Science Team

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

Senior 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. Kennard Brunson

Project Manager, Research & Development

Dr. Brunson is a research-driven Product Development Manager with extensive expertise in antimicrobial materials, surface modification, and polymer science. He has led multidisciplinary teams in the development of advanced coatings for medical-grade silicones and functional textiles, with a strong emphasis on infection prevention and biocompatibility. As Principal Investigator on NIH SBIR Phase I and II grants totaling over $2 million, Dr. Brunson directed the design and testing of antimicrobial catheter technologies, guiding projects from concept to market analysis using ASTM and ISO standards. His career spans over a decade in applied research and development, with a focus on scalable, high-performance solutions for healthcare and smart material applications. Dr. Brunson has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and is a co-inventor on multiple patents related to antimicrobial surfaces. He holds a PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering, as well as MS and BS degrees in Engineering and Chemical Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Brunson combines scientific depth with practical innovation to advance materials that improve health and safety across industries.

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.