Meet the Leadership Team
Lindy is driven by a culture of professionalism and innovation - always seeking to put patients first. Our team includes experts in materials science, physics, business analytics and product development.
Deborah Bitterfield, PhD
Founder and CEO
Deborah has over 10 years of Pharma/Biotech industry, which reflects positions across a broad range of strategic and operational disciplines including biotherapeutics and medical devices. Prior to launching Lindy Biosciences in 2017, Deborah joined Southeast TechInventures, an innovation lab that partners with university inventors to further develop promising university technologies. Deborah began her career at Duke University in the Program on Values & Ethics in the Marketplace. She holds a PhD in Materials Science from Duke University with a focus in biomaterials.
Gary E. Vinson
Chief Operating Officer
Gary has over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, CRO/CMO, and biotechnology industries leading product development operations at clinical and commercial scale. Prior to joining Lindy, he was Vice President, CMC & Quality for NightHawk Biosciences developing an immuno-oncology portfolio and he held similar roles at BioDelivery Sciences, a specialty pharmaceutical company, and at Aldagen, a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company developing cell therapies. He founded and was Managing Partner of The Perdoceo Group, LLC, a consulting firm providing CMC product development and regulatory support to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. His responsibilities have included leading research and analytical development, manufacturing and quality, and developing CDMO outsourcing relationships and guiding regulatory strategies from pre-IND through to registration. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from North Carolina State University and holds CPGP Certified GMP Professional (CPGP-ASQ) and Regulatory Affairs Certification (RAPS) certifications
Omar Flores, PhD, MBA
Chief Financial Officer
Omar is an entrepreneur and operator. He served as co-founder and CEO at AbSeek Biosciences and as CEO for Vulcan Biosciences leading all pre-clinical candidates. He served as COO/CFO at Phoenix FCR Biosciences where he led late preclinical and Phase I studies. He served as VP of Clinical Operations and Finance at NuSirt Biopharma where he coordinated all the preclinical through Phase II clinical trials. He has extensive experience in venture capital and served as Chief Investment Officer for Alumshares. Omar received his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from the University of Miami and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University. He completed an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Neil Jones
VP, Corporate Strategic Partnerships
Neil brings over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry with a career that has spanned the continuum from bench top drug discovery to executive leadership in international business development and marketing strategies. As the Vice-President of Corporate Strategic Partnerships at Lindy, he is responsible for building their global drug formulation and delivery platform technology brand, fortifying its industry partnerships as well as navigating the company’s corporate growth strategy. Delivering an innovative technology for Patients suffering from chronic diseases.
John Savage, PhD
Director of Research and Development
John is responsible for managing daily research & development activities and partner relations at Lindy. His experience in the pharmaceutical industry encompasses product development in the fields of ophthalmology, inhaled, dermatology, and parenterals ranging from invention and early development through GMP manufacturing for multiple human clinical trials. Prior to joining Lindy Biosciences in 2019, John worked at Liquidia Technologies and Envisia Therapeutics. He received his PhD in Physics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Board of Directors
Deborah Bitterfield, PhD
Founder and CEO
Deborah has over 10 years of Pharma/Biotech industry, which reflects positions across a broad range of strategic and operational disciplines including biotherapeutics and medical devices. Prior to launching Lindy Biosciences in 2017, Deborah joined Southeast TechInventures, an innovation lab that partners with university inventors to further develop promising university technologies. Deborah began her career at Duke University in the Program on Values & Ethics in the Marketplace. She holds a PhD in Materials Science from Duke University with a focus in biomaterials.
Karen LeVert
Director
Karen LeVert has a long history of commercializing early stage technologies from university research labs and launching them into the marketplace. These commercialization efforts were realized via innovation labs she co-founded and led: Southeast TechInventures and Ag TechInventures . Ms. LeVert earned an MBA from the University of Dayton and an Information Technology undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University.
Omar Flores, PhD, MBA
Director
Omar is an entrepreneur and operator. He served as co-founder and CEO at AbSeek Biosciences and as CEO for Vulcan Biosciences leading all pre-clinical candidates. He served as COO/CFO at Phoenix FCR Biosciences where he led late preclinical and Phase I studies. He served as VP of Clinical Operations and Finance at NuSirt Biopharma where he coordinated all the preclinical through Phase II clinical trials. He has extensive experience in venture capital and served as Chief Investment Officer for Alumshares. Omar received his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from the University of Miami and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University. He completed an MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Joel Whitley, JD
Director
Joel Whitley is a Partner at IAG Capital Partners, a venture capital firm based in Charleston, SC. Previously, he was a Director at Sherman Financial Group and prior to that served as General Counsel of ASRC Energy Services in Anchorage, Alaska. His extensive background as an investor, counsellor and lawyer also includes serving as a corporate attorney at Munger, Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Whitley obtained a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School and a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Interested in Joining the Team?
Lindy is seeking innovative leaders to join our multidisciplinary team in the advancement of our technology. If interested in learning more about careers at Lindy, please contact us at careers@lindybio.com for more information.