Meet Our Panel of Experts
We are delighted to announce that experts from Dr. Ehrenstorfer, AXIO Proficiency Testing and Digamma Consulting will come together to answer your questions on the cannabis industry. Hosted by Chief Scientific Officer for LGC Proficiency Testing, Brian Brookman.
Our experienced industry panellists will be debating key cannabis testing topics such as:
• Stability
• Potency
• Testing methods
• Regulatory queries and more
It’s also your chance to pose questions to our panel LIVE.
Meet Our Panel of Experts
Brian is the Chief Scientific Officer for LGC’s global PT business, with over forty years’ experience in analytical science, the past twenty-five years in the field of analytical quality, particularly concerned with proficiency testing. He has been involved, around the world, in various training and consultative projects concerned with developing proficiency testing and the accreditation of PT providers. In addition, he is very active at the national, European and international level with respect to the development and harmonisation of good practice in proficiency testing.
Dr. Kelly Cheshire holds a PhD in Forensic Science from University College London where she specialised in the chemical analysis of forensic evidence. Her doctorate research on elemental analyses of soil for forensic investigation has been published in the Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences. She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences. As Global Portfolio Manager at LGC Standards, Kelly manages the Cannabis, Forensic and Pharmaceutical markets. In her role she is integral to collaborating with thought leaders in industry in an effort to share and build knowledge with the scientific community. During her career she has presented at conferences globally including EAFS, ANZFSS and CFSRE as well as a number of LGC webinars and panels topics including cannabis regulation; cannabis heavy metals; counterfeit agrochemical detection; and the impact and regulation of pharmaceutical and veterinary contaminants in food and the environment. Most recently she released a podcast with Spectroscopy on the topic of heavy metals testing in hemp and cannabis for consumer safety.
Savino Sguera was the Laboratory Director of Steep Hill Lab from 2011 – 2013 and DB Labs from 2014–2016. His duties included: development and validation of new analytical methods for LC-MS, GC-MS, NIR Spectroscopy, and Mold Plating; sample preparation and data analysis; client reporting; drafting Standard Operating Procedures and other requirements for ISO certification; client consultations. He worked with representatives from the Washington State Liquor Control Board to draft state legislation regarding cannabis quality control. The specific content of the legislation includes: chromatographic method specification and validations; identification of important cannabinoids and terpenes; identification of all possible chemical contaminants including pesticides, herbicides, solvents, heavy metals, etc; determining acceptable exposure limits of stated contaminants; and other quality control aspects of laboratory requirements. He has also given lectures on cannabinoid biochemistry and pharmacodynamics, including at The American Chemical Society Fall 2016 and Fall 2017 meetings and CannMed 2017.
Dan is the Technical Director for LGC Standards Center of Excellence for Organic Solutions in Charleston, South Carolina. Dan helped found the Charleston location in 1997 with the goal of creating an organic solution reference material company focused on providing high quality, affordable, custom organic solutions for the environmental testing industry. The Charleston site is ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025, and ISO 17034 accredited. He got his Doctorate Degree in Physical Chemistry from the University of Delaware in 1981. Dan has five years of experience in industrial analytical chemistry research and development, six years of environmental analytical chemistry experience, and twenty five years in reference material manufacturing and research experience. His current responsibilities include specialized product production, problem solving, new product and method development, training, and customer support.
Dr Matthew Whetton is the Head of Technical Operations for the Proficiency Testing group at LGC Standards and has 15 year’s experience in the field. In this role Matthew is responsible for the production, development and technical operation of over fifty proficiency testing schemes, covering Chemistry, Clinical analysis and microbiological testing in a diverse range of analytical fields. Prior to joining LGC, Matthew has previously carried out a variety of roles in the fields of phytochemistry and analytical services, spending more than 10 years working in the field of analytical chemistry and specialising in the analysis of pesticides in food and environmental matrices.
Valérie is Global Product Manager for LGC AXIO Proficiency Testing. She holds a Masters in Biology from the University of Lyon and has more than 20 years of experience in microbiology diagnostics. She is passionate about the development of the PT range to best meet the constantly evolving requirements of laboratories.
