The AVAcore Team
Dr. Dennis A. Grahn, Co-Founder Dr. Grahn is a senior research scientist in
the Biological Sciences Department at Stanford University. He earned his Ph.D.
from the Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University in 1989, and
spent two years there as a Postdoctoral Fellow. He has been a research
scientist at Stanford since 1991. Prior to coming to Stanford, Dr. Grahn
earned a Masters degree from the Department of Biology, Portland State
University where he studied thermoregulation in fish, frogs, and lizards. Dr.
Grahn's current research interests are in mammalian thermoregulation,
hibernation, sleep, and circadian rhythms. He has authored numerous research
papers on these topics.
Dr. Craig Heller, Co-founder and Chairman He is also the Lorry
I. Lokey/Business Wire Professor of Biological Sciences and Human Biology, and
the Chairman of the Biological Sciences Department at Stanford University. He
earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Biology at Yale University in 1970,
and then spent two years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Scripps Institution of
Oceanography. He has taught at Stanford since 1972, served as Director of the
Program in Human Biology, Chairman of the Academic Senate, Chairman of the
Stanford University Committee on Research, and as Associate Dean of Research.
Dr. Heller's research is in the areas of the neurobiology of sleep and
circadian rhythms and the regulation of body temperature. He is an author of
many research papers and a leading college textbook on Biology.
Chuck Hixson, MBA, General Manager Mr. Hixson has successfully managed another
technology-based start-up company as President. In the automotive and industrial
market places, Mr. Hixson served as a top marketing and operations executive for both
privately held and publicly traded corporations. Mr. Hixson obtained both his MBA and
BS degree in Marketing from Bowling Green State University.
Dr. Allen Dumont, M.D., Vice President and Medical Director He
is a Pediatrician with a private practice, and currently holds positions as
President of United Pediatric Society, President of Allied Primary Care,
Board Member of Allcroft Consulting, Referring
Physician Advisory Council at University of Michigan, and Medical Consultant
at Aventis Pasteur. Dr. Dumont is also a former Board Member of Rimform
Industries, Fiber Optic Sensor Technology, and Health Care Solutions. He was
the former Head of Pediatrics at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, and is listed in "America's Top Physicians" and "Detroit Metro's Best Physicians."
Stephen Shulman, Manufacturing Consultant
Since 1967, Stephen Shulman has worked in the medical device industry as a sales representative,
sales and marketing manager, vice president of sales and marketing, president, CEO and founder
with DifCo Laboratories, Medtronic, Pacesetter, Medical Devices and Fiberoptic Sensors Technologies
and Performance Control. Presently, he is a managing partner of PadPro LLC in Ann Arbor, Michigan
where he oversees product development and manufacturing. Mr. Shulman has served on several boards
of medical companies and has been involved with numerous startups.
Mark Smith, VP of Research and Development
As an entrepreneur, with a background in biology, chemistry, agricultural sciences, business,
real estate investment, and management, Mr. Smith’s experience from Sales Manager to C.O.O in
startup biotech companies makes him a good fit for AVACore Technologies. Mr. Smith spent eight
years at AeroSport, Inc. and was the C.O.O from 1994-2000. AeroSport was a manufacturer of specialized
respiratory gas analyzers, distributed throughout the world and used on MIR Space Station as well as
the International Space Station. While at AeroSport, Mark developed an international sales network
covering North and South America, Eastern and Western Europe, Asia and Australia. His contributions
as a team member and primary inventor included developing more than 6 patents for novel technology,
and negotiation and successful execution of multiple large dollar value sales including the sale of
AeroSport Inc. to Angeon, a manufacturer of pacemakers and related technology in 2000.
Fritz Seyferth, MBA, Strategic Alliance Coordinator
Mr. Seyferth has a track record of demonstrating his passion for maximizing potential. From his collegiate
and professional football experiences, Industrial/Operations Engineering and MBA degrees, consulting
careers with B.F. Goodrich and Arthur Young & Company, 21 years of leadership with the University of
Michigan Athletic Department and partnering in starting an automotive supplier manufacturing company,
Mr. Seyferth has used his set of guiding principles to achieve goals that consistently surpass all
expectations. With AVACore he is actively involved in managing the sports based sales and ongoing
relationships with sports teams and individual athletes, coaches and trainers.
Charles W. Miller, M.S., A.T.C., Athletic Consultant
For the last three years, Mr. Miller has been the Head Athletic Trainer for the Stanford University
Football Program. Prior to Stanford, he worked as Head Athletic Trainer at San Jose State University
for eleven years. Mr. Miller also worked for several years as a volunteer athletic trainer with the United
States Judo Team, traveling to various international competitions and he served as the Chief Athletic
Trainer for the Judo Venue at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA. Mr. Miller became involved with
AVAcore and “CoreControl” during the fall of 2002 when he utilized prototype devices with the Stanford
Football Program. It was during this time that he first identified the benefits of the use of “CoreControl”
to treat both peripheral and “body” cramps.
Russ Miller, M.S., P.T., A.T.C., Athletic Consultant
Mr. Miller was Head Athletic Trainer and Medical Director for the Detroit Tigers, from 1991 to 2002. Prior
to this, he was the Supervisor of Athletic Training for the University of Michigan for eleven years and
Director of Medsport (University of Michigan Sports Medicine) Physical Therapy Department for four years.
He has also held positions as the Head Athletic Trainer for Western Kentucky University, DePauw University,
and Wilmington College. Mr. Miller’s broad based expertise as an athletic trainer, physical therapist and
program director gives him a keen insight into team training requirements and the adoption of cutting edge
technology for integration into established training formats.