 by Beckman Instruments (N:BEC) for over $1 billion.

Prior to joining Seahorse Bioscience, Mr. Chomicz served as Vice President Worldwide Sales for Ezenia where he rebuilt the company's sales force and played a key role in developing its new strategy including the acquisition of InfoWorkSpace. Before that, Mr. Chomicz served as founder and CEO of MailWorkZ.com, an email marketing company. Mr. Chomicz's work resulted in MailWorkZ.com being recognized in 1999 by Red Herring Magazine as one of the 50 hottest software start-ups on the east coast. Mr. Chomicz graduated with a BS/BA in English & Biology from Boston College.

David Ferrick, Ph.D.,

VP Biology and Applications

Dr. Ferrick has over 15 years of R&D experience in drug discovery, clinical development and life science applications. As an industry executive he has transformed three biotechnology research platforms into product pipelines, founded one of those companies, raised over $20M in private equity and established several corporate alliances including Pfizer, Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim.

Prior to joining Seahorse Bioscience, Dr. Ferrick directed Biology and Application Development at Guava Technologies, a cell-based instrument and applications company. In 1999, Dr. Ferrick founded and led Sagres Discovery, an oncogenome research and cancer drug discovery company until it was acquired by Chiron in 2004. Prior to that Dr. Ferrick was the head of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc. since its inception in 1997. Dr. Ferrick received his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Georgetown University and did his postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Tak Mak. Dr. Ferrick held a faculty position at the University of California at Davis, where his contributions to the discovery and functions of gamma T cells have made him a world-recognized leader in this area. He has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications, 10 patents and has been awarded over $3M in research funding.

Andy Neilson

Founder, VP Product Development

Mr. Neilson brings over twenty years of engineering management and design experience focused on complex electro-optical systems.  He is the primary inventor of the Seahorse extracellular flux measurement technology.

Prior to Seahorse Bioscience, Mr. Neilson managed R&D organizations and product development at Inframetrics/FLIR Systems General Scanning, and ITEK Graphics.  He is responsible for the successful introduction of new thermal imaging, medical imaging, micromachining, and pre-press printing products. Mr. Neilson has a MBA from New Hampshire College and a BSME from the Univ. of Maine

Jim Orrell

Founder, VP Administration and Finance

Mr. Orrell joined Mr. Teich and Mr. Neilson in the formation of Seahorse Bioscience in 2000. He has been responsible for implementing and managing the company?s financial controls, reporting and audit functions, as well as a variety of other duties including intellectual property management, market research, and customer support. Prior to his role at Seahorse, Mr.Orrell managed the FSI Automation Division of FLIR Systems Inc. This 40+ person image processing software development and manufacturing business was acquired by Seahorse in 2000. Mr. Orrell holds a BS in Biology from Linfield College, MS, Portland State University and Ph.D (ABD) University of Washington in Geographic Information Systems.

Steve Young

Founder, VP Labware

Mr. Young brings over thirty years of experience in the design of plastics components and the manufacturing of tooling for the plastics industry. Mr. Young joined Seahorse Bioscience in 2004 as a result of Seahorse's acquisition of Innovative Microplate. Mr. Young founded Innovative Mold & Machine Services twenty years ago and has built a facility, which has design, manufacturing, molding and assembly capabilities focused on the custom microplate requirements of the drug development and combinatorial chemistry industries. In 2001, Mr. Young relocated Innovative Microplate into a state-of-the art facility with clean room manufacturing areas, changed the company name, and launched a branded product line used throughout the drug development industry.

Prior to Innovative Microplate, Mold Systems Corporation employed Mr. Young where he managed the design and manufacturing of tooling for the plastics industry. This included an aluminum foundry, a prototyping facility, and an injection mold facility servicing the automotive and computer industries. Mr. Young's background in mechanical engineering at Western New England College is enhanced by the tool and mold making apprenticeships served during prior employment.