John H. Fitchen, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer

Dr Fitchen was formerly the Chief Operating Officer at Epitope, Inc. (now Orasure Technologies; NASDAQ:OSUR) where he spearheaded the 3.5-year effort to take OraSure®, the first and only oral HIV test, from prototype to FDA approved product. At Epitope, he also managed the company’s relationship with a major corporate partner, SmithKline Beecham plc. He is emeritus Professor of Medicine at Oregon Health & Sciences University and has extensive experience in the transition of technology from academia to biotech start-up. He is a graduate of Amherst College and received his MD from the University of Rochester.


Mark K. Slifka, Ph.D.
President and CSO

Dr. Slifka has published primary research articles in prestigious medical journals including Immunity, Nature, Nature Medicine, and the New England Journal of Medicine. He has been quoted in >200 news articles including leading newspapers such as USA Today and the Washington Post. Dr. Slifka also currently serves as a pro bono consultant on vaccines and infectious diseases for ABC News. Dr. Slifka obtained his Ph.D. at the UCLA School of Medicine and currently holds a joint faculty position as an Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon National Primate Research Center, in addition to his role as President and CSO of Najít Technologies, Inc. This close association with academic research institutions has played an important role in the early success of Najít Technologies by providing critical opportunities for advanced research collaborations.

Ian J. Amanna, PhD.
Director of Research

Dr. Amanna received his Ph.D. from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the OHSU Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) in Beaverton, OR. He currently holds positions as a Senior Research Associate at the VGTI, as well as Director of Research for Najít Technologies, Inc. His scientific background includes investigations into gene therapy, primary immune deficiencies, and the duration of immunity following vaccination. He has written reviews on the safety of immunization practices, and has reviewed several books on the subject of vaccination.