Executive Team
Chief Executive Officer
Lewis H. Bender
Lewis H. Bender joined Interleukin Genetics, Inc. as CEO in January of 2008. Prior to joining Interleukin Genetics, Mr. Bender was the Chief Technology Officer and CEO of Emisphere Technologies Inc. During his career, Mr. Bender has been the lead negotiator for several complex business agreements that were executed including out-licensing partnerships, in-licensing agreements, international joint venture agreements, asset acquisitions and stock purchases agreements with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The combined deals totaled over $200 million in milestone and upfront payments. He has been responsible for the management of all core product development functional areas including; discovery chemistry, process chemistry, analytical chemistry, manufacturing, pharmaceutics, project management, clinical research, and regulatory affairs. Mr. Bender has earned both a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from MIT. In addition, Mr. Bender also has earned an MBA from the Wharton School and a Masters of Fine Arts in International Relations at the University of Pennsylvania.
Eliot M. Lurier
Eliot M. Lurier joined Interleukin Genetics, Inc. as CFO in April 2008. Mr. Lurier has more than 25 years of financial and operational management experience, primarily in the life sciences industry. Prior to joining Interleukin Genetics, he was Vice President, Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of NUCRYST Pharmaceuticals, where he successfully completed a $45 million IPO within 6 months of joining the company and was responsible for SEC reporting and the implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements. Previously, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Bridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he established all policies for managing business operations. Prior to joining Bridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Lurier held a number of senior-level financial positions including Chief Financial Officer of Admetric Biochem, Inc., and Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Vice President of Finance of Ascent Pediatrics, Inc., a publicly traded pharmaceutical company. Earlier in his career, Mr. Lurier was a Senior Accountant at Coopers and Lybrand. He earned a B.S. in Accounting from Syracuse University and is a Certified Public Accountant in Massachusetts.
Kenneth S. Kornman, DDS, PhD
Kenneth S. Kornman, DDS, Ph.D, founder of the company and currently holds the positions of President and Chief Scientific Officer. Prior to founding the company in 1986, Dr. Kornman was a Department Chair and Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He has also been a consultant and scientific researcher for many of the major oral care and pharmaceutical companies. Dr. Kornman currently holds academic appointments at Harvard University. He holds seven patents in the pharmaceutical area, has published two books and more than 100 articles, and has lectured and consulted worldwide on the transfer of technology to clinical practice. Dr. Kornman holds a B.A. in Economics from Duke University. He obtained a D.D.S. from Emory University. Dr. Kornman also holds an M.S. (Periodontics) and a Ph.D. (Microbiology) from the University of Michigan.