Who We Are
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Howard Damude, PhD - Life Science Consultant
Howard Damude, PhD, is the Founder and Sole Proprietor of Cedar Coast Consulting. He has over 25 years of professional experience in the biotechnology field with emphasis in Microbiology, Agriculture and Immunology.
Dr. Damude received his PhD from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, where he worked on the structure and enzymology of bacterial cellulases with Dr. Anthony Warren as PhD supervisor. He trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. D’Ann Rochon at Agriculture Canada in Vancouver, BC where he worked on plant viruses and with Dr. Chris Lamb at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, where he worked on plant defense mechanisms.
Subsequently, he joined DuPont Central Research & Development, Wilmington, DE in 1998 where he led the team elucidating biochemical pathways of secondary metabolites produced by plant species as defense compounds for use as monomers in unique polymer manufacture and implemented production of these compounds in microbial fermentation systems. In 2002, Dr. Damude transitioned to Pioneer, a wholly owned subsidiary of DuPont, where he identified genes involved in the production of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and in seed oil biosynthesis, and used metabolic engineering to produce novel oils in, and increase the protein and oil content of, soybean.
In 2016, Dr. Damude worked as a plant metabolic engineering consultant to several companies including Impossible Foods, Redwood City, CA and Evogene, Rehovot, Israel.
Later in 2016, Dr. Damude moved to Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories where he worked as Senior Scientist and later was promoted to VP of R&D. At JIR, he managed the scientific and technical direction of the company, led the Technical Service team and directed the design, development and launch of new products.
Throughout his career, Dr. Damude has successfully managed numerous research projects and people, including PhD, MSc and BSc level scientists and interns.
Julie Johnston, PhD - Life Science Consultant
Julie Johnston, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Vector Operations group and has worked in the Gene Therapy Program for 17 years. She has over 20 years of professional experience in the field of gene therapy. Dr. Johnston received her PhD from the University of British Columbia, Canada, where she worked on small RNA viruses and trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Didier Trono at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, where she worked on HIV pathogenesis. Subsequently, she joined the Chiron Corporation Center for Gene Therapy where she developed feline lentiviral vectors for gene transfer.
Dr. Johnston is currently responsible for the oversight of the Vector Operations group, which specializes in the production and characterization of novel serotype AAV vectors for basic, preclinical, and translational research. As Executive Director, Dr. Johnston manages CMC programs, interacts with investigators, and addresses scientific, safety, compliance, and financial matters pertaining to the Core. Dr. Johnston oversees a group of ~60 staff and directly supervises a Senior Director of Manufacturing Sciences and Technology, a Senior Director of Analytical Sciences and Technology, and a Director of CMC Project Management. Dr. Johnston is also a member of the University of Pennsylvania Institutional Biosafety Committee.