Michael J. Akers Ph.D. is Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Research and Development at Baxter and leads the Baxter Lyophilization Center of Excellence in Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Akers received his B.A. degree from Wabash College and Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutics from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, and has previously been employed at Searle Laboratories, Alcon Laboratories, University of Tennessee, and Eli Lilly and Company. Dr. Akers is active in the Parenteral Drug Association and is a Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. He is editor-in-chief of Pharmaceutical Development and Technology, and author or editor of six books, including Parenteral Quality Control: Sterility, Pyrogen, Particulate, and Packaging Integrity Testing, Third Edition, 2002.