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About Us

Restoring hope, building trust, and improving quality of life through readily available and safe transfusion solutions.

Secure Transfusion Solutions (STS) aims to increase the quality, safety, and availability of transfusable blood components, especially apheresis platelets. We give institutions—large and small—the peace of mind of knowing that they’ll receive a consistent and reliable supplemental source of platelets. Customers of STS include some of the most well-respected and innovative medical institutions in the country. By partnering with STS, hospital systems strengthen their supply chain and are better prepared to meet the transfusion needs of their patients.

Leaders in science and service

Our diverse leadership team combines world-class expertise in the field with unparalleled support for existing and prospective customers, and the patients they serve.
Vijai Mohan

Vijai Mohan

Founder & CEO

Chris Nare

Chief Operations Officer

Philip Spinella

Philip Spinella, MD

Chair - Advisory Board,
Former CSO

Joseph Cho

Joseph Cho, MD, PhD

Vice President,
Medical Affairs

Sean Cotter

Sean Cotter

Vice President,
Business Development

Drew Schneider

Drew Schneider

Vice President,
Operations

Tim Sheehy

Tim Sheehy

Vice President,
Quality and Regulatory Affairs

Omar Waheed

Omar Waheed

Vice President,
Finance

John Barry

Senior Director,
Distribution

Joe Ferrara

Joe Ferrara

Senior Director,
Sales and Customer Service

Janné Collins

Janné Collins

Director,
Quality

Carlie Pedersen

Carlie Pedersen

Director,
Strategic Planning

Jeff Randall

Jeff Randall

Senior Manager,
New Center Development and Maintenance

Jason Roark

Jason Roark

Senior Manager,
Information Systems

Derek Dagendesh

Derek Dagendesh

Manager, 
Donor Services

Michael Johnston

Michael Johnston

Manager,
Learning & Development

Melissa Kidd

Melissa Kidd

Manager,
Quality Systems

Christina Lueck​

Christina Lueck

Manager,
Regulatory Affairs

Board of Directors

Laurence Cooper, MD, PhD
Cell and gene therapy inventor and entrepreneur

Vijai Mohan
Founder & CEO, Secure Transfusion Solutions, Inc.

Carol Moore
SVP of Regulatory & Quality, Cerus Corporation

George “Bud” Scholl
CEO, OneBlood, Inc.

Senior Advisors

Andrew Heaton, MBBS
Former Chief Medical Officer, Novartis Diagnostics

William (Bill) Mercer
Former Executive, Terumo BCT

John Roback, MD, PhD
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine,
Emory University School of Medicine

Susan Shurin, MD
Former Deputy Director of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Cutting-edge partners help us deliver cutting-edge solutions

Through our strategic partnerships, STS can deliver pathogen-reduced platelets to help hospitals and their patients around the US.

cerus logo
The Cerus INTERCEPT™ Blood System is the only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–cleared pathogen-reduction workflow. INTERCEPT inactivates a range of pathogenic organisms in transfusable blood components.
Oneblood Logo

OneBlood is the third-largest non-profit blood collection organization in the US and is responsible for distributing more than a million components annually to 260 hospital partners.

A commitment to quality

Your patients’ safety and your institution’s reputation are our top priority. STS is a member of both the AABB and the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA).

Partner with STS

Whether you’re looking to improve your existing supply of single-donor, pathogen-reduced apheresis platelets (SD-PRP) or you’re exploring option to comply with current platelet bacterial risk mitigation guidance, contact us to see how we can help.
Get in touch with STS
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Vijai Mohan

Vijai Mohan

Founder & CEO

Vijai is the Founder and CEO of Secure Transfusion Solutions. He spent nearly two decades as a life sciences institutional investor in both private equity and hedge funds, including senior positions at Arcline Investment Management and Origin Capital Management. Previously in his career, he managed corporate finance and investor relations at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, an early gene therapy pioneer. Vijai graduated with a BA in Economics and Molecular Biology, in addition to a Masters in Biotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Chris Nare

Chief Operations Officer

Chris brings over two decades of experience managing and leading blood center and laboratory operations. He held senior leadership positions at Blood Systems Laboratories (now called Creative Testing Solutions), Covance Central Laboratories (now Labcorp Drug Development), Blood Bank of Delmarva, and Hoxworth Blood Center. At Hoxworth, he held the position of COO for over five years before coming to STS. Chris has a BS from Northern Kentucky University and an MS in Human Relations and Business from Amberton University.

Philip Spinella

Philip Spinella, MD

Chair - Advisory Board, Former CSO

Phil is the Co-Director of the Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center (TTMRC), the Associate Medical Director of the Center for Military Medicine Research, and a Professor in both the Departments of Surgery and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. A veteran of the Iraq War, Phil is internationally recognized as an expert in transfusion medicine and the resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock. A co-founder of the THOR Network and its Co-Director since 2011, Phil has published over 200 manuscripts and 16 chapters in the areas of pediatric and adult critical care.

Joseph Cho

Joseph Cho, MD, PhD

Vice President, Medical Affairs

Joe is a board-certified clinical pathologist and transfusion medicine physician. He completed a transfusion medicine blood banking fellowship at Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. Prior to fellowship, Joe finished a residency in clinical pathology at the University of Chicago. Joe is passionate about donor hemovigilance, patient blood management and platelet biology. He earned his MD-PhD from the University of Utah and completed undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia.

Sean Cotter

Sean Cotter

Vice President, Business Development

Prior to joining STS, Sean spent six years as an investment professional at Bay Area-based private equity firms. Most recently, as Vice President at Arcline Investment Management, Sean helped lead market research, deal execution and ongoing strategic initiatives for the firm’s investments in the life sciences, healthcare and industrial technology sectors. Sean began his career as an investment banker in the New York office of J.P. Morgan. Sean has a BA from Princeton University.
Drew Schneider

Drew Schneider

Vice President, Operations

Drew joined STS with over 10 years of experience at Grifols, where he held roles of increasing responsibility ranging from center director to senior leadership of a business unit. As Manager of Process and Technology, Drew was responsible for managing business systems, standardizing processes, and introducing new technologies to the Grifols fleet of 200+ plasma collection facilities. Drew has expertise in all facets of donor center operations and regulatory compliance including, business system integration, process optimization, vendor relations, and new site development.
Tim Sheehy

Tim Sheehy

Vice President, Quality and Regulatory Affairs

Responsible for quality and regulatory affairs for STS across its national footprint, Tim and his team ensure compliance with applicable regulations and standards. Tim began his career in quality over 30 years ago in the diagnostics industry, later followed by blood center experience with the American Red Cross and most recently as part of Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. Tim holds a BS in Microbiology from the University of Minnesota.

Omar Waheed

Omar Waheed

Vice President, Finance

Bringing a background in institutional fund management and corporate development, Omar started his career at Morgan Stanley before his senior analyst position at Coastland Capital, a $1bn hedge fund. He was most recently a part of the strategic finance team at Amazon where he led the Competitive Intelligence group, developing the company’s growth strategy. Omar graduated with a BS from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

John Barry

Senior Director, Distribution

John joined STS after four years with South Texas Blood & Tissue as the Director of Hospital Relations and Distribution.  He played a vital role in the proliferation of low titer whole blood utilization in clinical use throughout South Texas and the United States. John served in the U.S. Army for twenty years in senior leadership positions, retiring as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Deputy Commander for Patient Support Services at Brooke Army Medical Center.

Joe Ferrara

Joe Ferrara

Senior Director, Sales and Customer Service

Joe brings over fifteen years of industry experience to STS, having served in senior roles at both Bloodworks Northwest and New York Blood Center. His areas of expertise include hospital sales and customer service, marketing, and donor recruitment. Most recently, Joe managed a portfolio of products and services for major hospital systems including blood components, laboratory, and clinical services.

Janné Collins

Janné Collins

Director, Quality

With 5 years of experience in the plasma industry, Janné’s skill and understanding lies in quality and regulatory management. Having worked for Grifols as a quality manager, she worked with numerous centers to improve systems and compliance. Janné brings knowledge of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 21 CFR Part 11 requirements, European Medicine Agency (EMA) regulation, Clinical Laboratory Inspection Agency (CLIA) compliance, and Plasma Protein Therapeutic Association (PPTA) guidelines. Janné holds a BS degree from Brigham Young University in Neuroscience.
Carlie Pedersen

Carlie Pedersen

Manager, Leadership Development

Carlie joined STS in June 2020 and took on the role of Center Manager in December of that year. She oversaw the collection and distribution of the company’s first components. She was promoted in 2021 to Manager, New Center Operations. Carlie graduated from Boise State University with a BA in Business and Supply Chain Management.
Jeff Randall

Jeff Randall

Senior Manager, New Center Development and Maintenance

Jeff has over 15 years of experience in commercial real estate development and has managed the development of more than $300 million in commercial real estate across the United States. Prior to joining STS, Jeff worked as an Owner’s Representative, managing all aspects of commercial development on behalf of private investors, philanthropic foundations, and nonprofit organizations. Jeff earned an MS in Environmental Science from Alaska Pacific University, a BS in Biology and BA in Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Jason Roark

Jason Roark

Senior Manager, Information Systems

Jason is a driven leader who specializes in setting IT strategies and building high-performing teams. His diverse technical experience in networking, security, data management, and analytics throughout his 16-year career provides a well-rounded background to lead the IT team. Jason is a certified Scrum Master who has led organizations through SOX compliance and ISO 27001 certification. He is currently pursuing his B.S. in Business Administration at Oklahoma State University.

Derek Dagendesh

Derek Dagendesh

Manager of Donor Services

Derek joined STS in July 2020 and has since held multiple positions at the company with increasing responsibility, including Collections Supervisor, Operations Manager, and now Operations Director for Raleigh, NC. He was instrumental in manufacturing and distributing the company’s first platelet components for direct patient transfusion. Prior to joining STS, Derek held roles spanning pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. Derek received a BS in Biology, Health and Medical Sciences from Minnesota State University, Moorhead.

Michael Johnston

Michael Johnston

Manager,
Learning & Development

Prior to joining STS, Michael held leadership positions in the dialysis, clinical research and transfusion medicine industries. In a blood banking career spanning 10+ years, Michael is experienced in the manufacturing and distribution of red cell and platelet units. He most recently served as Director of Mobile Operations for Austin’s largest blood center. Michael obtained his Bachelor’s of Behavioral Science from Hardin-Simmons University and his MBA from Western Governor’s University.

Melissa Kidd

Melissa Kidd

Manager, Quality Systems

In her role as Quality Systems Manager, she oversees, monitors, and improves critical functions within the company as they relate to industry standards. Prior to STS, Melissa held leadership positions within the tissue banking industry. She graduated with a BA in Anthropology and a minor in Biology from Boise State University.

Christina Lueck​

Christina Lueck

Manager, Regulatory Affairs

Christina has 20 years of experience integrating regulatory compliance solutions across the medical device, blood and tissue industries. Prior to joining STS, she provided domestic and global regulatory oversight across multiple divisions at Bemis Manufacturing after a 10-year career in regulatory oversight at Versiti Blood Center. Christina is a licensed Medical Technologist and received a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science from the University of Wisconsin.
Kay Vang

Kay Vang

Center Director

Kay joined STS in 2021 as the Blood Center Operations Director in Edina, MN. Kay brings an extensive background of leadership and operations within the healthcare industry to STS. Before joining STS, Kay most recently helped establish an ambulatory surgical center where she was responsible for the company’s licensing, credentialing, and quality assurance standards, along with overseeing operations. In her role as Center Director, Kay will continue to support the growth, compliance, and mission of STS with the Edina team. Kay holds a BS in Healthcare Management from Capella University.

Federal mandates may constrain platelet availability even more4

The safety of platelet transfusions is critical, and the recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandate requires bacterial risk mitigation strategies such as large volume delayed sampling or pathogen reduction. Processing requirements associated with these bacterial risk mitigation strategies may further erode the platelet supply.

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