The Team
Who We Are
Robert G. Nagele, PhD
CSO & Co-Founder
Dr. Nagele, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Durin Technologies, is a Professor of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging at Rowan University. He obtained his PhD from Rutgers University and post-doctoral training at Rutgers Medical School. For much of the past 20 years, he has focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with the initiation and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, especially the role of blood-brain barrier compromise and brain-reactive autoantibodies in Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr. Nagele has published more than 130 research articles in peer reviewed journals, has served as the research thesis mentor for more than 50 PhD, DO/PhD, and MS students, and has mentored numerous medical, graduate, and undergraduate students. Dr. Nagele is the recipient of numerous awards, including a State of New Jersey Senate and General Assembly Joint Legislature Resolution in recognition of his development of a new diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s Disease, the Ginsburg “Alzheimer’s Visionary Award”, the Beehler Research Mentor of the Year Award, the 2016 and 2017 Global Innovator Award from Rowan University, the 2017 Health Institute of New Jersey Research Award, and the 2020 Research Council of New Jersey Edison Patent Award.
Mert Sahin, PhD
CEO
Mert joined Durin Technologies as Chief Executive Officer in 2023 and has over 20 years of experience in various sectors including Life Sciences, Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceutical industries. Throughout his career, he led US, EU, and global teams in matrix organizations, driving simplification, efficiency, and customer satisfaction while gaining deep expertise in product marketing, key account management, and customer relationship management.
Mert has a strong scientific background with a PhD in Cell Biology / Neuroscience, is a mentor and an entrepreneur for various individuals / companies and co-founded a CDMO company providing process development and optimization services for the bioprocess industry.
Dennis Hutchison JD
CSCO
Dennis, having joined Durin in August 2024 as the Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer, brings over 20 years of expertise in the diagnostics, lab tools, and pharmaceutical sectors. Previously, he served as the President and Founder of the Hutchison Group, where he advised several early-stage companies in the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) sectors, focusing on early-stage strategy and commercialization. Before that, Dennis was the Chief Commercial Officer at Svar Life Science in Malmö, Sweden, where he led commercial efforts for immunology-based products, diagnostics, lab services, commercial operations, and business development.
Earlier in his career, Dennis held multiple roles at Thermo Fisher Scientific, including developing, building, and leading the companion diagnostics team for Phadia in Uppsala, Sweden. He also played a key role in establishing the Corporate Accounts team. During his tenure at Thermo Fisher, Dennis received numerous awards for his financial performance and innovative contributions.
Dennis holds a B.A. in Molecular Biology from Boston University and a J.D. in Intellectual Property Law and Corporate Finance from Suffolk University Law School.
Cassandra DeMarshall, PhD
Head of Research
Dr. DeMarshall is the Head of Research at Durin Technologies., with more than a decade of experience in bioinformatics and neurodegenerative disease diagnostics. She received a BA in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University, an MS in Biomedical Science from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and her doctoral degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from Rowan University. Dr. DeMarshall completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging, at Rowan University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. DeMarshall has published more than a dozen scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as numerous conference abstracts.
Jeffrey Viviano, PhD
Laboratory Operations Director
​Dr. Viviano is the Director of Laboratory Operations at Durin Technologies. He received a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Stockton University and a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Rowan University’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He has also completed his Postdoctoral studies at the Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Viviano has produced patent-pending research, several peer reviewed, first-author publications, and dozens of abstracts at international conferences.
Anuradha Krishnan, PhD
Senior Scientist
Dr. Krishnan is a Senior Scientist at Durin Technologies. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Biological Science from Fatima College, Madurai, India, a Masters Degree in Integrated Biology from the School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India and her PhD. in Biochemistry from the School of Biological Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India. She brings close to 40 years of experience in the fields of Biochemistry and Neuroscience. The results of her work have resulted in 19 publications and numerous patent applications.
