Dr. Manian has been a part of the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial community over the last three decades and is responsible for successfully starting several life science companies. Dr. Manian is a co-founder and director Quantum Dot Corporation and a co-founder of SurroMed Corporation. He was the founder and Chairman of Biometric Imaging Inc., until Becton Dickinson acquired it in February 1999. Prior to founding Biometric Imaging Inc., Dr. Manian founded both Lumisys and Molecular Dynamics in June 1987 and was their founder chairman and CTO. Lumisys went public (LUMI) in 1995 and later was acquired by Eastman Kodak in December of 2000. Molecular Dynamics went public (MYDN) in 1993, and subsequently was acquired by Amersham in 1998. Dr. Manian founded Digital Optics Corporation in 1980, an optical instrumentation and systems development company that was acquired by Matrix Corporation, an already public company in 1984.
An expert in the design of electro-optical systems, Dr. Manian holds more than 30 patents, many of which have resulted in successful commercial products. Additionally, Dr. Manian has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications. He has been recognized through several awards for his contributions as educator, inventor and an entrepreneur. In February 1999, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded a Technical Academy Award to Dr. Manian for advances in digital cinematography. He has a B.S. in Physics from the University of Rochester and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. He was a faculty member of the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics for four years, teaching courses in optical fabrication and testing, optical instrumentation and holography. At present he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of University of Rochester.
