Tobacco Chemist Consultant: Expert on Smoke Chemistry, Testing and Toxicology

Expertise

• E-liquids and e-vapor products, and aerosols produced from them, including chemistry and toxicology.
• Tobacco and tobacco smoke chemistry and toxicology:  Cigarettes, cigars, sisha (waterpipe), pipes, and pipe tobacco.
• Chemistry and toxicology of nontobacco materials in cigarettes, cigars, etc.
• Nontargeted (untargeted) analysis of complex tobacco and e-vapor products using GC-MS and LC.
• Management of analytical chemistry laboratories including LIMS.
• Identification of foreign matter in consumer products.
• Inks, adhesives, coatings, films, foil, paper for packaging tobacco products.
• Special purpose packaging inks and moisture indicating inks.
• Gas chromatography – mass spectrometry including headspace and pyrolysis.
• Polysaccharide chemistry (starch, cellulose, etc.)
• Flash-point testing of adhesives and coatings.

Experience

Undesclosed Company, 2004 - Present

Co-owner and Principal, Chemistry and Toxicology

• Total responsibility for the business including scientific output as well as general business functions such as finance, marketing, and sales.
• Responsible for scientific output as well as marketing and sales to clients needing professional services in chemistry and toxicology.

Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., Principal Scientist, 1980 - 2004

Scientific & Regulatory Affairs Principal Scientist

• Providing chemistry support to evaluation of new materials, sponsor's representative for contract in vitro and in vivo toxicological services, and preparation of and presentation of results at scientific meetings.  Also, took and passed examination for certification in general toxicology (DABT).

Director, Research Services

• Immediate past position (routine testing, analytical chemistry research, laboratory automation, microbiology, statistics; sensory testing on tobacco, tobacco products, and cigarette smoke).

Manager, Research Services

• Manager, Materials Research; and Division Head, Analytical Research

Professional Services Industries, Inc., Director of Chemistry, 1979 - 1980

The Pillsbury Co., Manager, Chemistry, 1979 - 1980

National Starch & Chemical Corp., Manager, Central Technical Evaluations, 1971 - 1978

Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics, Chemist, Analytical Research, 1970 - 1971

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Scientific Affairs and Regulatory Toxicology

Research and Development Operations

• Company start up, within six-month of starting the business, had clientele in both North America and Europe.
• Presented six papers at scientific meetings in 2005 on toxicology and chemistry of tobacco, tobacco products, and tobacco smoke, including simplified assessment protocols for potentially reduced exposure products (PREPS).
• Led the development and execution of in vivo and in vitro toxicological testing protocols for novel tobacco products and the development of methods for human biomonitoring of exposure to tobacco products.
• Identified situation with packaging materials that could adversely affect the toxicological properties of a potentially reduced exposure smoking product.
• Published theoretical basis for claim that the use of ammonia-containing additives does not increase smoke pH; also provided essential evidence that led Massachusetts DPH to withdraw proposed regulation on unprotonated nicotine/
• Participated in the development of strategies for ingredient disclosures and development of position papers on smoking and health.
• Created first consulting group to get FDA Substantial Equivalence (SE) designation for a Small Tobacco Product Manufacturer's cigarette product line (2013).  Achieved SE designation for other clients and provided scientific evidence clients needed to thwart FDA's attempts to remove clients' products from the market.
• Obtain first e-vapor contract in additional contracts that led and helped organize the first CORESTA E-cigarette workshop. Original research developed and carried out by scientific staff that led to the development of analytical technique for the determination of e-cigarette aerosol pH and absorption by artificial saliva of nicotine and other aerosol components.
• Presented over 100 papers at scientific meetings on toxicology and chemistry of tobacco, tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and shisha), and tobacco smoke, e-liquids and aerosols generated from e-cigarettes.
• Served as peer-reviewer for over 150 manuscripts submitted to scientific journals with subject matter including chemistry, toxicology, and regulation of conventional tobacco products, heat-not-burn tobacco products, and other novel products.
• Provided a decade of bimonthly columns in Tobacco Journal Int. on tobacco and e-vapor product regulation.
• Led the development and execution of in vivo and in vitro toxicological testing protocols for novel tobacco products and the development of methods for human biomonitoring of exposure to tobacco products.
• Selected and developed scientists who are now key laboratory managers.
• Achieved 40% reduction in cost per reportable result without sacrifices in quality and total turnaround time within two years of taking charge of a major routine testing operation.
• Led team that developed and implemented analytical techniques that allowed resolution of most off-taste and foreign-matter complaints in retail tobacco products within 48 hours of sample receipt.
• Led successful implementations of laboratory information management systems.

Honors & Publications

• US FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, Nonvoting member representing the interests of the Small Tobacco Product Manufacturers
• Tobacco Institute Testing Laboratory, Chairman of the Board, 10/93 to 1/98.
• US Technical Advisory Group to ISO TC126 on Tobacco and Tobacco Products, Chairman, 3/93 to 1/98.
• Secondment, BAT Germany, June to August 1992.
• 4 U.S. Patents
• Many professional papers on the testing and analysis of tobacco smoke and byproducts, toxicology and smoke chemistry.

Education

• Ph.D., The Ohio State University, Organic and Carbohydrate Chemistry
• M.Sc., The Ohio State University, Organic and Carbohydrate Chemistry
• B.S., Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Chemistry