Leadership

Chiayu (Joyce) Huang, Ph.D.

Chief Scientific Officer, Chemistry

Dr. Huang joined the team in 2010. As the Chief Scientific Officer of Chemistry, she oversees a team of medicinal chemists in the optimization of small molecule therapeutic compounds aimed at immuno-oncology targets, metabolic disorders, and infectious disease. She also guides the bioanalytical characterization of lead molecules through pharmacokinetic and Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion (ADME) studies. In addition, Dr. Huang is responsible for the maintenance and growth of Venenum’s 5.7 million member compound collection for high-throughput screening.

Dr. Huang began her career with VENENUM Biodesign as a Chemistry Team Leader. In 2015 she was promoted to Assistant Director of Medicinal Chemistry a position she held until 2019 when she transitioned into the role of Director of Medicinal Chemistry.

Dr. Huang is a medicinal chemist with more than 20 years of experience in drug discovery which spans a variety of therapeutic areas including Metabolic Disease, Oncology, Respiratory, CNS, and Inflammatory Disease. She previously held positions with Pharmacopeia as a Research Scientist and Senior Group Leader as well as Ligand Pharmaceuticals as a Senior Research Investigator.

Dr. Huang received her BS in Chemistry from National Taiwan University in Taipei City, Taiwan. She earned a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at University of Texas at Austin in Austin, TX. Dr. Huang completed her post-doctoral fellowship in Organic Chemistry at Duke University in Durham, NC.

• 609-249-9578
• jhuang@gd3services.com
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Jeffrey Letourneau, Ph.D.

Assistant Director

With over 25 years of experience in drug discovery, Dr. Jeffrey Letourneau specializes in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he completed the total synthesis of (+)-Breynolide. His career includes leadership of early-stage programs from hit-to-lead through clinical candidate selection, including a Vasopressin V3 antagonist program that advanced into first-in-human studies. He has extensive experience advancing drug discovery programs across diverse therapeutic areas including oncology, infectious disease, CNS, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders.

Since joining our chemistry team in 2010, Dr. Letourneau has focused on the design and synthesis of challenging molecules. As Assistant Director of GD³’s Chemistry Division, he currently oversees a team of synthetic chemists focused on delivering innovative and efficient solutions for global clients.

Dr. Letourneau is a co-inventor on 17 issued US patents, has authored more than 10 peer-reviewed publications, and is recognized for his expertise in modern synthetic methodologies and reaction mechanisms.

William Solvibile,

Business Development Manager

Bill joined the team in 2015 as a Research Associate in the Chemistry Division at Venenum BioDesign. In 2021 he transitioned into the role of Business Development Manager for GD³.

Bill brought over 25 years experience in the Pharma and Contract Research industries working with small molecule to the team. He has extensive knowledge in analytical and spectral techniques including TLC, LC/MS, HPLC, flash chromatography, FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR. He is proficient in traditional and parallel synthesis and has experience in a number of diverse therapeutic areas including Cardiovascular/ Metabolic Disease, Women's Health and CNS disorders.

Bill’s previous experience in Pharma includes Wyeth Research, Pfizer and Provid Pharmaceuticals. Academia research experiences includes Rutgers University Waksman Institute.

Bill received a B.S. in Chemistry from Albright College in Reading, PA and a M.A. in Chemistry at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Bill is an inventor on four US patents.

• 609-865-2339
• wsolvibile@gd3services.com

Madeline Farley, Ph.D.

Chief Scientific Officer, Biochemistry & Bioanalytical Division

Dr. Farley is the Chief Scientific Officer, Biochemistry & Bioanalytical Division. Dr. Farley has 15 years of experience in neuroscience research and preclinical contract work, emphasizing molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics and disease modeling. Dr. Farley joined PharmOptima in 2021 as a Senior Scientist within the Biochemistry group. Apart from her role in Biochemistry, she has worked closely with the Vivarium to establish ocular disease models within the Ocular Center of Excellence. Before joining PharmOptima, Dr. Farley investigated injury signaling pathways underlying neurodegenerative disease and neuronal injury using transgenic mice and AAV-based gene delivery systems targeting neurons within the retina. Dr. Farley received her BS in Biochemistry, with a minor in Mathematics, from Centenary College of Louisiana. She earned her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, TX. She completed postdoctoral fellowships at both McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Farley has been a recipient of a vision sciences postdoctoral fellowship through the National Eye Institute and an individual NRSA predoctoral fellowship through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

• 269-492-3872
• mfarley@gd3services.com
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James Beasley, Ph.D.

Managing Director, Venenum Biodesign Biology and IAS

Dr. Beasley joined the team in 2011. As Venenum’s Director of Biology, he oversees a team of scientists that support the research efforts in GBG’s pre-clinical drug discovery programs in therapeutic areas such as metabolic disorders, oncology, and infectious disease. Dr. Beasley’s Discovery Biology team specializes in the development, optimization, and execution of assays in the ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) of Venenum’s 5.7 million member compound library. The team also develops and performs assays, including several ADME-Tox assays, necessary to profile the small molecule therapeutic compounds produced by medicinal chemistry. Dr. Beasley serves as a member of the GBG Executive Council.

Dr. Beasley began his career with VENENUM Biodesign as the Discovery Biology Team Leader. In 2014 he was promoted to his current position as Director of Discovery Biology.

Dr. Beasley brought 12 years of experience in the Drug Discovery industry. He previously held positions with Ligand Pharmaceuticals as a Senior Research Investigator, Pharmacopeia as a Senior Principal Scientist, and DGI Biotechnology as a Senior Scientist.

Dr. Beasley received his BS in Chemistry from University of Texas at Austin in Austin, TX. He earned his PhD. in Chemistry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Beasley completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Princeton University in Princeton, NJ.

• 609-249-9551
• jbeasley@gd3services.com
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Kelly Winchester

Chief Laboratory Strategy Officer

Kelly joined the team in 2004. As the Chief Laboratory Strategy Officer, Kelly is responsible for Kelly is responsible for overseeing and managing Medical Diagnostic Laboratories' clinical laboratory Customer Service, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and the Clinical Laboratory.

Kelly began her career with MDL as a Laboratory Technician in 2004. In 2005 she became a Clinical Validation Technician and transitioned into the role of Clinical Implementation/Validation Coordinator in 2007. In 2010 Kelly was promoted to Assistant Director of the QA & QC Department. She held this position until 2012, when she became Director of Quality Control. In 2017 Kelly was promoted to Vice President of Clinical Laboratory Operations, a position she held until transitioning into her current role.

• 609-570-1000 ext. 1038
• kwinchester@gd3services.com

Deborah Giusto, MD

Pathologist and Managing Director

Dr. Giusto is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology by the American Board of Pathology. She completed Pharmacy Curriculum at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. She received both a Doctor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Medicine with honors from the University of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Giusto has published several abstracts and publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and contributed to a book chapter in a recently published authoritative textbook of liver pathology. Before earning her medical degree, Dr. Giusto was a pharmacist for ten years, working in an underserved area on the West Side of Chicago.

• dgiusto@gd3services.com

Martin E. Adelson, Ph.D.

Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Adelson joined the team in 2002. As the Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Adelson leads clinical, development, and discovery research operations in Medical Diagnostic Laboratories (MDL), Venenum Biodesign, and Invivotek with his main focus concentrating on scaling and expanding the existing business infrastructure through both organic growth and corporate acquisition. In addition, Dr. Adelson implements various innovations and re-engineering initiatives, as well as leverages customized technology solutions, to re-calibrate and enhance MDL's workflow while reducing overall business costs.

Prior to his appointment to Chief Operating Officer in 2013, Dr. Adelson held positions within MDL as Director of Research & Development before becoming Vice President of MDL in 2007.

Dr. Adelson received his BS in Biology from The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College) in Ewing, NJ. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology & Genetics from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics/Fels Institute for Molecular Biology and Cancer at Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. He completed his postdoctoral studies in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Adleson was the proud recipient of a competitive Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the National Institutes of Health, National Lung, and Blood Institute.

Dr. Adelson has presented more than 15 presentations for scientific meetings and conferences, clients, and special events. He is the author of 60 publications and 82 abstracts including:

• Adelson ME, Feola M, Trama JP, Tilton RC, and Mordechai E. (2005). Simultaneous detection of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 by real-time PCR and Pyrosequencing. Journal of Clinical Virology, 33(1): 15-34. ’s

Dr. Adelson is an Associate Professor at Rowan University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences as well as a present Member of the Thomas Jefferson University Biotechnology Program Advisory Committee. He has served on the editorial boards of Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease and Journal of Clinical Microbiology. He has also served as a guest reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Infection & Immunity, Journal of Applied and Experimental Microbiology, Clinical and Diagnostic Microbiology, Journal of Dermatological Science, Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease, and Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. He serves as a Scientific Advisory Board member of JBS Science, Inc. at the PA Biotechnology Center and is a founding member of the New Jersey and Pennsylvania BioTech and Life Sciences Leadership Council. Dr. Adelson also holds a certificate as a Medical Director from the Wadsworth Center New York State Department of Health. His current professional memberships include the American Society of Microbiology, International Organization for Mycoplasmology, and Association for Molecular Pathology.

• 609-570-1015
• madelson@gd3services.com
• 

Jing-Jing Yang, MD

Pathologist

Dr. Yang is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and Cytopathology by the American Board of Pathology. She completed the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med curriculum at Rutgers College, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She then went on to receive her M.D. from St. George’s University, in Grenada, West Indies. Dr. Yang completed her Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Residency at St. Lukes-Roosevelt, Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, NY, a Fellowship in Cytopathology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY, and a Fellowship in Genitourinary Pathology at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

• jyang@gd3services.com

Vicki Zaworski,

Account Manager

Vicki joined the team in 2021. As Account Manager Vicki is responsible for promoting the company’s comprehensive portfolio of drug discovery services to secure new accounts and grow existing accounts at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She works closely with clients to identify their projects needs and collaborates with senior scientific management to perform feasibility assessments and to convert the opportunities into project proposals.

Vicki brought over 12 years of experience in the CRO industry in an array of capacities. She has a unique blend of experience including various roles in the vivarium, laboratory research in the Biochemistry Department, and maintenance of inventory record databases. Vicki uses her technical background to understand the needs of clients and guide them through the drug discovery project process.

• 844-272-8234
• vzaworski@gd3services.com
• 

Vladimir Khazak, Ph.D.

Head of Oncology

Dr. Vladimir Khazak is an experienced biologist with more than 20 years of working in multiple biopharmaceutical companies. He received an M.S. and Ph.D. from Chemical-Technical University, Moscow Institute for Genetics and Selection of Microorganisms, in Moscow, Russia. He completed his postdoctoral research at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA in the relationship between basic transcriptional apparatus and stress. Particular areas of expertise include genetics and molecular oncology with a particular emphasis on protein-protein interaction, gene regulation/expression and signal transduction.

• vladimir.khazak@gd3services.com

Graham Fletcher, Ph.D.

Chief Operating Officer, Disease Modeling Division

Dr. Fletcher joined the team in 2024. As Chief Operating Officer of the Disease Modeling Division of GD³, he provides leadership, oversight, and coordination for developing and managing operational components, including IACUC and GLP compliance activities and internal study scheduling. He works closely with clients and the Business Development team to understand their needs, design projects, and oversee their studies.

Dr. Fletcher is an accomplished preclinical and clinical drug development scientist and pharmacologist who has held senior roles in small molecule and therapeutic antibody programs. He brought to the team over 20 years of experience covering the drug development process from target discovery and validation through Phase I/II clinical trials with particular therapeutic expertise in Oncology and Immuno-oncology (IO). Dr. Fletcher has extensive experience in team and project management, leading multidisciplinary teams to take three oncology drugs from candidate selection through IND development into nine clinical trials. He deeply understands the drug development process and oncology and IO, encompassing biological, translational, and clinical science. He previously held positions with EntreMed Inc. as a Research Scientist III, Campbell Family Institute, within the University Health Network, Toronto and Treadwell Therapeutics as Head of Preclinical Development, and Medicenna Therapeutics as Director of Clinical Science.

Dr. Fletcher received a BSc in Molecular Biology at Edinburgh University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He earned a Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Dr. Fletcher is an author of over 20 publications and patents.

• 416-939-9590
• gfletcher@gd3services.com
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Fariba Chalajour, MD, MBA

Managing Director

Dr. Chalajour joined the team in 2020. As the Managing Director of Comparative Biosciences, Inc, a GLP preclinical CRO based in California, she manages the company’s operations, ensures high-quality preclinical studies, and provides strategic leadership in animal study design and to the histopathology team. By combining her business acumen with her 20 years of experience in experimental medicine and translational research, she fosters collaborative relationships with clients and stakeholders to successfully meet their project needs and regulatory requirements.

Prior to her current role, Dr. Chalajour held the position of VP of Preclinical Histopathology at Comparative Biosciences, Inc. In this role, she oversaw scientific and operational activities related to histopathology projects and formulated business objectives. She also managed the sales and marketing activities and developed client relationship management strategies. She was promoted to Managing Director in 2022.

Dr. Chalajour earned her medical degree from Azad University Medical School in Tehran, Iran. Her residency training was focused on cardiovascular surgery at University Heart and Vascular Center in Hamburg, Germany. Following this, she completed her research fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at Stanford University Medical Center. Throughout her career, Dr. Chalajour has contributed to scientific literature and presented her research findings at conferences. She has been involved in multiple peer-reviewed articles and worked as a consultant to various pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Carla Williamson, MBA, LATG

Client Relationship Manager

Carla Williamson brings over 18 years of drug discovery, preclinical research andclient managementexperience to her role as Client Relationship Manager, where she drives strategic growth through cultivating meaningful client partnerships and identifying new business opportunities. Her unique combination of hands-on scientific expertise and business acumen enables her to deliver tailored solutions that align with both client objectives and organizational goals.

With a proven track record in contract negotiations and proposal development, Carla excels at transforming complex client needs into strategic partnerships that foster long-term collaboration and mutual success. Her deep understanding of preclinical research operations, gained through progressive roles at leading CROs including Altasciences and Charles River Laboratories, allows her to serve as a trusted advisor who speaks the language of drug discovery.Earlier in her career, she spent a decade at MPI Research in various scientific and leadership capacities and served as an Animal Care Supervisor at the University of Michigan.This rare blend of scientific foundation, operational leadership, and client-focused business development makes Carla an invaluable bridge between our scientific capabilities and our clients' therapeutic innovations.

Carla holds an MBA in Business Administration from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI and a BS in Animal & Poultry Sciences from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL. She is certified as a Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG), reflecting her commitment to scientific excellence and regulatory compliance.

• 609-570-1024
• cwilliamson@gd3services.com
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