Dr. Sharon Mates Named Chairman of New York Biotechnology Association, Robert Easton and Barbara Gebhardt Elected to Board of Directors

NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
New York Biotechnology Association (NYBA), the voice of New York State`s
biotechnology industry, today announced that Dr. Sharon Mates, CEO of
Intra-Cellular Therapies Inc., has been elected Chairman of the Board for
2009-2010. The Association also announced the appointments of Robert Easton,
Chairman of Scisive Consulting, and Barbara Gebhardt, President of Opus
Scientific, to the Board of Directors.

Dr. Nathan Tinker, NYBA Executive Director, said: "I am delighted that Dr. Mates
will be chairing the Association. Her business acumen combined with her
long-time support for the Association will be a great asset as the industry
addresses today`s economic challenges. I am also pleased to welcome Robert
Easton and Barbara Gebhardt to the Board and thank them for bringing their
skills and experience to NYBA. Their track records of professional achievement
and intricate knowledge of the complex issues facing today`s biotechnology
industry will further broaden the capabilities of our association as we work to
enable a new platform for growth."

Along with the new appointments, NYBA`s Executive Committee has also been
revised. Robert Van Nostrand, formerly NYBA Chairman, has been named Immediate
Past Chairman; Vijay Aggarwal (CEO, Aureon Laboratories), formerly NYBA
Secretary, has been elected Vice Chairman; and Joel Papernik (Partner, Mintz
Levin) has been elected Secretary.

* Dr. Sharon Mates

Dr. Mates is the Chairman and CEO of Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (ITI). From
1989 to 1998, Dr. Mates was the President of North American Vaccine and its
predecessor companies. Since 1998, Dr. Mates has been involved in the formation
of several biotech and healthcare companies. Intra-Cellular Therapies was formed
in 2002 by Dr. Mates along with Dr. Paul Greengard and Dr. Allen Feinberg of
Rockefeller University to develop new therapeutics for CNS diseases based on
proprietary technologies developed in Dr. Greengard's laboratory. Dr. Mates is a
member of the Board of Visitors of the Biotechnology Institute of the University
of Maryland, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Center for Society and
Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Mates received her Ph.D. from
the University of Washington and was a postdoctoral fellow and fellow at Harvard
Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital.

* Robert J. Easton, Chairman, Scisive Consulting

For over 25 years, Bob Easton has been recognized as a global leader in
healthcare business consulting. He has built and led two top firms, beginning
with The Wilkerson Group in 1985. He has led scores of market development and
strategic advisory assignments for clients throughout the pharmaceutical and
diagnostic industries. He has advised and supported hundreds of client
executives in North America, Europe, Israel, and Asia. His interest in
healthcare began when he managed a medical diagnostics business for Union
Carbide.

Mr. Easton has been highly visible in the industry, having written and spoken
about multiple industry issues in scores of venues. He has served on 8 medical
company Boards including Apex Bioventures, CollaGenex, and Cepheid. He also
serves as Chairman of Gilda`s Club of New York City, which provides social and
emotional support to people living with cancer. Mr. Easton holds two degrees in
Chemical Engineering from Rice University and an MBA from the Harvard Business
School.

* Barbara Gebhardt, President, Opus Staffing

Barbara Gebhardt began her career with Career Blazers in the 1980`s. She went on
to open its first franchise in 1987, and established Career Blazers Learning
Center in 1989, and implemented a unique partnership between it and the NYS
Department of Labor. In 1996, Gebhardt became Executive Vice President / Chief
Operating Officer of Career Blazers, responsible for the company`s national
operations.

In 2004, Gebhardt founded Opus Staffing, specializing in administrative and
staff functions. In 2006 she created the Opus Scientific division which provides
contract staffing, contract to hire and direct hire staffing to the
biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, cosmetic, chemical, food and
other scientific intensive industries that require skilled talent. Based on Long
Island, Opus Scientific`s reach has rapidly expanded to provide services
throughout the United States.

In 2008, Gebhardt was recognized as one of Long Island`s Most Influential Women
in Business by Long Island Business News. Gebhardt is currently Sponsorship
Co-Chair for the American Heart Association`s Go Red Movement. Gebhardt has
served as Vice President of the Long Island Chapter of the Alzheimer's
Association and President of the Advisory Council for the National Council for
the Aging. She also served on the board of the New York Staffing Association and
is a past president of the Association of Personnel Consultants, Long Island
Chapter.

For more information on NYBA programs and initiatives, visit our website at
www.nyba.org.

About New York Biotechnology Association

NYBA is the leading advocate for advancing the success of the biotechnology
industry in New York State and is its main representative to state policy
makers, the media and communities. NYBA`s mission is to support the development
and growth of New York`s biotechnology industry, and serve our members and the
biotechnology community by providing a network for information exchange, shared
services and collective action. NYBA`s membership comprises bioscience
companies, world-class research institutions and related professional services.
Under the banner of The Cures Start Here, the Association`s goal is to amplify
the success New York has had and continues to have in discovering major medical
advances and growing a vibrant biotech industry.

New York Biotechnology Association
Nathan Tinker, 631-444-8895
Executive Director

Copyright Business Wire 2009