The Team

Igor Lednev, PhD

Founder and CTO

Igor K. Lednev is the Williams-Raycheff Endowed Professor in Chemistry and a SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and a faculty Member of the RNA Institute. Igor is a founding director of Center for Biophotoncs Technology and Artificial Intelligence (CeBAI). His research is focused on the development and application of novel laser spectroscopy for forensic purposes, biomedical diagnostics and fundamental biochemistry. Igor received several prestigious awards including the 2024 EAS Award for Outstanding Achievements in Vibrational Spectroscopy, the Charles Mann Award for Applied Raman Spectroscopy and the Gold Medal Award from the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Igor is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, U.K and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy.

U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko acknowledged Igor's research accomplishments at the U.S. House of Representatives Hearing on Advancements in Forensic Science in the U.S. in September 2019.  Igor was recruited by the United Nations to give a week-long “National Training Course on using vibrational techniques to enhance the forensic analysis” for the National Crime Laboratory of Chile in Santiago in January 2020. He has served as an advisory member on the White House Subcommittee for Forensic Science. Together with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), Igor founded the NIJ Forensic Science Symposium at Pittcon in 2018, which became an annual event since then, including 34 invited talks and a poster session.

Igor has co-authored over 290 publications in peer-reviewed journals reaching a h-index of 80, and 10 patents. His work has been covered by the media more than 100 times including 22 TV interviews, and publications in the Wall Street Journal, Chemical & Engineering News, and Forensic Magazine. 

Ray Wickenheiser, DPS, MBA

Chief Executive Officer

Ray Wickenheiser is the retired Director for the New York State Police Crime Lab System, headquartered in Albany, New York. Ray is also a Past President of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) and the 2022 Briggs J. White Ward recipient for excellence through leadership in forensic science management. Ray has over 41 years of forensic science experience, with 23 of those as a Crime Lab Director in local and State Crime Laboratories. His areas of expertise include crime lab administration, quality management, forensic DNA, serology, hair and fiber trace evidence, physical matching and comparison, glass fracture analysis, forensic grain comparison, crime scene investigation, conflict resolution and forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG).  

Ray served two years as the Chair of the Forensic Science Standards Board (FSSB) for the Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science (2022-2023). He is a fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Science (AAFS), and has been an invited guest to the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) from 2013-2023.  Ray was a member of the Department of Justice: National Institute of Justice Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting (SAFER) Working Group publishing the “National Best Practices for Sexual Assault Kit: A Multidisciplinary Approach”.

Ray has conducted audits in 10 states as an ISO auditor and DNA lead auditor.  He has testified as an expert witness over 90 times, published numerous scientific articles reaching a h-index of 14, a book chapter, and is a frequent presenter at workshops and conferences.  Ray has served as a peer-reviewer for a number of scientific journals and advisor to several university forensic programs. He has also served as an adjunct professor, teaching criminalistics at Montgomery College, Maryland. Ray holds a Bachelor of Science Honours degree from the University of Regina, Canada, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, a Doctorate of Professional Studies in Bioethics, Health Ethics and Policy from Albany Medical College, and a certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University.  

Luis Perez-Almodovar, PhD

Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Engineer

Luis Perez is an analytical chemist with a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Albany, where his research focused on the development of novel spectroscopic methods for forensic and biomedical applications. He has led projects spanning Alzheimer’s disease detection in blood, PFAS analysis in fish blood, and non-invasive identification of body fluids using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning. His work bridges chemistry, data science, and translational research, and has been featured in peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

At SupreMEtric, Luis applies his expertise in spectroscopy and machine learning to advance novel analytical solutions. He contributes to the development and validation of detection algorithms and chemometric models that enhance the sensitivity and specificity of Raman-based systems. Luis brings a unique blend of scientific rigor, startup experience, and an entrepreneurial mindset to the team.