Doug Morton is an information system professional with over 25 years of experience in a variety of industries. Doug has been with the San Diego Blood Bank since 2000 in roles ranging from Director of IT to Chief Operating Officer. Doug received a B.A. from Point Loma Nazarene University majoring in Computer Science. Prior to joining the blood bank Doug held Information Technology positions with the US District Court, Hanson Aggregates and Real Property Services. Volunteer activities include coaching youth sports and raising service dogs for the blind and disabled. As of March 14, 2022, Doug is the CEO of the San Diego Blood Bank in addition to this roles as COO and CIO.
Executive Team
Doug Morton, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Information Officer
Mark Edmunds, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Edmunds received his Chemical Engineering and Medical Doctorate degrees from the University of New Mexico. Following medical school, he underwent a surgical internship at UCLA and completed residency in Clinical Pathology/Laboratory Medicine and fellowship in Blood Banking/Blood Transfusion Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He previously served as Associate Medical Director for Blood Centers of the Pacific (now Vitalant) in San Francisco and as North American Medical Director for Grifols Transfusion Medicine. Furthermore, he brings substantial experience in private practice, telemedicine, and health technology.
As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Edmunds is embracing his passion for blood banking and applying his industry knowledge in new ways to support San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB), our altruistic donor population, hospital providers, and all the communities we serve throughout Southern California. He is responsible for the medical and clinical activities of SDBB, providing medical oversight, expertise and leadership to ensure delivery, safety, and excellence of blood products and services, including those provided by our immunohematology reference laboratory.
His responsibilities include the strategy, development, and implementation of innovative blood collection and research programs that include collaboration with operational and strategic business partners. Current research projects include serving as principal investigator for a clinical trial to develop a non-invasive blood donor hemoglobin test and using next generation genetic sequencing for prediction of red blood cell antigens in donors and recipients to prevent transfusion complications and improve availability of rare blood for patients. He oversees SDBB’s source plasma collection program to develop a vaccine against currently untreatable blood-borne viral infections and seeks partnerships with industry leaders to further develop SDBB’s umbilical cord stem cell laboratory and new cellular therapies.
Helen Bixenman, Chief Quality, Regulatory Affairs and Risk Officer/Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer
Helen A. Bixenman, MBA/HCM, CHC, CG(ASCP)CMDLMCM, QLCCM is Chief Quality, Regulatory Affairs and Risk Officer/Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer, with responsibility for quality and regulatory performance, oversight of quality systems and sustaining a culture of quality.
Helen Bixenman has over 30 years of significant contribution within the biotech/healthcare arena. Through key strategic roles, Helen has acquired broad-based general management experience encompassing clinical operations for multi-site, multi-million dollar operations. Areas of professional expertise encompass compliance and regulatory affairs, quality assurance and quality control, clinical research, technical administration and operations and strategic planning and business development.
Before joining San Diego Blood Bank, she held positions of increasing responsibility with several clinical laboratories and healthcare systems including Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Banner Health, Sun Health, Genzyme Genetics/Genetrix and the Genetics Center of the Southwest Biomedical Research Institute. Helen currently serves as Immediate Past-President of the Association of Genetic Technologists and as a member of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science Government Affairs Committee.
Helen earned an MBA with an emphasis in healthcare management from University of Phoenix and a B.S. in Biology from Georgian Court University, Lakewood, N.J. Helen’s professional credentials include: Certification in Healthcare Compliance (Compliance Certification Board) and Technologist in Cytogenetics, Diplomate in Laboratory Management and Qualification in Laboratory Compliance (American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification).
Sherry Serio, Vice President of Development,
Sherry Serio collaborates with philanthropic partners, corporations, individual donors, volunteers and the Board of Directors to advance the San Diego Blood Bank’s mission in the community by raising funds in support of the SDBB’s Core Blood Services, Cell Therapy, Genotyping and the Clia Lab programs.
Prior to joining SDBB, Sherry has worked as a development professional in the non-profit healthcare industry for organizations including Scripps Health, Baylor College of Medicine, CHI St. Luke’s Health, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Hematology & Oncology Specialists Foundation and the University of Houston.
A native of New Orleans, Sherry brings over 20 years of healthcare fundraising, marketing, communications, and sales experience in the healthcare non-profit industry. Sherry’s passion and vision for philanthropy led her to launch an Integrative Medicine program that empowered cancer patients to personalize their care. This was Sherry’s first philanthropy project that set the vision for her career. Since, she has raised funds to support lifesaving programs such a transitional medicine clinic for special needs patients, translational research in support of ovarian cancer prevention, cutting-edge medical technology like the da Vinci Surgical System, STEM scholarships, patient navigation programs, preventative screenings for indigent patients and a state-of-the-art cancer center.
Sherry graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and a concentration in Broadcast journalism and a Masters of Business from the University of Phoenix. She also holds an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Sherry’s core belief is that your greatest gift is your health. Everyone deserves to live a long and healthy life. This philosophy is her #1 motivation to be the best healthcare fundraiser and philanthropy change-maker by providing resources for people to live a long and prosperous life.
Nikhil Nayak, Chief Business Officer
Nikhil Nayak has over 25 years of relevant health and life sciences experience with significant focus on strategy, marketing & sales, business development, global product management, operations, finance, quality management, and corporate communications. He has demonstrated ability to build companies & departments and lead high-performing teams through a successful start-up exit, major product launches, management of blockbuster brands and profitable life-cycle management initiatives with a patient- and consumer-centric approach. In his previous role as Chief Operating Officer at Confirm BioSciences, he successfully navigated a sale and exit for the startup company. As COO, Nikhil led the Strategic Sales and Retail Consumer Business Units as well as the business and product development, operations, marketing, quality management, and IT departments.
Prior to Confirm, Nikhil was the Chief Marketing Officer at Millennium Health, where he served as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. He led corporate strategy, product development, marketing, and corporate communications functions, reporting directly to the Chairman of the Board and CEO. After a successful crisis management and restructure in 2015, Nikhil created a strategic and cohesive product development and commercialization process at Millennium that delivered several successful product launches and profitable growth. Nikhil began his life sciences career at Forest Laboratories (now AbbVie), where he held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility in sales, marketing, and business development. In his final role at Forest, Nikhil served as Executive Director of Global Marketing & Commercialization, where he steered the successful approvals and launches of several products in Canada, Europe, and Latin America. He was the head of the Namenda franchise, accelerating growth to “Blockbuster Status” for this Alzheimer’s drug while overseeing future development programs. He was also instrumental in the successful launches of Bystolic, and blockbuster antidepressants Celexa and Lexapro, for which he was recognized as part of Medical Marketing & Media’s 2003 “Brand Team of the Year.”
Nikhil received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis, and his Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on Finance, Marketing & International Business from New York University, Stern School of Business. Nikhil joined the San Diego Blood Bank in April of 2022.
