Richmond, Maine – Kennebec River Biosciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Kris Curtis has joined as Director of Research and Development.

Dr. Curtis comes to KRB from IDEXX Laboratories in Portland, Maine with 18 years’ experience in diagnostic product development. He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003 (Go Heels!), where he studied the genetics and vaccine approaches for Coronaviruses. Following graduate school, Dr. Curtis was awarded a fellowship with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington, D.C., and performed research on hemorrhagic fever viruses with the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick, MD, including Ebola and Marburg. Since then, Dr. Curtis has worked in the field of veterinary diagnostics and has held positions in both R&D and Marketing. Most recently, Dr. Curtis served as Senior Product Manager, where he was responsible for new product innovations and strategies focused on growing the business.

“We are extremely fortunate to bring someone of Kris’s caliber on board our growing staff,” said Bill Keleher, President and CEO. “Pathogens are evolving rapidly across the global aquaculture sector, and demand for proactive solutions has never been higher. Kris is a perfect fit to help us meet the needs.”

At KRB, Dr. Curtis will focus on vaccine development and manufacturing as part of a comprehensive aquatic animal management approach for the company’s many and diverse clients.