Biopolymer Transplantable Cornea

What it is. My earliest professional research role, 2004–2006 at Cellular Bioengineering, Inc. (CBI), a Skai Ventures portfolio company in Hawaii. I supervised the cell-culture laboratory supporting the Biopolymer Transplantable Cornea project, a tissue-engineered cornea program developing transplantable-cornea prototypes. I held the Certified Eye Bank Technician credential (Eye Bank Association of America, 2004–2006) because part of the role was helping process tissue that came in through the eye-banking pathway.

The problem behind it. Tissue-engineered medical products in that era still had open questions about how lab compliance and animal-trial documentation should be structured for a novel biopolymer device. The Cornea project needed someone who could keep primary cell cultures alive, keep the eye-bank handoffs clean, and prepare the lab-side compliance procedures for the prototype work.

What I did. Managed the cell-polymer testing lab. Oversaw the proof-of-concept prototype runs that fed the program’s FDA compliance work and animal-trial phase. Prepared lab compliance procedures and supported the FDA / IRB documentation for the prototype and animal-trial work. Handled real human corneas as a Certified Eye Bank Technician. The job is one of the reasons I now read research-and-regulatory documents the way I do.