Meet the Team
Our dedicated global team of scientific professionals brings unparalleled expertise and knowledge to the industry.
Your Process is Our Priority
With diverse specializations, our team collaborates with Customers to tackle the most complex industry challenges. We conduct laboratory studies to simulate our Customers’ process conditions and provide them options that are scientifically sound, optimized and tailored to their unique needs.
Our team is dedicated to helping manufacturing facilities develop and maintain their contamination control programs, while remaining compliant with regulations. Our team's ability to integrate multidisciplinary knowledge allows us to offer insights that meet current regulatory standards, ensuring that our Customers receive the most efficient and compliant guidance.
A partnership with STERIS provides access to the expertise and resources that empower you to achieve your goals safely and effectively. Reach out to our team today.
Bruno Aze
With over 35 years of expertise, predominantly in the pharmaceutical industry, Bruno Aze is a results-driven expert in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), biosafety research and aseptic food and beverage production.
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As Global Senior Manager of Technical Services at STERIS Life Sciences, he spearheads cutting-edge innovations in Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP™) solutions, ensuring continuous improvement and excellence in aseptic processing.
Bruno's deep expertise in process control, instrumentation and automation has led to groundbreaking advancements in VHP technology, driving several standardized integrations with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and establishing VHP as a building biodecontamination utility. His contributions have significantly elevated industry standards, enhancing efficiency, reliability and effectiveness in contamination control technologies.
Bruno is an active member of leading professional organizations, including the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), A3P, Association for the Prevention and Study of Contamination (ASPEC) and Pharmapack.
He is deeply involved in shaping industry regulations and best practices. As a published author in respected industry journals and a frequent speaker at global conferences, Bruno shares insights into cutting-edge decontamination technologies and process optimization, solidifying his status as a thought leader in the field.
Brian Bosso
Brian has over a decade of experience in developing and implementing cleaning validation process lifecycles, process design, analytical method development and validation, risk assessments and regulatory remediation.
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He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Brian held supervisory and management positions for multiple pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Brian provides global technical support for pharmaceutical detergents and other critical environment products and applications.
Brian is an active member of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE).
Richard Chai
Richard has over two decades of experience in manufacturing, validation and technical support.
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He has expertise in managing biopharmaceutical manufacturing, process and cleaning validation, aseptic processing and sterility assurance. Richard holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and production engineering.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Richard worked in the biotechnology sterile fill and finish, medical device and biopharmaceutical facilities. He has in-depth knowledge of cleaning and disinfection cleanroom requirements and bioburden control.
While working as a Validation Consultant for three years, Richard provided support to pharmaceutical Customers in equipment validation, cleaning validation for product contact surfaces, disinfectant validation and cleaning procedures for product and non-product contact surfaces.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Richard provides global technical support to Customers for process equipment cleaning and contamination control in cleanrooms. He has published several contamination control articles and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
Richard is an active member of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). He currently serves as Member-at-Large of the PDA Singapore Chapter.
Matt Hofacre
Matt has over two decades of experience providing sterilization, biodecontamination, water, steam and washing applications for the biopharmaceutical, medical device, food and beverage, biological containment and laboratory research industries.
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He holds a master’s degree in finance and marketing and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
For STERIS Life Sciences, Matt supports global Customers, regulatory and industry groups with consulting and technical guidance for contamination control strategies and sterilization applications. Related technologies include Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP™) biodecontamination, VHP sterilization, moist heat sterilization, washing, pure steam production, purified water systems and equipment services. He is also a student of lean practices to maximize value stream to Customers.
The Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), INTERPHEX, ACHEMA and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), amongst others, have welcomed Matt as a presenter and trainer at several national and international conferences.
Matt co-authored PDA Technical Report No. 48 Moist Heat Sterilization Systems: Design, Commissioning, Operation, Qualification and Maintenance and has authored and contributed to numerous other articles on water for injection systems, steam sterilization, VHP and pharmaceutical equipment selection.
Paul Lopolito
With over two decades of industry experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing and laboratory research settings, Paul provides global technical support for process cleaning, cleaning validation and contamination control, which includes field support, site audits, training presentations and educational seminars.
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He holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Paul spent three years as a Manufacturing Technical Services Manager at Massachusetts Biological Laboratories providing technical support and project management for the vaccine, monoclonal antibody, blood product and filling/packaging groups. He also spent time at TEI Biosciences, where he held positions of Research Associate, Laboratory Manager and Manufacturing Manager.
Paul manages the Process and Cleaner Evaluation (PACE™) program and analytical testing laboratory for STERIS Life Sciences, which simulates a Customer’s cleaning process to make recommendations for improvements and analytical method development and validation. He has expertise in managing cross-functional projects related to process cleaning and critical environment operation with direct experience in the biopharmaceutical and biomedical device industries.
Paul is a frequent speaker at industry events and has published several articles and book chapters related to cleaning validation and contamination control. He is an active member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA).
Aaron Mertens
Aaron has over two decades of experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing, with expertise in cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and contamination control.
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He has held several positions within the pharmaceutical industry, with experience working at pharmaceutical manufacturing organizations representing quality assurance programs and collaborating with global industry regulatory agencies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in genetics.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Aaron performs global manufacturing site evaluations and consultations to ensure compliance with international regulations. He is also responsible for providing global technical support for critical environments, sterility assurance and sterility maintenance application and validation.
Aaron is an active member of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) and the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). He previously served as President of the ISPE Great Lakes Chapter and is currently a member of the ISPE Sterile Products Processing Steering Committee.
Additional professional activities for Aaron include delivering technical content to the industry with posters, publications, virtual and live technical presentations, as well as leading global sterilization master classes.
Cecilia Pierobon
Cecilia has over four years of experience in the qualification of pharmaceutical equipment for production and laboratory environments, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and regulatory compliance.
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She holds two master’s degrees, one in chemical engineering and the other in engineering management.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Cecilia worked as a Project Engineer at Ellab and a GMP Compliance Specialist at Catalent.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Cecilia provides global technical support to Customers on cleaning validation and contamination control in aseptic and controlled environments. She also conducts technical presentations at industry events and develops technical literature.
Cecilia is an active member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA).
John Schallom
John has over a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
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He previously worked as a Quality Control Scientist and Senior Analytical Chemist at Patheon Biologics/Thermo Fisher Scientific and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
With experience in supporting drug product research and development, scale-up and manufacturing projects, John has assisted Customers with cGMP method validation, method transfer and stability programs.
At STERIS Life Sciences, John designs, develops and executes analytical methods and other specialized studies to assist Customers with the adoption and validation of STERIS Life Sciences products.
Mary Van Gaasbeck
Mary has over a decade of experience in contamination control, cleaning validation, quality management and microbial risk assessment.
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She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Mary spent time at Pfizer as a Quality Program Manager and at Procter & Gamble as a Quality Technical Leader, among other roles.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Mary provides contamination control expertise in the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical production, food and beverage, medical device, high containment and laboratory research industries. She specializes in applications and technical guidance for low-temperature decontamination and Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP™) technologies.
Mary is an active member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), the Southeastern American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (SEAALAS) and the Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity (ABSA).
Karen Beffa
Karen has over two decades of experience in project management, Customer support and disclosure agreements.
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She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Karen spent time at Alcami, where she represented numerous clients and managed the company’s Customer Service and Sample Management teams.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Karen manages the confidential disclosure agreement process as well as confidential and non-confidential information disclosures. Additionally, she supports external and internal Customers and manages their quality requests.
Renee Buthe
Renee has over eight years of industry experience, specifically in cell and gene therapies.
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She has expertise in generating protocols for and performing environmental monitoring, airflow visualization studies and aseptic process simulations, reviewing batch records and authoring final reports. Renee holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in animal sciences.
Previously, Renee spent time in the quality and sterility assurance departments for WuXi Advanced Therapies and Algood Food Company.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Renee assists Customers with sterility assurance and sterility maintenance product applications, providing consultation on product application and contamination control best practices.
Renee is currently an instructor through the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) training institute and an active member of the association.
Dijana Hadziselimovic
Dijana has over three decades of laboratory experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
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She provides technical support for process and research cleaners and conducts laboratory experiments to recommend cleaning procedures. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
During her time at STERIS Life Sciences, Dijana has developed expertise in cosmetics and personal care, manufacturing cannabis-derived products and oral solid dose manufacturing.
Dijana served as Chair-Elect for the St. Louis Society of Cosmetic Chemists in 2016 and as Chair in 2017. She remains active with the organization and is also a member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (ESTECH) and the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC).
Daniel Klein
Dan has over two decades of industry experience, including working in research and development for microbiology and clinical affairs.
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He has also managed a contract testing laboratory. Dan holds a master’s degree in biology and a bachelor’s degree in microbiology.
At STERIS Life Sciences, Dan provides technical expertise to Customers and helps troubleshoot and solve contamination issues. He supports Customers with a variety of critical processes and general understanding of the latest developments in the industry. He frequently presents data and other information at international industry meetings and sponsored events.
Dan is an active member of ASTM International, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), the Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC) International, the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) and the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE). He previously served as Chairperson of the AOAC International’s Committee on Antimicrobial Efficacy Testing. He is an active participant in ASTM’s E35.15, E55.08 and D37 Committees and a primary member of AAMI Work Group 08.
Throughout his professional experience, Dan has authored numerous industry articles and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals related to disinfection and sterilization.
Juha Mattila
Juha has over two decades of experience in pharmaceutical, medical device, research and biosafety technologies.
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At STERIS Life Sciences, he is a Senior Manager of Technical Services for sterilization applications, equipment and critical utilities technologies. Juha’s expertise covers moist heat and Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP™) sterilization, VHP biodecontamination technologies and Water-for-Injection (WFI) distillation and pure steam systems. He holds a master’s degree in business informatics and a bachelor’s degree in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and process engineering.
In addition to being an active member of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), Nordic Board member for the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and the Finnish Biosafety Network, Juha has authored several technical articles and spoken at many industry events. He also contributes to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), Finnish Standardization Organization (SFS), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International and the British Standards Institution (BSI) work groups considering these technologies.
Juha coordinated the STERIS Life Sciences Equipment and Services commentary through the PDA for the European Union (EU) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Annex 1 draft and participated in the PDA EU GMP Annex 1 Workshops in 2022 and 2024.
Antonio Ortiz
Antonio has 20 years of experience in research and development, technical transfer, process and cleaning validation, regulatory submissions and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) troubleshooting and investigations.
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He holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Antonio spent time at Stryker, Bausch + Lomb, Catalent and Apotex in positions including Validation Engineer, Process Engineer and Technical Services Scientist.
As a member of the STERIS Life Sciences Technical Services team, Antonio provides support to STERIS Life Sciences Customers by integrating multiple areas of specialization to resolve complex pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical challenges. He also administers global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry education programs and presents at industry conferences.
Antonio is an active member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA).
Jim Polarine Jr.
Jim has over three decades of experience in cleaning, disinfection, microbial excursions and disinfectant validation and testing.
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He holds a master’s degree in biology.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, Jim worked as a Clinical Research Manager with the Department of Veterans Affairs in St. Louis, Missouri and as a Biology and Microbiology Instructor at the University of Illinois and McKendree University.
As a member of the STERIS Life Sciences team for the past 25 years, Jim’s current technical focus is on microbial control in cleanrooms and other critical environments. He conducts on-site training, webinars and high-level technical support for Customers in the biopharmaceutical industry.
As a 2019 Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) Michael S. Korczynski Award recipient, Jim was recognized for his contributions toward the development of PDA's international activities. Jim also received the 2024 PDA’s Distinguished Service Award for leading the PDA Missouri Valley Chapter for four years. He has given lectures around the globe on issues related to cleaning and disinfection, microbial control in cleanrooms and validation of disinfectants. He has also published several PDA book chapters and articles related to cleaning, disinfection and contamination control.
Jim served four years as the President of the PDA Missouri Valley Chapter. He is also the current President Elect of the IEST Executive Board. He is an active member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE), the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB) and other industry associations.
Si Myra Tyson
Si Myra has over a decade of experience in Customer support, raw material and formulation evaluation, analytical testing and quality control with wet chemistry and analytical instrumentation.
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She holds a master’s degree in environmental management and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
Si Myra conducts Process and Research Cleaner Evaluation (PACE™) services and analytical testing to support STERIS Life Sciences Customers with cleaning processes and validations. She also has Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) laboratory experience within the quality control group at STERIS Life Sciences.
Si Myra has co-authored several industry articles and has presented multiple webinars for STERIS Life Sciences Customers.
George Verghese
George has over three decades of experience working in manufacturing, product and applications development and technical services.
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He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering.
Prior to joining STERIS Life Sciences, George gained experience in manufacturing, process scale-up, application engineering and validation. He currently manages the global Technical Services team, which supports Customers with applications and validation of STERIS Life Sciences chemistries.
George has co-authored and contributed to several articles, book chapters and technical reports on topics related to contamination control and validation, including Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) Technical Report No. 29 Points to Consider for Cleaning Validation, PDA Technical Report No. 49 Points to Consider for Biotechnology Cleaning Validation and PDA Technical Report No. 69 Bioburden and Biofilm Management in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Operations.
As a speaker at industry conferences, George has presented to pharmaceutical industry audiences worldwide on contamination control and process equipment design and validation. He is an active member of the PDA, International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International.
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