• Jeanne Lesniak was named an advisor for regulatory and clinical affairs at Biophan Technologies (Pittsford, New York). For the past 16 years, Lesniak has served as president/CEO of Lesniak & Associates. Biophan Technologies makes biomedical technology.

• CryoCath Technologies (Montreal) reported that CFO L. Derek Lindsay will be leaving the company on April 4, and Ginette Gagn will take over that role, on April 7. Gagn joins CryoCath from Boston Scientific. CryoCath makes products for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

• Edwards Lifesciences (Irvine, California) reported the planned departure in the middle of 2008 of corporate officers Anita Bessler, Stuart Foster and Alex Martin. Bessler, who joined the company in 1988, will continue in an ongoing advisory role. Foster, who joined the company in 1994, also will continue in an ongoing advisory role. Martin, who joined Edwards in 2004, plans to pursue other opportunities upon his departure. Edwards specializes in developing cardiovascular disease treatments.

• ev3 (Plymouth, Minnesota) reported the resignation of John Simpson from his position as chief scientist and from the company's board, effective Feb. 7. "Over the last 30 years, few people have shaped the treatment of cardiovascular disease as much as Dr. John Simpson with his numerous inventions and vision for improving the lives of patients worldwide," said Jim Corbett, president/CEO and chairman of ev3. "He leaves a legacy of innovation and a foundation on which we intend to build in our effort to improve patient treatment." With the resignation of Simpson, the ev3 board of directors has nine members, of which six are independent directors. ev3 is a developer of endovascular therapies.

• Naviscan PET Systems (San Diego) said it has appointed Paul Mirabella has been appointed chairman of the board for Navisccan PET Systems (San Diego). Mirabella will retain his responsibilities as president/CEO. Naviscan develops compact, high-resolution PET scanners intended to provide organ-specific imaging and guide radiological and surgical procedures.

• Richard Brounstein has been named CFO of NewCardio (San Jose, California). Previously, Brounstein was CFO for Certicom. NewCardio's software and hardware products and services are intended to improve the diagnosis and monitoring of cardiovascular disease, as well as cardiac safety assessment of drugs under development.

• NewCardio (San Jose, California) said that it has entered into a long-term consulting agreement with Gari Clifford, PhD. Clifford is currently a Principal Research Scientist at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences. NewCardio is a cardiac diagnostic and services company.

• Bob Kondraske has been named COO of Omron Healthcare (Bannockburn, Illinois). Kondraske was previously VP of sales development at McNeil Consumer Healthcare. Omron makes blood pressure monitors for home use.

• Thomas Rasmussen has been named VP of clinical affairs for Spectranetics (Colorado Springs, Colorado). Rassmussen previously was director of clinical research for the cardiac rhythm management division of Boston Scientific. Spectranetics says it makes the only excimer laser approved in the U.S., Europe and Japan for minimally invasive cardiovascular procedures.