Meet Our Team
Christophe Brun-Baronnat, MSc, Scientific Director
Christophe Brun-Baronnat, MSc, is the Scientific Director at the CERASP. After obtaining his biochemist degrees, he obtained his master’s degree in Production Processes, Quality and Control of Health Products at the University of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Toulouse / ENCIACET (National School of Engineers in Chemical and Technological Arts of Toulouse – France). Since 1991, he has held various positions: in formulation, in process development, in technology transfer, in project management CDMOs and as R&D unit Director at PFIZER France. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of GMP / GLP in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology / food processing industries and has extensive experience in formulation of pharmaceutical forms, biotechnology and pharmaceutical processes. His knowledges into multiple sciences gave him the opportunity to work in various fields such as: formulation, pharmaceutical processes, food and biotechnology, animal and plant cell cultures, genetics and biomolecular engineering, enzymatic biocatalysis, fermentation and development analytic. He has worked for a big food processing / agribusiness group, for small companies, for CDMOs, for big pharmas, with EMA (European Medicine Agency) and has produced therapeutic units for various drugs for clinical trials. Throughout his professional career, he has supervised numerous of french and foreign students of various levels and scientific specialties, many of them during the ERASMUS program.
He has also some patents in the field of drug delivery. One of his greatest successes is the development of an anti-cancer drug for young children. All fields combined, there are many products he has developed that are on the market today. Recently, he formulated and obtained licenses from Health Canada for a hydro-alcoholic gel (PURIFAB, NPN 80098706) and hydro-alcoholic solutions (NPN80098806, NPN80098754, NPN80098706) for the fight against COVID-19.
Christina Aon, LSS, IEMBA – Director General
Christina Aon is pharmaceutical professional with extensive international experience garnered developing strategy, leading and implementing large-scale pharmaceutical projects such as facilitating the successful merger of GSK Vaccines Japan and Daiichi Sankyo. She has over 25 years of international pharmaceutical experience spanning three continents for GSK Pharma, GSK Vaccines and Abbott Laboratories and the CERASP. She has held positions in Commercial Sales and Marketing, Supply Chain, GMP Manufacturing and Compliance, Business Excellence (OE Lean SixSigma) and Performance Management and Strategy setting and her last role before becoming Director General of the CERASP was as Global Development & Learning Director for GSK. She has proven expertise in the areas of cross-cultural learning and development to meet organizational needs and manage skill gaps via competency models, manufacturing process improvement focused on quality, cost and productivity as well as sales, marketing and logistics experience. She holds her BSc. From McGill University in Montreal, Canada, her Six Sigma GreenBelt from the University of St-Louis, in Missouri, USA and an International Executive MBA from the Louvain School of Management in Belgium.
Fatma Gassara, PhD, Director of Innovation
Fatma Gassara is Director of Innovation at CERASP. Gassara holds a PhD (Ph. D.) of the Université de Québec-INRS-ETE in water sciences (biochemical engineering and environmental microbiology specialty and a master’s degree in bioprocesses from the Université de Lille (France). Gassara has 17 years of research experience, particularly in bioprocesses, circular economy, and fermentation. For the past eight years, Fatma has been working in college technology transfer centres in Quebec, writing grant applications, setting up and managing innovative applied research projects and managing the research team. She has worked particularly in the biotransformation of agro-industrial waste into high value-added products (enzymes, biofertilizers, bioplastics, organic acids. ). She has also worked in the biodegradation of organic contaminants, the identification of the microbial community and physicochemical and microbiological analyses of industrial residues. Gassara has also worked in academia at the University of Calgary on petroleum microbiology projects. At INRS-ÉTÉ, as a research associate, Fatma worked on the development of new formulations to preserve meat products. As a PhD student and research assistant, Fatma has had the opportunity to set up an original research program dedicated to the development of methodologies for recycling municipal waste by fermentation. In addition, Fatma had the opportunity to model greenhouse gas emissions related to waste management by different methods (incineration, landfill, animal feed and fermentation). At the international level, she has published several peer-reviewed scientific articles as the first author and attended several conferences as a speaker. She participated in the invention of two patents. Her activities at the CERASP focus on identifying the needs of customers, developing innovative projects, orientation of clients and researchers to appropriate funding opportunities and leadership of grant writing initiatives.
Rosanne Séguin Ph.D., Researcher and Lecturer
Rosanne Séguin, Ph.D., is a researcher and lecturer at the CERASP. Dr. Séguin received her Ph.D. from McGill University and did post-doctoral fellowships at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and the Montreal Neurological Institute. She worked in the Montreal biotechnology sector for over a decade, in the discovery and development of cell therapies and antisense oligonucleotides before returning to academia. At the Montreal Neurological Institute she coordinated pharmaceutical company sponsored clinical studies, managed investigator-initiated clinical studies and obtained funding support for the latter studies through non-profit and governmental grants. At the CERASP, she has undertaken writing scientific grants for industrial partners, research and training collaborations with other academic institutions. Her research for 25 years has covered the fields of infectious diseases, immunology, respiratory disease, autoimmunity, and neurological diseases.
Alexandre Dicaire, Virtuel Reality Developper
Alexandre Dicaire is the technical manager of the virtual reality project. He is in charge of the team creating interactive VR modules of biopharma equipment for training and practise purposes. These will be used for educational purposes as well as for the CERASP clientele. Since 2022, he is a graduate of Cégep Gérald-Godin in computer science and is currently studying for a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Université Laval. Thus, he has all the necessary skills to carry out large-scale computer projects.
During his internship at CERASP in 2021, he was in charge of exploring the virtual reality environment in order to develop a first simulation and an efficient work method. This simulation was a success, validated by our partners. Afterwards, he will take on the role of manager where he will train and lead the team of programmers assigned to the project. His objective will be to create a virtual reality biopharmaceutical laboratory dedicated to training.
Anupam Poudel, BSc. IT in Computing, IT Support | Software Developer
Anupam Poudel is a Mobile App Developer for clinical trials at CERASP. With several years in full stack development after his graduation from London Metropolitan University, UK in BSc. IT in Computing, he delivers satisfied customers. He has worked as a Customer Care Specialist, a Radio Jockey and a Business Development Coordinator during his career.
He furthered his studies at John Abbott College, Montreal, graduating from the mobile applications development program in 2020. During his internship at CERASP, he was able to complete an app for clinical trials within a tight deadline, making both, the client and his employer satisfied with the outcome.
As a mobile app developer for clinical trials, he will be responsible producing a commercial build at the end of the project. He will be responsible for providing complete documentation for each software product that is developed at CERASP and assisting in any technical challenges that dare present themselves.
Claude Sara, Regulatory Affairs Expert
Claude Sara is an Experienced Regulatory Affairs Expert with a demonstrated history of successful submissions for the pharmaceuticals industry. With 28 years of experience, she is highly skilled in Regulatory Affairs and Compliance, Government Relations, Human and Veterinary NHP Registration Submissions, NHP Master File Registration Submissions, Dietary Supplements, NHP Site Licensing, NHP Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), NHP Documentation Review, FDA Structure/Function Claims, Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) Notice, New Ingredient Dietary Notification & FSVP program, TGA (Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration) Registration Support, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Scientific Research, Health Claim Substantiation, Scientific Support, while being conscious of Budget Oversight and Market Analysis.
She is a strong entrepreneurship professional with a solid basis of Pharmaceutical, Nutrition, Functional Food, NHP, Health and Regulatory Affairs studies and always provides practical advice and expertise.
Luana Borelli, Business Development Director
Luana Borelli is the Business Development Director at CERASP. She has over 23 years of professional experience in business and project management. She has developed skills in several related sectors including public relations, public affairs and events coordination. Her career path mainly reflects an interest in the development of innovation and territorial development, more specifically in the life sciences and health technologies industry.
She joined the CERASP team in 2021 as a Business Development Director, she is responsible for the strategy of CERASP’s areas of development and outreach. She values innovation as a driving force for business growth for companies in biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences. Therefore, she is committed to deploying activities of business prospecting, networking, business events and strategic partnerships with various companies in the industry, academic institutions and players in the life sciences and health technology ecosystem. In addition, she ensures CERASP’s visibility as a member of the CCTT-Synchronex network.
Previously, she held various positions including Director of Corporate Affairs and/or Community Relations, notably for the Technoparc Montréal and PME MTL. She has also served on boards of directors and executive committees (Commercial Development Corporation and Chamber of Commerce). Her involvement in the business world has been marked by her participation in round tables, business juries, galas and economic development events.
Amina Cekic, Research and Developpement Technician
Amina Cekic is the Research and Development technician at CERASP. After a successful stage at the CERASP, she was asked to join the team to lead the production of formulations and developing protocols for clients. The client satisfaction Amina earned during her stage, by reformulating a product for submission to Health Canada made her the obvious choice. Her practical experience gained during her studies came in handy when working at CERASP. She starts her role at the CERASP with formulation projects as well as stagiaire supervision.
Ali Nehme, Ph.D., Bioinformatics Expert
Ali Nehme, Ph.D., is a Biomedical Scientist, Computational Biologist, and Molecular Biologist dedicated to advancing research in the biomedical field. Ali holds a Ph.D. in Pathophysiology and Bioinformatics, an M.Sc. in Genomics and Health, and a B.Sc. in Life and Earth Sciences. With over 10 years of research experience, a strong foundation in computational biology and molecular biology, and hands-on experience in machine learning and web development, Ali has the skills to lead and execute innovative research projects spanning multiple disciplines. Ali has actively engaged in diverse collaborations and projects with teams spanning Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Ali contributed to 30 publications in the biomedical field focused on drug-target and biomarker discovery through a combination of experimental and computational methods. Ali’s dedication, expertise, and collaborative nature make him an asset in driving advancements in biomedical science and translating research findings into practical applications for improved human health and well-being.
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