Unique to specialty chemical formulators and distributors, Cupron owns its technology, related innovations and associated patent protections. That means we have the freedom and capability to tailor the solution that fits your products and their uses. And you can go to market knowing that our solutions offer distinct performance and claims.
When you turn to your Cupron account representatives for technical solutions, they turn to the Cupron science team that builds our technology platforms. This science team draws upon internal and external laboratory assets around the globe. See below the scientific leadership that helps differentiate your products:
Dr. Chenyu Wang
VP Product Development and Regulatory Affairs
Dr. Wang’s area of expertise is surface modification and engineering, focusing on the development of functionalized surfaces for polymer materials. At Cupron, Dr. Wang takes the lead in the development of new antimicrobial products and the improvement to existing products. He is also responsible to ensure that the Cupron’s antimicrobial products fulfill the requirements of the regulatory agencies in the United States. Before joining Cupron in 2022, Dr. Wang’s work in industry and academia involved the development of antimicrobial and biocompatible surface technologies for silicone and polyurethane based medical devices to reduce the incidences of the device associated infections. Dr. Wang studied surface science and engineering and received his Ph.D. at Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering.
Dr. Bogdan Benin
Project Manager, Research & Development
In this capacity, Dr. Benin provides important input on product strategy, development, regulatory, and commercialization that is ongoing or planned at Cupron. Dr. Benin has provided critical commercialization services for Cupron products destined to be integrated into Hygiene, Personal Care and Specialty Industrial market partner applications. Dr. Benin has authored and co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles across antimicrobial materials, antibiotic drug discovery, proteomics, quantum dots, new luminescent materials, and optoelectronics. He has previously worked on the commercialization of an antibiotic and completed both regional and national NSF I-Corps programs. He received his Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) in the Functional Inorganic Materials group. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship studying antibiotic resistance and computer-aided drug design at the Northeast Ohio Medical University.
Dr. Sithara Nair
Project Manager, Material Development
In this capacity, Dr. Nair focuses upon the functionalization of Cupron Technology in, on and around the polymer substrates of partner products. She brings extensive expertise in product and process development, having led projects on silicone materials with icephobic properties, biocompatible polysaccharide hydrogels aiding in tissue regeneration, and surface-modified polyurethanes with antimicrobial capabilities. Sithara excels in material formulation and characterization, process optimization, scale-up, FDA submissions, and quality management system implementation. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Chemical and Life Science Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, and a B.S. in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering from Kerala University, India.
Dr. Gadi Borkow
Chief Medical Scientist
Dr. Borkow`s area of expertise is virology, and he is responsible for managing clinical and research trials in Europe and Israel as well as evaluating product science and efficacy in partner applications. Before joining Cupron, Dr. Borkow studied the virological and immunological aspects of HIV-1 infection at the Hebrew University Ruth Ben-Ari Institute of Clinical Immunology and AIDS Center, and also taught Virology and Comparative Anatomy at the Hebrew University. Dr. Borkow has published over 100 peer reviewed manuscripts in scientific journals, and his studies have been presented in more than 90 scientific conferences. Dr. Borkow serves as a reviewer of several scientific journals, NIH forums and as an Editor of Open Biology Journal. Dr. Borkow obtained his Ph.D. at Tel Aviv University and his post-doctoral studies were conducted at McGill University AIDS Centre where he specialized in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1).
Dr. Vikram Kanmukhla
Materials Science Advisor
In his role as Materials Science Advisor, Dr. Kanmukhla supports the Science Team with integrating Cupron technology into polymers. His area of expertise is materials science, including particle synthesis, surface functionalization and material characterization. Prior to joining Cupron, Dr. Kanmukhla worked in different industries including nanomaterials paints & pigments, petroleum and agrochemical industries. Dr. Kanmukhla received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from University of Missouri and bachelors of engineering from Kuvempu University.