DPC ISD President Douglas Olson Named Chief Scientific Officer; Saïd El Shami Retires

Douglas Olson	Saïd El Shami

Saïd El Shami's technological innovations contributed greatly to DPC's rise to prominence in the immunoassay market. Shortly after arriving at DPC in 1978, he developed a proprietary method for coating tubes and microplate wells that allowed efficient attachment of a wide range of antibodies, regardless of their nature. This technological advance allowed DPC to broaden its assay menu rapidly. The release of a series of significant antibody-coated tube RIAs, as well as quality assays for peptides such as FSH and LH, led to DPC's dominance of the fertility testing market.

Under Saïd's leadership a patent was awarded for the development of a nonisotopic immunoassay technology using liquid-phase kinetics. The experience gained from producing immunoassays for hormones and allergy testing based on this technology paved the way for adapting these and many other assays to the original IMMULITE^® instrument and subsequently to other members of the growing IMMULITE family of immunoassay analyzers. The use of liquid allergens is central to the full automation of specific IgE testing that DPC now offers with 3gAllergy™ on the IMMULITE^® 2000 and the IMMULITE^® 2500 platforms.

Dr. Olson, a member of the original IMMULITE design team since before Cirrus Diagnostics Inc. became a subsidiary of DPC in 1992, contributed significantly to every stage of the IMMULITE project. He served as Vice President and then as Executive Vice President, DPC Cirrus (later renamed DPC Instrument Systems Division [ISD]) before being elected president of the New Jersey subsidiary in 1994. He will retain his role as President, DPC ISD, while taking on the new role of CSO. Dr. Dennis Sustarsic, Vice President, R&D, will report to Dr. Olson and continue to guide the R&D organization in Los Angeles with expanded responsibility.

Saïd El Shami's legacy includes a group of talented scientists in a fully staffed, multifaceted R&D organization; an ever-expanding menu that is the broadest available from any immunoassay manufacturer; and a dedication to professionalism and assay quality. DPC wishes him all the best and expresses its gratitude for his commitment and valuable contributions during his years with the Company.