Meet your matchmakers.

Co-Founder

Dr. Gili Band, PhD

Dr. Gili Band is Co-Founder of Cryomate with over 20 years of experience as a Senior Fertility Scientist and Consultant. She has worked hand in hand with leading fertility doctors, sperm banks and andrology labs the world over, and brings expertise in every aspect of fertility, including scientific, medical, legal, and social. She is a registered Biomedical Scientist in the UK, and holds a PhD in Biochemistry Molecular Biology from the University of Tel-Aviv in Israel.

Laboratory Supervisor

Larissa Volz, MS

Larissa Volz joined Cryomate in Fall 2024 as Laboratory Supervisor, bringing several years of experience in the IVF field. She holds a B.A. in Biology and an M.S. in Animal Science. During her master’s program, she focused on reproductive physiology, conducting research on how sperm interact with the female reproductive tract and how these insights can be applied to IVF.

She is dedicated to advancing Cryomate’s mission through science, precision, and compassion. In the laboratory, Larissa oversees the analysis and processing of donor sperm, ensuring every sample meets our rigorous quality standards before reaching intended parents.

Medical Director

Dr. David Kulak

Dr. Kulak is a double board-certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Specialist. He earned his MD from The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, was distinguished as Chief Resident at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, and completed specialty training in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Rutgers University. Committed to bringing patients the highest level of care, Dr. Kulak has developed new regimens and methods for improving and optimizing IVF success rates, including fertility diets and optimized medication use. His research has been published and presented internationally.

Laboratory Director

Dr. Carol Lynn Curchoe

Dr. Carol Lynn Curchoe, PhD, HCLD (ABB) is a reproductive physiologist, high complexity laboratory director, author, and the founder of ART Compass, an AIVF Technology. Dr. Curchoe focused her postdoctoral fellowship on human embryonic stem cell research, and was the first to derive neural crest stem cells from hESC. Her current research is on AI technologies for in vitro fertilization. As Laboratory Director, Dr Curchoe oversees laboratory operations, ensuring regulatory compliance and advancing our techniques and technologies to maintain high efficiency and accuracy.

Genetic Counselor

Samantha Augustine

Samantha Augustyn is a board certified and licensed genetic counselor who is passionate about helping educate and support recipients, ensuring donors are making informed decisions to continue at every step of the process, and working with clinics to have a seamless experience with Cryomate. Prior to joining Cryomate, Samantha worked as both a prenatal and ART genetic counselor in the US and the UK. With over 10 years of experience providing genetic counseling to individuals and couples utilizing donor gametes to build their family and being involved in donor screening and selection, she understands the common inquiries that come up regarding donor suitability. Samantha holds a B.S. in Biology from Emory University and a M.S. in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University.

As a Cryomate genetic counselor Samantha meets with all Cryomate donors to assess suitability as well as helping to guide many recipients through the donor selection process.