Justin Yalung

COO/CFO

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Justin serves as the executive leader of MERGE Chemistry and the COO & CFO of parent company IV Labs, Inc. where he is responsible for accelerating the organization’s strategic goals and operational performance.

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Prior to his tenure at MERGE / IV, he served in a variety of leadership and senior finance roles within the biotech industry at TechLab and bioMérieux, hardware and software at IBM, and the energy industry at GE (now GE Vernova).

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Justin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Virginia Tech and has completed the Executive Leadership Programme from the University of Oxford.

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Fun fact: Justin is a life-long golf fanatic and finally bagged his first ace in 2022, after 26 years of competitive play.

Tyler Farnsworth, PhD

Head of Technical & Product Development

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Tyler is a materials chemist by training. He brings a wealth of project management experience to the product life cycle, spanning R&D prototyping, product design, and industrial manufacturing. His technical expertise includes inorganic nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, applied polymer design, and innovative coatings and encapsulation technologies. 

Dr. Farnsworth previously worked as a research scientist in the Materials Group of Luna Innovations (now Luna Labs USA), serving as technical and program lead on multiple SBIR/STTR Department of Defense contracts.

Dr. Farnsworth, an NSF GRFP Fellow, received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of South Carolina Upstate and holds a Ph.D. in Polymer and Materials Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  

Fun fact: Tyler is a self-proclaimed coffee snob who roasts his own beans and enjoys perfecting his pour-over technique.

Mike Booth

Head of Analytical Services

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Mike Booth is a chemist with expertise in quality control and instrumentation. His experience covers areas including ICP-OES, ICP-MS, Ion Chromatography and various titration techniques.

In addition to his role with MERGE Chemistry, Mike serves as Technical Director at MERGE's sister-company, Inorganic Ventures.

He received a B.S. in Chemistry from West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

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Fun fact: Mike is a "metal head" in every sense of the word. In addition to spending his working hours analyzing metal content and purity, he spends his free time head-banging to the heaviest of metal in his headphones. He's even got an Iron Maiden tattoo!

Tom Borak

Head of Commercial Development

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Tom is the primary point of contact for MERGE Chemistry. With more than 15 years of combined experience in customer service, marketing, communications, and business development, he understands that honest and open communication are the cornerstones of a successful partnership.

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Tom previously served as the communications and membership manager for the Colorado BioScience Association, helping establish the Denver/Boulder corridor as one of the premier life science hubs in the country.

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He received his BA in English from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA.

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Fun fact: Tom was a part of the inaugural team of Racing Presidents for Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals franchise. He raced as Thomas Jefferson so he could sign his own name during autograph sessions.