Life science and high-performance fabric company, PurThread Technologies, has added two new faces to guide the company through its next phase of rapid growth.
Healthcare sales, marketing and executive management professional, Lisa T Grimes, will lead PurThread as president and chief executive, while Dr Tom Inglesby, director and chief executive of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Center for Health Security, joins the PurThread Board of Directors, bringing with him significant expertise in public health policy.
“At PurThread we are excited to have both of these individuals, with such outstanding accomplishments, join the team,” said Dick Bodman, chairman of the PurThread Board of Directors.
With 28 years of experience in the life sciences industry, Grimes brings a wealth of deep domain expertise to the table. She was formerly chief executive of InSite Clinical Trials, a full service contract research organisation, which was acquired by United Healthcare.
“The antimicrobial textile field is rapidly becoming an integral part of the life sciences industry, so it’s certainly an exciting time to be joining the PurThread team” she said. “I’m thrilled to be a part of a company that shares my passion for a continued commitment to innovation and safety within the healthcare environment.”
Prior to InSite Clinical Trials, Grimes served as vice president of business development for pharmaceutical product development. She served for 10 years as a member of the executive advisory group of Campbell Alliance and its subsidiary, the Pharmaceutical Institute. Additionally, she served as chief executive of AcSentient, a specialty pharmacy company focused on ophthalmics; and Angiomics, an anti-angiogenesis company. Grimes graduated from the School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“As the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to grow around the world, there is a need for strategies and interventions that will make a difference,” Dr Inglesby said. “I’m excited to support PurThread’s mission to develop products aimed directly at diminishing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the patient environment.”
In his role as director and chief executive of the UPMC Center for Health Security, Dr. Inglesby is internationally recognised in the fields of public health preparedness, pandemic flu and epidemic planning, and biosecurity. His expertise is widely recognised throughout the medical field, having authored or co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles, reports, and commentaries on a spectrum of health and security issues.