Vernon L. Alvarez, Ph.D.

Board Secretary – Brighten Haiti
Semi-retired Biochemist

Vern is a semi-retired biochemist with more than 40 years of experience. He was born in Pueblo, Colorado, and graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.A. degree in Chemistry, and then received a Ph.D degree in Physical Chemistry from the University of Utah.

After teaching at Northwest Nazarene College, he did post-doctoral research at the University of Utah Medical School. His passion for research led him across the country to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, MD. While fulfilling a professional dream at the NCI Vern was invited to continue research at the prestigious Basel Institute for Immunology.

Vern then joined Cytogen Corporation, one of the first Biotech companies, located in Princeton, NJ. Vern had a very successful career at Cytogen, and spend the next 20 plus years developing monoclonal antibodies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

His cancer research continued into developing a treatment for Glioma at Transmolecular, Inc.

Vern is transitioning into retirement as a Scientific Consultant for Amytrx Therapeutics, in the development of a novel therapy to treat inflammatory diseases.

In addition to a scientific career. Vern had the honor of working with UrbanPromise, a non-profit ministry in Camden, NJ. He also taught high-school math for a year at the Urban Promise Academy.