Dr. Somiari is the president, chief scientific officer, and scientific director of the DNA and protein forensic program at ITSI-Biosciences LLC.
JOHNSTOWN, PA, September 19, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ — Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Richard Idem Somiari, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Somiari celebrates many years’ experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Leveraging more than 40 years of expertise in the sciences, Dr. Somiari is the president, chief scientific officer, and scientific director of the DNA and protein forensic program at ITSI-Biosciences LLC in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Since 2004, his contract research and consulting firm has been developing and manufacturing scientific and analytical kits used in biomedical research that supports cancer and complex disease research.
Dr. Somiari is also an adjunct professor at the Bayer School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and adjunct associate professor at the Uniform Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. Additionally, he has served as a consultant at the Defense Headquarters in Nigeria since 2008, responsible for designing and establishing a biobank for storing blood and DNA collected from active military personnel. Moreover, Dr. Somiari has been recognized as a managing consultant for the Lagos, Nigeria, forensic program for the Ministry of Justice since 2016, where he notably led the design, establishment, and management of the Lagos State DNA & Forensic Center.
Among other professional endeavors, Dr. Somiari was instrumental in establishing the Windber Research Institute (WRI, now Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber) in the U.S., which focuses on biobanking and studying breast cancer. He was a founding member, and the pioneer scientific director, chief operating officer and chief scientific officer at WRI between 2000 to 2004. He also served as a consultant in microbiology for Shell Petroleum Development Company and as a visiting pre-doctoral fellow in the department of bioscience and biotechnology at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. During an earlier stage of his career, Dr. Somiari was assistant lecturer, microbiology unit project coordinator, microorganisms collection coordinator, and lecturer II at the University of Calabar in Nigeria.
As a seasoned scientist, Dr. Somiari has contributed numerous articles to professional science journals and chapters to four books. He also served as a peer reviewer and member of the editorial boards for several scholarly journals. Moreover, Dr. Somiari applied for five U.S. patents. Among his most notable contributions to his industry include the control of flatulence factors in legumes, biocatalysis in non-conventional media, biobanking, and biomarker discovery and validation using “omics” technologies, and application of DNA and protein technologies in forensic science at ITSI-Biosciences.
Active in numerous civic ventures, Dr. Somiari is a member and a former branch president of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology Alumni Association. He is also on the business advisory board in the State of Pennsylvania, a western Pennsylvania district export council member for the U.S. Secretaries of Commerce, and a council member for his local Boy Scouts of America. Dr. Somiari formerly served as a team leader for an intervention program of the Nigerian Guinea Worm Eradication Program in 1992 and as a secretary and consultant for the Cross River State Government Task Force for Cholera Control from 1992 to 1993.
Dr. Somiari received a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Rivers State University in Nigeria in 1984, a Master of Science in food science and technology from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria in 1989, and a Doctor of Philosophy in technical biochemistry from the Lodz University of Technology in Poland in 1997. Adding to his credentials, Dr. Somiari received certification in finance for the technical executive from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002.
Affiliated with several industry-related organizations, Dr. Somiari is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association for Cancer Research, and, among others, the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the Association of Forensic DNA Analysts and Administrators.
Recognized a multitude of times during his career, Dr. Somiari was named as the Small Business Exporter of the Year by the US Small Business Administration in 2012 and St Francis University Small Business Development Center & The Center for Global Competitiveness in 2011, was the recipient of a President Award for Exemplary Leadership and Vision by WRI in 2001, and received several nominations for leadership, business, and technology innovation. In addition to these accolades, Dr. Somiari was awarded several fellowships from the Government of Poland, the World Bank, and other organizations.
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