Thomas C.K. Yuen, Chairman & CEO

Thomas C.K. Yuen is Chairman and CEO of PrimeGen.  Mr. Yuen is the principal investor of PrimeGen Biotech LLC and directs corporate development of the company.  Mr. Yuen has also served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President, and a director of SRS Labs Inc. since January 1994.  Prior to joining SRS Labs, Mr. Yuen co-founded Irvine-based AST Research, Inc. in 1981.  At AST he served as Co-Chairman and Chief Operating Officer.  Under his leadership, AST became a Fortune 500 company in 1991.  Mr. Yuen departed AST in 1992 and focused his efforts on investing in new projects.  Before co-founding AST, he held various engineering and project management positions with Hughes Aircraft Company, Sperry Univac, and Computer Automation.  He received his B.S.E.E. from the University of California, Irvine in 1974.  He is also an Honorary Professor of China Nationality University in Beijing.  Mr. Yuen is the recipient of several awards from the University of California, Irvine, including the UCI Medal in 1990; the outstanding Engineering Alumni Award in 1987, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1986.  Mr. Yuen is a member of the UCI Foundation Board of Trustees.  He was named one of the top 25 executives of the computer industry by the Computer Reseller News Magazine in 1988 and 1991.  In 1997, Mr. Yuen received the Director of the Year award from the Orange County Foundation of Corporate Directors.

Cyril Sirk, Chief Operating Officer

Cyril Sirk was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the company in October 2007.  As PrimeGen’s co-founder in 2002, Mr. Sirk has been an integral part of almost every aspect of the company from its early pre-formation to current day operations.  In addition to providing early stage support and management, Mr. Sirk is currently responsible for G&A, information technology, corporate security, and regulatory compliance of the company’s state of the art research facility.  Prior to his university accomplishments, Cyril served in the United States Marine Corps where he was awarded various meritorious distinctions including several for his oversees combat duty in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.  Mr. Sirk holds a B.A. in Public Administration from San Diego State University and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine.

Fari Izadyar, Director of Germ Line

Fari Izadyar is a veterinarian with fourteen years of scientific research experience in the field of Reproductive Medicine and stem cell biology.  His inspiration evolved from his interest in Reproduction and gamete biology in 1987 during his clinical practice as a veterinarian. During his PhD study at the Veterinary Faculty of Utrecht University he investigated several aspects of female reproduction including hormonal and molecular regulation of oocyte maturation and early embryo development and became familiar with IVM, IVF and assisted reproductive technologies.  Fari also studied the biology of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and developed several techniques for isolation, long-term culture, cryopreservation and transplantation of male germ line stem cells into animal models to restore the fertility and to study the functionality of SSCs.  Since 2005 Fari has been working at PrimeGen Biotech on germ line stem cells in a variety of species including mouse, monkey and human to generate cell lines that can be used for therapeutic purposes and regenerative medicine.  During his career Fari has published numerous papers in peer reviewed journals, participated in grant applications and collaborated with many organizations both nationally and internationally.  Fari received a DVM in Veterinary Medicine from Tehran University and a Ph.D. in Reproductive Biology from Utrecht University.

Christian Kannemeier, Director of Advanced Cell Technologies

Christian Kannemeier holds a Masters degree in general biology and received his Ph.D. in Cell Biology/Biochemistry both from the Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, Germany.  There he was involved in research on atherosclerosis which he conducted at the Justus-Liebig University of Giessen and in the research facilities of Aventis Behring in Marburg, Germany.  He came to the United States in 2003 for a postdoctoral visit at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, CA.  At the Scripps Research Institute Dr. Kannemeier worked on the molecular mechanisms leading to cancer.  His publication record currently includes first author papers in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” on the contribution of RNA as a cofactor for blood clotting, the “FASEB Journal” on the role of the Factor VII activating protease in cell proliferation and “Molecular Biology of the Cell” on MDM2 mediated TGF-beta resistance in cancer cells.  His scientific expertise is Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry.