Expert Profile
Szczepan Baran (VMD, MS) is the President and Chief Operating Officer at the Veterinary Bioscience Institute (VBI) and Online Course Director within the Office of Professional Studies in the Health Sciences at the Drexel University College of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA.
VBI is the first company to provide state of the art online surgical training followed by mobile hands-on training for the biomedical community. Dr. Baran was responsible for the development and launch of VBI, LLC. In addition, Dr. Baran was responsible for developing partnerships with major companies such as Biovision Technologies, LLC and Harvard Apparatus, Inc and non-profit organizations such as the Academy of Surgical Research.
Dr Baran’s responsibilities include oversight and implementation of the performance matrix, development of new products and marketing plans and directing the Department of Surgical Services. He is a member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of VBI and Continuing Accreditation Committee.
In addition, Dr. Baran holds a special volunteer position at the National Cancer Institute Laboratory of Genomic Diversity and represents VBI as a partner of the North American Veterinary Educational Consortium.
Prior to his work with the Veterinary Bioscience Institute, Dr. Baran was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Biotechnology and Conservation at Delaware Valley College (DVC) and an adjunct faculty at the College of Medicine at Drexel University. In addition, he previously held the position of Research Associate in the Transplantation Biology Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Baran earned a Master of Science degree in comparative medicine from the University of Washington, a Doctorate of Veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Delaware.
Dr. Baran specializes in the refinement and development of surgical procedures, most recently including the development and validation of rodent laparoscopic and colonoscopic techniques and rodent microsurgery including kidney transplantation and gastric bypass surgeries. Dr. Baran also has engineered the development and validation of online and onsite surgical training programs, and the development of protocols for the isolation of canine and feline embryonic and umbilical stem cells. His current work centers on the development and validation of laparoscopic instrumentation and procedures for murine reproductive procedures.
Veterinary Bioscience Institute
Harleysville, PA
Course Director of Online Masters Program
Office of Professional Studies in the Health Sciences
Drexel University College of Medicine
Philadelphia, PA
University of Washington School of Medicine - Residency in Comparative Medicine - MS
University of Pennsylvanian School of Veterinary Medicine - VMD
University of Delaware - BS
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Hankenson FC. Development and Implementation of Multimedia
Content for a Web-based Course on Rodent Surgery (in submission).
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Stephens M, Kehler J. E-learning for the laboratory animal sciences: a
guide for the development of online surgical training courses. Laboratory Animal – Nature. 2009 September, 3(9): 295-304.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Addressing Surgical Training Challenges in Laboratory Animal
Science and Biomedical Fields through the use of Electronic Learning. Laboratory Animal –
Nature. 2009 June, 38(6):1-9.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. A guide for developing effective online surgical training courses.
Animal Laboratory News. 2009 March.
Hayes B, Fagerlie S, Ramakrishnan A, Baran SW, Harkey M, Graf L, Torok-Storb B. Derivation,
characterization, and in vitro differentiation of canine embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells. 2008 Feb; 26(2):465-73.
Baran SW, Ware C. Cryopreservation of Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) Embryonic Stem Cells.
Stem Cells and Development. Stem Cells Dev. 2007 Apr;16(2):339-344.
Graves S, Hogan W, Kuhr C, Diaconescu R, Harkey M, Georges GE, Sale G, Zellmer E; Baran SW;
Christoph Jochum; Brad Stone; Rainer Storb. Stable trichimerism after marrow grafting from
two DLA-identical canine donors and nonmyeloablative conditioning. Blood. 2007 Mar 16;
[Epub ahead of print]
Nuckley DJ, Kramer PA, Del Rosario A, Fabro N, Baran, SW, Ching RP. Intervertebral Disc
Degeneration in a Naturally Occurring Primate Model: Radiographic and Biomechanical
Evidence. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 2008 Sep; 26(9):1283-8.
Baran SW, Moralejo D, Ware C, Treuting P, Lernmark A, Fox J, Maggio-Price L. 2004. Rederivation of a Helicobacter-infected diabetes-prone biobreeding rat colony. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 43:73.
Book Chapters:
Ware C, Baran SW. Cryopreservation of Human and Nonhuman Primate Embryonic Stem
Cells. Methods in Molecular Biology: Stem Cell Assays, Vermuri, M (ed.) Human Press, Totowa NJ (2007).
Publications in submission:
Baran SW, Lesnikov V, Yunusov M, Abrams K, Nikitine A, Hwang B, Zellmer S, Lesnikova M,
Georges GE. Procurement of canine fetal blood for hematopoietic cell transplantation. Journal of Investigative Surgery (in submission).
Abstract presentations:
Baran SW. Fundamentals of Rodent Laparoscopic Surgery. Academy of Surgical Research Annual
Meeting. September 2009.
Baran SW. Rodent Colonoscopy for the Biomedical Researcher. Academy of Surgical Research
Annual Meeting. September 2009.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Rodent Laparoscopic Biotechnology for Research. National
Capital Area Branch of AALAS Meeting. September 2009.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Online Rodent Surgical Training. National
Capital Area Branch of AALAS Meeting. September 2009.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Assessment of Surgical Competence in the LAS and Biomedical
Field. Laboratory Animal Welfare Training Exchange Annual Meeting August 2009.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Exam Questions as Useful Tools to Measure Knowledge Transfer
and Increase Critical Thinking. Laboratory Animal Welfare Training Exchange Annual Meeting August 2009.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Guide to Developing and Implementing E-learning Courses on
Rodent Surgical Training. Laboratory Animal Welfare Training Exchange Annual Meeting August 2009.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Rodent Laparoscopic Biotechnology for Research and the Private
Practitioner. American Veterinary Medical Association Annual Meeting. 2009 June.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J. Online Rodent Surgical Training. American Veterinary Medical
Association Annual Meeting. 2009 June.
Baran SW. Rodent Anesthesia and Surgery E-learning: An Answer for the Future. Delaware Valley
Branch of AALAS Meeting. April 2009.
Baran SW, Johnson EJ, Kehler J, Hankenson CF. Development and Implementation of
Multimedia Content for Web-based Rodent Microsurgery Courses. American Association of Laboratory Animal Science National Meeting. November 2008
Baran SW, Kehler J, Johnson EJ. Surgical Electronic Learning for Biomedical Community.
Academy of Surgical Research Annual Meeting. November 2008.
Baran SW, Kehler J, Johnson EJ. Laboratory Animal Science E-learning: An answer for the future.
The 3rd Asian Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations Congress and the 8th Chinese Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences Annual Meeting. September 2008.
Baran SW, Kehler J, Johnson EJ. Principles of Basic Rodent Surgery Workshop. The 3rd Asian
Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations Congress and the 8th Chinese Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences Annual Meeting. September 2008.
Baran SW, Kehler J, Johnson EJ. Rodent Microsurgery Web-based Learning. German Laboratory
Animal Science Annual Meeting, September 2008.
Sud R, Baran SW, Olsen P, Nelson AM, Ware CB, Pedersen DA, Mitalipov SM and Kiem HP.
Optimizing a protocol for transduction of nonhuman primate ES cells with lentiviral vectors.
American Society of Gene Therapy June 2007.
Lesnikov V, Baran SW, Abrams K, Nikitine A, Hwang B, Zellmer S, Heimfeld S, Lesnikova M,
Georges GE. Dog leukocyte antigen (DLA)-identical sibling cord blood transplantation
following myeloablative total body irradiation. American Society of Hemotology Meeting,
December 2006.
Baran SW, Siverts L, Ware C, Brabb T. Signs of Pain Are Not Seen in CD-1 Mice Following
Embryo Transfer by an Experienced Surgeon. American College of Laboratory Animal
Medicine Forum, June, 2006
Moralejo D, Baran SW, Zeng W, Treuting P, Fox J, Lernmark A, Maggio-Price L. GTPase of
Immune Associated Protein (Gimap5 -/-) Gene Predisposes to Gastrointestinal Disease in
Bio-Breeding Diabetes Prone (BBDP) Rats Infected with a Novel Helicobacter spp.
American Association of Laboratory Animal Science National Meeting. October 2005.
Baran SW, Research with Nonhuman Primate and Canine Embryonic Stem Cells,
International Congress on the Future of Animal Research, August, 2005
Hung T, Baran SW, Ware C, Pulak R. Multicellular Cytometric Analyses and Sorting on
Stem Cell Clusters and Embryonic Stem Cell Clusters (Poster), International Society for Stem Cells Research
Baran SW, Analgesics and Non-human Primates. Washington Branch of the American
Association for LaboratoryAnimal Science, March 2004.
Baran SW, Ware C, Cryopreservation of Non-human Primate Embryonic Stem Cells.
Annual International Embryo Transfer Society Meeting. January 2004
Baran SW, Moralejo D, Ware C, Lernmark A, Fox J, Maggio-Price L. Diarrhea Noted in a
Colony of Diabetes-Prone Lymphopenic Rats Infected with Helicobacter Rodentium and Novel Helicobacter spp. American Association of Laboratory Animal Science National Meeting. October 2003
Baran SW, Nonhuman Primate Behavioral Response to Hammocks as a Potential
Enrichment Device. Tribranch of the American Association for Laboratory-Philadelphia. March 2002.
Workshops:
Baran SW, Perret-Gentil MI. Introduction on to Basic Principles of Large Animal and Rodent
Laparoscopy through Inanimate Object Training. American Association for Laboratory
Animal Science. November 2009.
Baran SW. Rat Roux-eny Gastric and Duodenal Jejunal Bypass Surgeries. X Pharmaceuticals,
Inc. August 2009.
Baran SW. Surgical Implant Training. Laboratory Animal Welfare Training Exchange Annual
Meeting. August 2009.
Baran SW. Surgical Implant Training. Laboratory Animal Welfare Training Exchange Annual
Meeting August 2009.
Baran SW, Perret-Gentil MI. Laparoscopic Techniques. Academy of Surgical Research Annual
Meeting. September 2009.
Baran SW, Perret-Gentil MI. Laparoscopic Simulators. Academy of Surgical Research Annual
Meeting. September 2009.
Baran SW. Rodent Laparoscopy Workshop. Laboratory Animal Science Training Sessions.
Phoenixville, PA. March 2009.
Baran SW. Rodent Vascular Cannulation Workshop. Laboratory Animal Science Training
Sessions. Phoenixville, PA. March 2009.
Online course and program development:
Baran, SW, Hallman TM, Kehler J, Mendenhall V, DVM, Perret-Gentil MI, Schantz JD, Johnson EJ. Basic Principles of Rodent Surgery. Veterinary Bioscience Institute. January 2009. http://vetbiotech.com/course.php?courseID=44
Baran, SW, Flecknell P, Pekow C, Talcott M, Henkenson FC, Hallman TM. Laboratory Mouse and Rat Anesthesia, Analgesia and Euthanasia. August 2009. http://vetbiotech.com/course.php?courseID=25
What Experts are saying...
See more
“Zintro facilitates the seamless exchange of knowledge between researchers and experts. In an increasingly time-starved world where building human connections is challenging, Zintro harnesses technology to link people quickly and effectively.“
What Clients are saying...
“At Battery, we perform extensive due diligence on every investment we consider. Zintro helped us find relevant experts and pay only for those with whom we chose to consult.”