GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smithers Avanza, a contract research organization serving the pharmaceutical and agrochemical markets, announced that Dr. Shakil Saghir has been appointed as Chief Scientific Officer, Development Services. In this role, Saghir will be in charge of developing scientific business opportunities globally. Saghir will report to Dr. Michael Dorato, Executive Vice President, Development Services.
Prior to joining Smithers, Dr. Saghir’s professional experience included toxicology roles at The Dow Chemical Company and Syngenta. He is a DABT and a European Registered Toxicologist, and has considerable experience with regulatory compliance and risk assessment. He has experience in registration and stewardship of products, as well as PK/TK and bioavailability data analysis/modeling, and is a member of the Dermal Absorption Working Group for the harmonization of protocols.
Dr. Saghir completed his B.Sc. in zoology, microbiology and physiology, and M.Sc. in insect toxicology from the University of Karachi. He received his M.S in public health from the University of Alabama and Ph.D. in toxicology and pharmacology from the University of Illinois. Dr. Saghir maintains an active academic program teaching graduate level courses in toxicology and is also a prolific scientific writer.
“Dr. Saghir will be an asset in providing scientific and strategic direction for new opportunities as Smithers Avanza continues to expand into the agrochemical market through initiatives such as GMO testing and REACH," said Michael Dorato. “With over 30 years of experience in the chemical, consumer product and agrochemical industries, he has built relationships with many of the industry’s leading scientists, and will be working closely with our clients to align with their specific testing needs.”
Inquiries regarding potential new business initiatives can be made directly to Dr. Saghir by calling Smithers Avanza at +1-240-364-6360, or emailing shakil.saghir@smithers.com. For more information about Smithers Avanza’s development and pharmaceutical solutions, visit www.smithersavanza.com.
About Smithers Avanza
Smithers Avanza is a contract research organization. At our GLP, cGMP, and AAALAC accredited facilities, our Development Services group offers general toxicology, safety pharmacology, vaccine safety testing, DART, and experimental medicine/efficacy models. Our Pharmaceutical Services offerings include PK/TK, biomarker assays, immunogenicity, clinical chemistry, and bioassays.
