About Us

The Axcend Focus LC® emphasizes simplicity and ease of transport, while providing HPLC robustness. Dr. Milton L. Lee, a renowned expert in liquid chromatography design and operation, developed the Axcend Focus LC at Brigham Young University with his research team.

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About Us
the people behind the product

Our Team

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Greg Ward

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

For nearly 30 years, Greg Ward has translated his electrical engineering background into Go-to-Market and Route-to-Market success for Fortune 100 firms and startups alike, including nearly 25 years with Hewlett Packard and its spinout, Agilent Technologies. During his time with HP/Agilent — and later with Agilent’s spinout, Keysight Technologies — Ward directed GTM plans and teams on a regional and worldwide basis with multi-million-dollar marketing and sales responsibilities. Prior to joining Axcend®, Ward was a management team leader for an IoT security software company responsible for product validation/development and helped lead the company’s initial fundraising efforts. Ward received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University and a Six-Sigma Green Belt in quality management while at HP.

Greg Ward
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Michele Hodde

Michele Hodde

Chief Operating Officer
Michele Hodde brings operations and marketing leadership to Axcend and also serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Catalyze, driving sales growth across the suite of portfolio companies, including Almaden Genomics, Alpine Advanced Materials, and Metro Aerospace. She spent a decade at Orica, the global leader in commercial explosives for the mining industry, and was the founder, president and CEO of EarthRoamer, an Xpedition Vehicle manufacturer. Michele holds a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University and a Master of Business Administration from University of Los Angeles Anderson School of Management. 
Michele Hodde
Chief Operating Officer
Milton L. Lee, Axcend Co-Founder

Milton L. Lee, Ph.D.

Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder

During his nearly 45-year career, Dr. Lee has become one of the world’s foremost experts in separation science, while also becoming a serial inventor and entrepreneur. Most recently, he invented the world’s first portable gradient capillary high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), the Axcend Focus LC® from Axcend®. Previously, he also invented and commercialized three other scientific instruments:

  • A supercritical fluid chromatograph (Lee Scientific);
  • A time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Sensar); and
  • A portable gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (Torion).

Dr. Lee has authored/co-authored over 600 scientific publications, delivered over 500 technical present­a­tions and has over 20 patents to his credit. Additionally, he has received over 25 prestigious industry awards/recognitions during his 40-plus years as a professor at Brigham Young University. Dr. Lee received a doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Indiana University, a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Utah, and completed post-doctoral research in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Milton L. Lee, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder
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Cary Anne Simpson

Vice President, Global Commercial Operations

Cary Anne brings over 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the analytical instruments industry to Axcend. During her career she has held commercial leadership positions with major analytical instrumentation companies including Dionex, Waters, Sartorius, and Shimadzu. Her technical expertise leans toward chromatography although she has experience with a variety of analytical techniques. Cary Anne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale as well as an MBA from Marquette University. She has always been driven by a strong desire to serve her customers by providing them with the best, most efficient solutions. She has a deeply geeky love of analytical chemistry and finding new ways to measure stuff that is only superseded by her desire to see others around her succeed. Cary enjoys mentoring scientists, spending time with her family, and playing volleyball.

Cary Anne Simpson
Vice President, Global Commercial Operations
matt-morse

Matthew Morse

Vice President, Products, Services & Support

Morse has over 22 years of deep and wide service/technical support expertise across dozens analytical chemistry instruments and their related software packages, including liquid and ion chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, LC/MS and solvent extraction instrumentation, and chromatography data software (CDS). During his career, he has worked with clients throughout North and South America, as well as around the globe. Most recently Morse was Senior Manager, Global Technical Services, Instrument & Enterprise Services for Thermo Fisher Scientific, and he had been with Thermo Fisher for 13 years in several technical support and services positions. Previously, he held different service positions with Dionex for over seven years and Sci-Tek Instruments for over two years. After moving to the United States in the late 2000s, Morse was granted an Educational Equivalency of a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Matthew Morse
Vice President, Products, Services & Support
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Danny Kauffman

Vice President, Quality & Compliance

Danny Kauffman is the Vice President of Quality and Compliance for all of Catalyze Partners' portfolio companies including Axcend. As the designated Management Representative, he is responsible for all the activities required to ensure customer and regulatory requirements are met, including the effective performance of the Quality Management System and overall management of the supply chain. Kauffman has spent his entire career in various quality assurance roles spanning aerospace, business aviation, and automotive industries. He holds an MBA from Midwestern State University and is certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt and CQE by the American Society for Quality.

Danny Kauffman
Vice President, Quality & Compliance
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Elisabeth Gates

Product and Operations manager

Prior to joining Axcend® in early 2020, Elisabeth Gates, Ph.D. served as the Director of Research for Utah-based Precision Membranes, a developer of micron pore membrane filters for capturing and analyzing targeted cells. As a Post Doctoral Fellow (and Graduate Research Assistant) at Brigham Young University, she studied bacterial extraction from blood using magnetic nanoparticles, while also researching and developing fabrication techniques for DNA Origami structures, respectively. Previously, Dr. Gates was a Process Engineer at Intel focused on maximizing photomask quality/availability for manufacturing. She received her Doctoral degree in Inorganic Chemistry from BYU and graduated magna cum laude from Utah State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry.

Elisabeth Gates
Product and Operations Manager
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Julie Blake

marketing consultant

Julie Blake is a highly motivated and performance driven marketing executive with over 30 years of experience developing successful products. From high-profile global brands to start-ups, Blake has been recognized for utilizing innovative approaches to capitalize on market trends to propel new business growth and sales targets. She began her career at Kimberly-Clark Corporation where she spearheaded the launch of HUGGIES Pull-ups® training pants. Later she joined 3Com Corporation as Director of Marketing for the $1 billion Mobile Communications & Wireless Products Division. From 2003-2022 Blake has filled senior marketing roles at proprietary and public colleges. She executed the launch of Neumont College of Computer Science and most recently served as a Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer at Davis Technical College. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Science in Management degree from Cardinal Stritch University.

Julie Blake
Marketing consultant
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Michael Powell

Engineering Manager

Before joining Axcend, Michael was a lead automation engineer at a global provider of computer software solutions for professionals involved in estimating building and repair. Michael is a born problem-solver and the mind behind new software capabilities, even when others say it can’t be done. He graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

Michael Powell
Engineering Manager
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Warren Samms

Manager, Field Technical Services

Warren joins Axcend as Manager of Field Technical Services. With an extensive background in forensic science and technical support, Warren will leads post-sale service and support. 

Born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, Warren holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from Friends University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Wichita State University. His career spans over a decade, including significant time at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, where he advanced from Drug Chemist to Director of Toxicology & Chemistry. Most recently, Warren served as Regional Technical Support Manager at Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, specializing in chromatography data systems with a strong focus on data integrity.

 

Warren Samms
Manager, Field Technical Services
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JOHN STIMUS

Sr. Account Manager

John brings three decades of experience in sales and laboratory management in the Pharmaceutical, Food, Environmental/Water, and Nutraceuticals industries to his senior account manager role. He has hands-on experience with HPLC, LC/MS, GC, GC/MS, and PCR, and his key account management background includes establishing strategic partnerships with NASA and EXXON. Before joining Axcend, John was with Greenwood Products, Inc. He holds three bachelor of science degrees in chemistry, biology and marine science from the University of Tampa.

John Stimus
Sr. Account Manager
Bardya

Bardya Banihashemi

Account Manager

Bardya Banihashemi brings extensive experience in technical sales, specializing in analytical instrumentation and advanced research technologies. Holding a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Bardya now serves as Axcend’s West Coast Account Manager. In this role, he drives business growth, establishes new partnerships, and ensures customer success with the Axcend Focus LC HPLC system. As the primary contact for clients, Bardya leverages his technical expertise to deliver tailored solutions. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, photography, and hiking.

Bardya Banihashemi
Account Manager
Daniel

Daniel Nye

Account Manager

Daniel Nye combines a strong foundation in chemistry with hands-on industry experience. With a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from DePaul University and a master’s in Chemical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Daniel began his career as an HPLC Specialist at Agilent and later spent four years as a Sales Representative at STERIS AST. Now serving as Account Manager for Axcend’s central states region, he applies his technical expertise to support customers across industries. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys fishing, tennis, and tending to his flower garden.

Daniel Nye
Account Manager
Garrett

Garrett Hellinghausen

Account Manager

Garrett Hellinghausen brings deep expertise in analytical chemistry, with a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Arlington and a bachelor’s in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. With over a decade of chromatography experience, Garrett has held key roles at major pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca and AbbVie. His work has focused on chromatography method development, alongside a range of other analytical techniques. Passionate about applying innovative technologies to solve complex problems, Garrett is excited to transition into sales, leveraging his technical background to support Axcend’s customers.

Garrett Hellinghausen
Account Manager
Maury

Morlan Lunsford

Field Application/Sales Support Manager

Morlan Lunsford has over 20 years of experience in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and advanced analytical instrumentation. His career includes roles at Agilent Technologies, Amgen Pharmaceuticals, and ThermoFisher Scientific, where he honed expertise in chromatography and mass spectrometry. Morlan’s background spans research, process optimization, and leadership, with a focus on delivering tailored solutions and technical support. Now at Axcend, he leverages his passion for scientific innovation and problem-solving to help customers succeed and advance the field of analytical chemistry.

Morlan Lunsford
Field Application/Sales Support Manager
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Justin Bryan

Lab Technician & Associate Research Scientist

Justin received his bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics from Brigham Young University. He has worked in a variety of fields, from transportation software to investment analysis. He is also a named contributor to research in neurological imaging and healthcare genetics. Justin has enjoyed bringing his diverse skillset, wide-ranging interests, and "can-do" attitude to Axcend. He joins the Axcend team on the manufacture and development of instruments and software.

Justin Bryan
Lab Technician & Associate Research Scientist
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Raelyn Winn

Associate Research Scientist

Raelyn is passionate about robotics and biomedical research. Most of all, she enjoys helping researchers improve the quality of their work while reducing the cost and time. She brings her mechatronics skills to Axcend. Raelyn’s team was the three-semester competition winner! She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University.

Raelyn Winn
Associate Research Scientist
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Paul Peaden, Ph.D.

Principal Scientist

From the petrochemical industry to the world of nutraceuticals, Paul Peaden, Ph.D. has spent over 40 years as an analytical chemist and researcher. After receiving his doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Brigham Young University, Dr. Peaden joined Unocal in the mid-1970s as a Research Chemist developing methods and procedures to meet the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (as well as the Food and Drug Administration) during his 13-year stint with the firm. Most recently, he spent 20 years with Nature’s Sunshine Products as a Research Investigator utilizing analytical chemistry methodologies to support new and existing product development efforts. Currently, Dr. Peaden is leading the Axcend® efforts to identify separation science processes through the Axcend Focus LC™ high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) for a variety of target markets.

Paul Peaden, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
SergueiCalugaru headshot

SERGUEI CALUGARU

PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST

Dr. Calugaru has been conducting scientific research in the field of  chromatography for over three decades. His graduate school study was dedicated to developing sorbents for affinity chromatography of proteolytic enzymes. At the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Paris, France) Dr. Calugaru developed a chromatographic purification method for a proteinase inhibitor from human erythrocytes. Later, at the University of Illinois at Chicago and at several industrial companies and contract research organizations in the USA he worked with large and small molecule analytes using a variety of detection methods, including mass spectrometry, fluorescence and evaporative light scattering. Dr. Calugaru holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Bioorganic Chemistry from Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia).  

Serguei Calugaru, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
Ihor Brown headshot 2

LIAM BROWN

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Liam brings years of web development experience to his role as a software engineer. Prior to joining Axcend® he served as a consultative analyst helping Bayer Crop Science achieve its innovative environmental science mission. Liam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a dual minor in Computer Science and Philosophy from Brigham Young University.

Liam Brown
Software Engineer
graham

GRAHAM HARRISON

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Graham Harrison is passionate about analytic research as a tool to solve problems in healthcare, energy and the environment. During his college career, Harrison debuted his talents and took fourth place in eBay’s Machine Learning Competition. Before joining Axcend®, he was a network engineer at LogMeIn, best known for its GoToMeeting unified communications tool. Harrison is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree at Brigham Young University.

Graham Harrison
SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Axcend Team

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Greg Ward

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

For nearly 30 years, Greg Ward has translated his electrical engineering background into Go-to-Market and Route-to-Market success for Fortune 100 firms and startups alike, including nearly 25 years with Hewlett Packard and its spinout, Agilent Technologies. During his time with HP/Agilent — and later with Agilent’s spinout, Keysight Technologies — Ward directed GTM plans and teams on a regional and worldwide basis with multi-million-dollar marketing and sales responsibilities. Prior to joining Axcend®, Ward was a management team leader for an IoT security software company responsible for product validation/development and helped lead the company’s initial fundraising efforts. Ward received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University and a Six-Sigma Green Belt in quality management while at HP.

Greg Ward
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Milton L. Lee, Axcend Co-Founder

Milton L. Lee, Ph.D.

Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder

During his nearly 45-year career, Dr. Lee has become one of the world’s foremost experts in separation science, while also becoming a serial inventor and entrepreneur. Most recently, he invented the world’s first portable gradient capillary high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), the Axcend Focus LC® from Axcend®. Previously, he also invented and commercialized three other scientific instruments:

  • A supercritical fluid chromatograph (Lee Scientific);
  • A time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Sensar); and
  • A portable gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (Torion).

Dr. Lee has authored/co-authored over 600 scientific publications, delivered over 500 technical present­a­tions and has over 20 patents to his credit. Additionally, he has received over 25 prestigious industry awards/recognitions during his 40-plus years as a professor at Brigham Young University. Dr. Lee received a doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Indiana University, a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Utah, and completed post-doctoral research in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Milton L. Lee, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder
ray-west

Ray West, Ph.D.

Vice President, Business Development

During a career spanning over 30 years, Ray West, Ph.D. has shown an uncommon ability to seamlessly transition from chemical research to business development across industries as diverse as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, spectroscopy and scientific instruments. After receiving his doctorate in Chemistry from Brigham Young University, Dr. West spent 11 years with Shell Oil Company. After leaving Shell as a Sr. Research Chemist, he became the Technology Director for Gilson where he established and managed the technical center for this supplier of pharmaceutical industry tools. Dr. West then transitioned into the sales, account management and marketing world, initially with Protasis (a developer of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy equipment), and then for the past 13 years with Moxtek, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Kayaku. Since joining Axcend® in 2018, Dr. West has utilized his broad industry and business experience to help develop market acceptance of the Axcend Focus LC®.

Ray West, Ph.D.
Vice President, Business Development
jamie-steware

Jamie Stewart

Director of Operations

Prior to joining Axcend® in 2018 as its Office Manager, Jamie Stewart spent the previous five years as the Operations Director of Cypher Corporation, a venture capital-backed software company that was acquired by Cirrus Logic. Previously, Stewart served as Operations Manager for Code Corporation and as Office Manager for VPI Technology Group, Brainium, and Medical Device Group.

Jamie Stewart
Director, Operations
matt-morse

Matthew Morse

Vice President, Products, Services & Support

Morse has over 22 years of deep and wide service/technical support expertise across dozens analytical chemistry instruments and their related software packages, including liquid and ion chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, LC/MS and solvent extraction instrumentation, and chromatography data software (CDS). During his career, he has worked with clients throughout North and South America, as well as around the globe. Most recently Morse was Senior Manager, Global Technical Services, Instrument & Enterprise Services for Thermo Fisher Scientific, and he had been with Thermo Fisher for 13 years in several technical support and services positions. Previously, he held different service positions with Dionex for over seven years and Sci-Tek Instruments for over two years. After moving to the United States in the late 2000s, Morse was granted an Educational Equivalency of a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Matthew Morse
Vice President, Products, Services & Support
elisabeth-gates

Elisabeth Gates

Principal Scientist

Prior to joining Axcend® in early 2020, Elisabeth Gates, Ph.D. served as the Director of Research for Utah-based Precision Membranes, a developer of micron pore membrane filters for capturing and analyzing targeted cells. As a Post Doctoral Fellow (and Graduate Research Assistant) at Brigham Young University, she studied bacterial extraction from blood using magnetic nanoparticles, while also researching and developing fabrication techniques for DNA Origami structures, respectively. Previously, Dr. Gates was a Process Engineer at Intel focused on maximizing photomask quality/availability for manufacturing. She received her Doctoral degree in Inorganic Chemistry from BYU and graduated magna cum laude from Utah State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry.

Elisabeth Gates
Principal Scientist
julie

Julie Blake

Chief Marketing Officer

Julie Blake is a highly motivated and performance driven marketing executive with over 30 years of experience developing successful products. From high-profile global brands to start-ups, Blake has been recognized for utilizing innovative approaches to capitalize on market trends to propel new business growth and sales targets. She began her career at Kimberly-Clark Corporation where she spearheaded the launch of HUGGIES Pull-ups® training pants. Later she joined 3Com Corporation as Director of Marketing for the $1 billion Mobile Communications & Wireless Products Division. From 2003-2022 Blake has filled senior marketing roles at proprietary and public colleges. She executed the launch of Neumont College of Computer Science and most recently served as a Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer at Davis Technical College. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Science in Management degree from Cardinal Stritch University.

Julie Blake
Chief Marketing Officer
Michael Powell headshot

Michael Powell

Engineering Manager

Before joining Axcend, Michael was a lead automation engineer at a global provider of computer software solutions for professionals involved in estimating building and repair. Michael is a born problem-solver and the mind behind new software capabilities, even when others say it can’t be done. He graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

Michael Powell
Engineering Manager
J-stimus

JOHN STIMUS

Sr. Account Manager

John brings three decades of experience in sales and laboratory management in the Pharmaceutical, Food, Environmental/Water, and Nutraceuticals industries to his senior account manager role. He has hands-on experience with HPLC, LC/MS, GC, GC/MS, and PCR, and his key account management background includes establishing strategic partnerships with NASA and EXXON. Before joining Axcend, John was with Greenwood Products, Inc. He holds three bachelor of science degrees in chemistry, biology and marine science from the University of Tampa.

John Stimus
Sr. Account Manager
doug

Doug Tate

Sr. Account Manager

Doug is a highly motivated sales leader with an extensive track record of healthcare and Industrial sales success. Before joining Axcend, Doug was DIA/IC/SP Product Specialist Manager at ThermoFisher Scientific for twelve years, providing sales support for HPLC systems. Prior to that he was Regional Systems Account Manager with GE Healthcare, and a sales manager with Reliant Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Doug holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from American State University.

Doug Tate
Sr. Account Manager
paul-peaden

Paul Peaden, Ph.D.

Principal Scientist

From the petrochemical industry to the world of nutraceuticals, Paul Peaden, Ph.D. has spent over 40 years as an analytical chemist and researcher. After receiving his doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Brigham Young University, Dr. Peaden joined Unocal in the mid-1970s as a Research Chemist developing methods and procedures to meet the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (as well as the Food and Drug Administration) during his 13-year stint with the firm. Most recently, he spent 20 years with Nature’s Sunshine Products as a Research Investigator utilizing analytical chemistry methodologies to support new and existing product development efforts. Currently, Dr. Peaden is leading the Axcend® efforts to identify separation science processes through the Axcend Focus LC™ high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) for a variety of target markets.

Paul Peaden, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
Ihor Brown headshot 2

LIAM BROWN

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Liam brings years of web development experience to his role as a software engineer. Prior to joining Axcend® he served as a consultative analyst helping Bayer Crop Science achieve its innovative environmental science mission. Liam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a dual minor in Computer Science and Philosophy from Brigham Young University.

Liam Brown
Software Engineer
graham

GRAHAM HARRISON

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Graham Harrison is passionate about analytic research as a tool to solve problems in healthcare, energy and the environment. During his college career, Harrison debuted his talents and took fourth place in eBay’s Machine Learning Competition. Before joining Axcend®, he was a network engineer at LogMeIn, best known for its GoToMeeting unified communications tool. Harrison is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree at Brigham Young University.

Graham Harrison
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
SergueiCalugaru headshot

SERGUEI CALUGARU

PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST

Dr. Calugaru has been conducting scientific research in the field of  chromatography for over three decades. His graduate school study was dedicated to developing sorbents for affinity chromatography of proteolytic enzymes. At the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Paris, France) Dr. Calugaru developed a chromatographic purification method for a proteinase inhibitor from human erythrocytes. Later, at the University of Illinois at Chicago and at several industrial companies and contract research organizations in the USA he worked with large and small molecule analytes using a variety of detection methods, including mass spectrometry, fluorescence and evaporative light scattering. Dr. Calugaru holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Bioorganic Chemistry from Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia).  

Serguei Calugaru, Ph.D.
Principal Scientist
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Joule Esene

Associate Research Scientist

Joule is passionate about research and development in the microscale. Before joining Axcend, Joule worked on research projects that involved miniaturizing traditional separation techniques by developing compact 3D-printed microfluidic devices that combine solid-phase extraction and microchip electrophoresis separation for preterm birth risk diagnostics. He received his Doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from Brigham Young University and graduated from the University of Benin, Nigeria with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Chemistry.

Joule Esene
Associate Research Scientist
madison

Madison Bryan

Operations Manager

You could say that that high-precision detector assembly is in Madison Bryan’s DNA. Before joining Axcend® she learned the ins and outs of fabrication and assembly at Gearworks, Inc. At Axcend® she specializes in technician assembly and qualification testing. Bryan is passionate about guaranteeing customer satisfaction by ensuring delivery dates. Her long-term career goal is to be an elementary education teacher, in hopes of emphasizing the power of science to her students. Bryan is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Education at Utah State University.

Madison Bryan
Operations Manager

Advisors

robin-ritch

Robin Ritch

Advisor

For over 25 years, Robin Ritch has produced outsized intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial success for organizations ranging from Fortune 50 companies to Venture Capital firms and nonprofit enterprises. Her extensive experience includes architecting initial business plans for products and services, and designing and implementing strategies for global ecosystem development leading to increased market creation and penetration. During her career, Ritch spent nearly six years with Cisco Systems creating new business lines through its Emerging Technologies group. She also spent over six years with Intel, much of it in strategic business development roles in the wireless communication industry. Ritch received an MBA from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. She also graduated cum laude from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance.

Robin Ritch
Advisor
dennis-tolley

Dennis Tolley, Ph.D.

Advisor

Although his 40-year career began with statistical studies on health and health care costs, Dennis Tolley, Ph.D. has focused most recently on stochastic modeling and data analysis in the biomedical arena. For example, Dr. Tolley has actively applied and extended statistical methods to scientific instrumentation and analytic chemistry, including developing detection methods for Gas Chromatography and Liquid Chromatography systems. Currently a professor of Statistics at Brigham Young University, Dr. Tolley has been a faculty member of the university since 1983. Prior to joining BYU, Dr. Tolley held positions with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Texas A&M, Duke Medical School, and Booz-Allen (among others). He has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles and been issued over half a dozen patents in instrumentation and stochastic feedback control. Dr. Tolley received his Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and his bachelor’s degree in Statistics from BYU.

Dennis Tolley, Ph.D.
Advisor
paul-farnsworth

Paul Farnsworth, Ph.D.

Advisor

During a career of over 35 years in academic research, Paul Farnsworth, Ph.D. has spent the majority of his efforts on analytical spectroscopy, with an emphasis on developing new analytical techniques and instrumentation for trace molecular and elemental analysis. Currently a professor of Chemistry at Brigham Young University, Dr. Farnsworth has been a BYU faculty member since 1983. His expertise in analytical spectroscopy has led to Dr. Farnsworth to over 25 years of editorial service at peer-reviewed, scientific journals, including Editor of both Spectrochimica Acta Electronica (1994—2001) and Applied Spectroscopy (1997—2009), and as a current member of the Editorial Board of Spectrochimica Acta, a position he has held since 2001. He has also authored over 100 papers, chapters, and patents. Dr. Farnsworth earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from BYU.

Paul Farnsworth, Ph.D.
Advisor

“HPLC Anywhere® has now become a reality. This opens up new opportunities for chemical analysis that were not possible previously.”

Milton L. Lee
Ph.D. Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder
Axcend
axcend-walking-around-green-box

Truly Revolutionary

Axcend® is a provider of innovative, compact capillary high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems that deliver dramatic improvements in portability, ease of operation, rapid and convenient deployment, and coupling to other analytical systems (such as mass spectrometers).

Focus-LC-shot-1

The Axcend Focus LC® emphasizes simplicity and ease of transport, while providing HPLC robustness. Dr. Milton L. Lee, a renowned expert in liquid chromatography design and operation, developed the Axcend Focus LC at Brigham Young University with his research team.

Key features of the Axcend Focus LC® include:

  • A compact HPLC device that's hand-portable
  • Dramatic reduction in solvent, sample, and waste volumes
  • Simple and tool-less column exchange via convenient cartridges
  • Novel multi-wavelength LED UV-absorption for target analyte detection
  • Small footprint HPLC with low power consumption and line voltage or battery operation as standard features
  • An elegant browser interface supporting leading computer, tablet and smartphone operating systems.
Learn More
Contact Us

Get in touch

Thank you for visiting our website! If you would like to learn more about the Axcend Focus LC® or schedule a demo of our compact HPLC device (Virtual or In-Person) then please submit your details using the contact form.

3301 N. Thanksgiving Way #175
Lehi, UT USA 84043

[email protected]

(469) 480-3865

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