Westbury Diagnostics, Inc. is a full service organization which works with clients to generate solutions to problems in the bioscience industry. We specialize in unique niche projects that require a broad range of abilities under a single roof. We help identify issues or conflicts in your project, formulate solutions and develop them in house. Our clients seek custom R&D work, due diligence, or FDA guidance in the bioscience and venture capital sectors.

Lorrence Green, President of Westbury Diagnostics has organized Chemical Biology of Infectious Diseases:TB, Toxins,and Biofilms, a conference on February 9, 2012 in conjunction with the New York Academy of Sciences. Speakers will include: Elizabeth Boon, PhD of Stony Brook University, Kim Janda, PhD of the Scripps Research Institute, and Kyu Rhee, MD, PhD of the WeilCornell Medical College. Networking reception to follow.

Pathogens in the Blood Meeting at the New York Academy of Sciences

On March 29, 2011 several members of the Westbury team were present at the New York Academy of Sciences headquarters at 7 World Trade Center in New York City to attend a meeting entitled “Pathogens in the Blood”. Westbury Diagnostics, Inc President, Dr. Lorrence Green, co-organized the meeting with Dr. Jennifer Henry, Director Life Sciences of The New York Academy of Sciences. The Academy is one of the oldest scientific organizations in the United States. Founded in 1817 the Academy has brought together extraordinary people working at the frontiers of discovery and promoted vital links between science and society. Famous members have included Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur, Charles Darwin, Margaret Mead, and Albert Einstein.

The meeting began with opening remarks by Dr. Henry and Dr. Green. Both organizers thanked the speakers for agreeing to share their knowledge, and both acknowledged the role of the NY Academy of Sciences for providing the forum. Dr. Green’s said that the Academy had published his first paper many years ago and praised it as, “an Academy of Sciences… in the ancient Greek tradition; where scientists of all stripes came to discuss their specific areas of study, and where other scientists, such as I, not in their field, came and just learned about things they were generally curious about.”

During the course of the meeting, the audience heard world experts present information about strategies to prevent the transmission of infectious disease, and the risks of acquiring an infectious disease, through transfusion, past, present and future; molecular methods of hunting for microorganisms and strategies for the detection of XMRV in blood; facing new challenges to a safe blood supply and protecting the blood supply from emerging pathogens (see full list of distinguished speakers here).

In addition to the audience attending the meeting in New York City, a world wide audience was able to watch the meeting online. The Internet audience also submitted several questions throughout the day. Each of the talks led to animated discussions about the information that had been presented. These discussions were so enthusiastic, that they continued on for more than an hour after the meeting had ended.

In the next two months, the New York Academy of Sciences will be making edited versions of the video streamed presentations available at their website. At that time Westbury Diagnostics, Inc will establish a link to those videos.

Dr. Lorrence Green presents his opening remarks

Lorrence Green, President of Westbury Diagnostics has organized Pathogens in the Blood Supply, a conference on March 29, 2011 in conjunction with the New York Academy of Sciences. Speakers will include: W. Ian Lipkin, MD of Columbia University, Judy A. Mikovits, PhD of the Whittemore Peterson Institute for Neuro-Immune Disease, Sanjai Kumar, PhD of the FDA,  and Gail Moskowitz, MD, Healthcare Consultant. Networking reception to follow.

Westbury Diagnostics, Inc is pleased to announce that it will be assisting the Life Science Institute, as the Institute continues to grow. The Life Science Institute was founded by John F. DeVivo and Paul L. Cimmino after many years of researching the training needs of the Industry.

Mr. DeVivo has considerable experience designing, marketing and selling process equipment used throughout the Life Science Industry. In addition he has held several senior executive positions with major equipment manufacturers and has been involved with technology transfers and large capital projects on a global basis.

Mr. Cimmino has experience managing manufacturing facilities in the Life Science Industries. He was Director of Pharmaceutical Services for a not-for-profit organization, The Long Island Forum For Technology, and developed specific training curricula for the Life Science Industry’s needs. He is a co-founder and current Vice-President of Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, Nutraceutical Alliance in New York and Pennsylvania.

The Life Science Institute offers one to three day seminars concerning the various manufacturing processes and related equipment that can be found in the Industry. Every seminar includes numerous “hands on” demonstrations to enhance the learning experience. In addition, all of the instructors have been selected for their specific process and equipment knowledge.

The Institute presented a full day seminar on the importance of mixing in the preparation of both Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical preparations on January 18, 2011. The seminar was held at a new, state-of-the-art facility located in Pennsylvania off of Highway 80, just west of the PA/NJ border. Attendees not only attended lectures, but they got to see demonstrations on actual machinery that was brought in for the seminar. Each attendee also received a full binder containing a copy of all slides and procedures that were presented.

Members of the Westbury Diagnostics, Inc. staff were present at the seminar, and Dr. Green has agreed to join the faculty and to organize a meeting for the Institute in the next few months. Other members of the Westbury Diagnostics team look forward to taking part in programs both as instructors and attendees.

Westbury Diagnostics recently attended the first anniversary celebration of the Long Island Advancement of Small Business (LIASB), and became a member of the organization. Unlike many of the larger trade organizations that have an outreach to small businesses, the only focus of the LIASB is small business. Westbury has watched the group grow from a small number of committed individuals into an effective force. While headlines and pundits have merely declared the importance of small businesses in an economic recovery, the LIASB has taken action. It is a group that has given small business a forum to gather, discuss problems and solutions, and effectively use the power of its combined strength.

As stated on the LIASB website, more than half of Long Island employees work for small business. From our Nation’s founding, small businesses have been the source of growth and innovation. They have created a flourishing middle class, and have supplied cities and small towns with new products and jobs.

At the celebration John Hill, the President and CEO of the LIASB announced that Westbury Diagnostics, Inc. had joined the group and welcomed us as new members. The company representatives that were present were asked to rise and be recognized. In addition to the immediate benefits of networking, and having a forum in which to learn things; Westbury sees its membership in the group as an important part of its long term growth strategy of making equity investments in Long Island based companies.

In the Spring of 2009, due to financial cutbacks from the State of New York, biology students at Farmingdale State College were informed that the college could no longer supply them with blank answer forms. These forms, used for tests that are given using the automated grading systems, were now going to have to be supplied by the students, at an added cost.

Westbury Diagnostics, Inc. has had a long relationship with the college, and at that time decided to help. During the past several years, the company’s efforts have allowed over 200 students to attend local prominent scientific meetings. The company is currently making plans to bring some students to the upcoming meeting on Pathogens in the Blood in New York City. The company has also had several Farmingdale Bioscience students as interns, and company personnel have recently become mentors to Farmingdale students trying to enter the healthcare professions.

Upon hearing about the situation in 2009, Westbury donated a supply of the answer sheets for use in the Bioscience curriculum courses. Many of the students enrolled in the Bioscience Program must work to support their education, and as a Long Island bioscience company Westbury Diagnostics, Inc was happy to be able help lower the costs of their education, even if only slightly. The company is happy to announce that it recently made its fourth donation.

October 22, 2010

Biology Seminar Series Hofstra University

Approximately 50 students and faculty members of the Hofstra University Biology Department listened to Dr. Green discuss the academic research which he performed at both Indiana  and Harvard Universities. The talk, complete with slides of thousands of decapitated fruit fly heads (shown below) described how this experience provided important training that allowed him to pursue a lucrative career in the Bioscience Industry. This is something he encouraged the audience to consider as a career path. He told the audience not to think of themselves as people trained in using hi-tech protocols or instruments, in specialized areas; but to consider themselves as general problem solvers.

“Academic research is all about trying to solve mysteries created by Nature. Running a business is all about trying to solve mysteries created by people. Problems created by Nature are much harder to solve. Once you’ve been trained to solve the problems created by Nature, the problems created by people will seem easy. Think of yourselves as problem solvers before you think of yourselves as technicians. We live in a country where the number of problems way exceeds the number of problem solvers.”

Following the talk a lively question and answer session followed.

Westbury Diagnostics, Inc is proud to announce that Dr. Lorrence H. Green will be the Director of the Business Segment of the 2011 Fundamentals of the Bioscience Industry Program. The program is run in conjunction with at the Stony Brook University Center for Biotechnology and is targeted toward students at the graduate level seeking to move into non-academic industry careers. Also targeted are life science professionals seeking to enhance their productivity and opportunity for success in the corporate environment.

In addition to presenting a series of lectures in the Business of Bioscience Module, this year Dr. Green will also be coordinating the business segment of the program. His entertaining lecture based on real life experiences entitled, “Observations of an Entrepreneur” has been updated this year to include an “eleventh” career observation. Some of the lectures will also include guest speakers, such as John Hill, President of John A. Hill and Associates, and author of the book, “Tips and Tales from the Booth”.

Enrollment in the course will be open until the end of 2010, although at this time only a limited number of seats are still available. More information can be obtained at the Stony Brook University, Fundamentals of the Bioscience Program website.

This year Dr. Lorrence H. Green, President of Westbury Diagnostics, Inc., not only spent time helping students with individual sessions in which they could practice their interview skills, or obtain advice their resumes; he also gave practical career advice to students and their parents that attended his public session.

Dr. Lorrence Green offering resume advice to a student at the Long Island Works Job Fair
(Picture courtesy of John A .Hill & Associates, Inc.)