Medical Scientific Advisory Board

The ViaCord Research Institute’s ^® Medical Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB), includes a respected team of leading physicians and scientists whose combined experience is in the areas of Perinatology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Transplant Medicine and Genetics.

Medical Scientific Advisory Board is chaired by:

Morey Kraus, Chief Technology Officer, ViaCord

Mr. Kraus was named Chief Technology Officer of ViaCord (formerly ViaCell Inc.) in April 2000 following the merger of t. Breeders and ViaCord. He was the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of t. Breeders, a cellular therapy company, from September 1994 until March 2000. Mr. Kraus was a Ph.D. candidate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in an interdisciplinary Bioprocess Engineering Program combining chemical engineering and biology. Mr. Kraus has a B.A. in Religion from American University

MSAB Members include:

Mark C. Walters, MD, Medical Director, ViaCord Processing Lab and Director, Sibling Connection Program

Dr. Walters is the Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program at Children's Hospital & Research Center, Oakland and Associate Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. He is also Medical Director of the Viacord Processing Laboratory. Dr. Walters received his A.B. with honors in Genetics from the University of California, Berkeley and his MD from the University of California, San Diego. He is a co-Chair of the Non-malignant Diseases Working Group for the CIBMTR and Principal Investigator of the Oakland Clinical Center in the NHLBI supported Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Research Network, for which he is also co-chair. He is also chair of the Non-Malignant Diseases Strategy Group for the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Consortium. He has authored or co-authored many publications with a focus on hematopoietic cell transplantation for hemoglobin disorders.

Andrei Rebarber, MD, Medical Director, Maternal Fetal Medicine Program, The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, NJ

In addition to his work at Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates in New York, Dr. Rebarber also serves as Medical Director for the Maternal Fetal Medicine Program at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He is a board certified Obstetrician/ Gynecologist with subspecialty certification in Maternal Fetal Medicine. He completed his MFM fellowship training at Yale University and was a member of the New York University School of Medicine faculty where he served in numerous leadership positions prior to his current role.

Dr. Rebarber’s academic record includes several book chapters, multiple peer review publications, and over 85 abstracts presented at national medical society meetings. He is a regular speaker on various perinatal issues regarding thrombophilias, pregnancy loss, prematurity, and multiple gestations. He has been recognized in both lay and professional forums as one of the leading physicians in his field and has appeared on multiple television and radio news programs to discuss a wide range of topics surrounding complications of pregnancy.

He specializes in invasive fetal diagnostic procedures (eg. chorionic villous sampling, amniocentesis, and fetal cord blood sampling/transfusions), the impact of hereditary thrombophilias in pregnancy, prenatal ultrasound and gynecologic sonography. Dr. Rebarber received his B.S. from City University of New York, and his MD from State University of New York in Syracuse, NY.

Steven Fleischman, MD, FACOG, Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr. Steven Fleischman is a private practice physician and Assistant Clinical Professor with the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Fleischman is also a prominent member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Fleischman currently serves as Legislative Chair and Vice-Chair of the board of the Connecticut State Medical Society. He is a Past President of the New Haven County Medical Association. Dr. Fleischman received his A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and his MD from Albany Medical College in Albany, NY.

Robert Briddell, Scientific Director, ViaCord Processing Laboratory

Robert Briddell began his tenure at ViaCell, Inc. as Scientific Director in 2006 following his departure from Amgen Inc. He was employed at Amgen Inc. for 14 years leaving as a Senior Scientist in the Hematology Therapeutic group, and he was a member of the Joint Steering Committee that facilitated the Amgen Inc. / ViaCell, Inc. collaboration for two years. Robert Briddell has a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Indiana University, and spent over 5 years studying Hematology in the laboratory of Ronald Hoffman, M.D. at Indiana University Medical Center.