Reporter: Aviva Lev-Ari, PhD, RN

SPEAKERS

2013 Distinguished Faculty

Bonnie Ancone, Vice President, Molecular Diagnostics, XIFIN, Inc.
Bonnie Ancone has 25 years experience in the medical industry of which 15 years have been directly related to medical billing and collections. Prior to coming to XIFIN, Ms. Ancone worked in Anatomic Pathology Reference laboratory settings for 10 years. She held multiple positions including Billing Supervisor, Billing Manager and Director of Billing & Collections. She was also a partner in a medical billing company. Ms. Ancone’s prior experience includes 10 years in outpatient substance abuse clinics as a nurse and Assistant Director. In this capacity, she interacted with regulatory bodies such as DEA, FDA and multiple state behavioral health agencies dealing with licensing, auditing and regulations. She participated in the development of state methadone regulations and the state methadone coalition for Arizona and Nevada. She started her career on the operations side of banking.

Nazneen Aziz, Ph.D., Director, Molecular Medicine, Transformation Program Office, College of American Pathologists
Nazneen Aziz is the Director of Molecular Medicine at the College of American Pathologists. In this role, Dr. Aziz is guiding strategies and leading projects related to genomic medicine at CAP. Currently, she leads a committee that focuses on critical issues surrounding next generation sequencing. She is a member of the Association for Molecular Pathology Workgroup for Whole Genome Analysis and the Center for Disease Control Nex-StoCT-II Workgroup on next generation sequencing bioinformatics and the Interpretation of Sequence Variant Work Group at the College of American College of Medical Genetics. In her prior positions, Dr. Aziz was Vice President of Research and Development at Interleukin Genetics, Vice President of External Research at Point Therapeutics and Director of Translational Research at Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research. In her industry career, she has focused on personalized medicine, biomarkers, genetic tests, and development of drugs in cancer and diabetes. Prior to joining the biotechnology industry Dr. Aziz was an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital in Boston where she discovered and characterized the function of novel genes involved in recessive polycystic kidney disease. Nazneen received her Ph.D. in molecular genetics and Masters Degree in biochemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Bachelor’s Degree from Wellesley College.

Pam Baker, Senior Director, Market Access, CardioDx
Ms. Pam Baker is Senior Director of Market Access & Policy with Cardio Dx. She is a life sciences professional with 17 years of experience in pharma, biotech and diagnostics in a series of commercial roles across marketing, new product commercialization, reimbursement, pipeline and sales management. She started her healthcare career 17 years ago, beginning with Johnson & Johnson (Janssen, Ortho and Mc Neil), followed by Genentech. Ms Baker started out in sales, then moved into sales training, sales leadership and to multiple marketing roles, from product launch, to in-line marketing. She then moved into the reimbursement arena, leading the Program Strategy & Management team for Genentech Access Solutions, and has recently joined a molecular diagnostics company in Palo Alto, CA called CardioDx. Ms Baker received a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Asian Studies from Northwestern University and a Master, International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is a mom of 5 year old twin girls.

Shawn C. Baker, Ph.D., CSO, BlueSEQ
Dr. Shawn C. Baker is the Chief Science Officer and co-founder of BlueSEQ, an independent guide for researchers outsourcing their DNA sequencing. Having received his Ph.D. at the University of California – Davis, he started his career as a Research Scientist at Illumina when it was a 15-person startup. After spending several years at the bench developing gene expression array products, he transitioned to Product Marketing where he led a team in charge of Illumina’s Expression and Regulation sequencing portfolio. Dr. Baker started working with BlueSEQ in 2011, helping to establish an online marketplace for life science researchers to gain access to the best sequencing technology for their projects. In addition, BlueSEQ has created the Knowledge Bank, a neutral source of information on the various sequencing technologies, platforms and applications.

Cinnamon S. Bloss, Ph.D., Director, Social Sciences & Bioethics, Assistant Professor, Scripps Translational Science Institute

Dr. Bloss is an Assistant Professor, as well as Director of Social Sciences and Bioethics at the Scripps Translational Science Institute. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and is focused on investigating individuals’ behavioral and psychological responses to disclosure of personal genomic information. She is the lead researcher on STSI’s Scripps Genomic Health Initiative, and her work on this project was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine and has been highlighted at a number of national and international scientific meetings. She has also presented invited testimony on consumer genomics before the Food and Drug Administration Advisory Panel. Dr. Bloss’ other research interests include developing ways of combining genomics with traditional disease risk factors to make predictions about disease development, progression and response to treatment, as well as designing effective health interventions that leverage genomic information. She also conducts genetic association studies and has several collaborations to investigate the genetic underpinnings of neurological, behavioral, and other health-related phenotypes. Dr. Bloss received her B.A. in Psychology from Smith College, her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, and completed a predoctoral internship in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Florida. Dr. Bloss completed a post-doctoral fellowship in statistical genetics and genomic medicine at The Scripps Research Institute. At STSI, Dr. Bloss directs the Summer Undergraduate Research Internship and is an instructor in the TSRI Graduate Program. She is also a California-licensed clinical psychologist and has worked with adults and children with a wide range of neurological and psychiatric conditions.
John Boyce, President and CEO, GnuBIO
John Boyce is President, CEO and Co-Founder of GnuBIO. Prior to starting GnuBIO, John co-founded Delphi Bio, LLC, a strategic consulting company that serves startup and fortune 500 companies within the life sciences market. Using his proven ability to drive companies to commercial success, John served as the Business Development head for a number of clients, including Affomix. Over a two year period, John developed the business plan for Affomix, oversaw all commercial activities, as well as initiated and drove the sale of the company to a multi-billion dollar sequencing corporation in July 2010. Prior to Delphi and Affomix, John served as Head of Business Development for Helicos BioSciences (HLCS), where he was responsible for identifying new market opportunities. Prior to Helicos, John was the Senior Director of Commercial Development for Parallele Biosciences, Inc. where he played an integral role of building the company leading to an acquisition of the company by Affymetrix (AFFY). He was the Senior Director of Business Development for Genomics Collaborative where he was responsible for putting in place and building the Sales, Marketing, and Business Development infrastructure. John executed several key deals and played a key role in the acquisition by SeraCare Life Sciences, Inc. Prior to Genomics Collaborative, John led the successful expansion of Sequenom’s MassARRAY system as Director, United States Sales at Sequenom Inc. (SQNM), from 2000 to 2003.

Catherine Brownstein, Ph.D., Project Manager, The Gene Partnership, Boston Children’s Hospital; Instructor, Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Catherine Brownstein, PhD, MPH is the Project Manager for The Gene Partnership at Boston Children’s Hospital and an Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. For the last two years, Catherine has worked to establish and develop new sequencing and pharmacogenomics programs at the hospital. Before coming to BCH and HMS, Catherine was a toxicologist at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and spent four years in the world of Health 2.0, creating online patient communities for individuals with chronic and terminal diseases. Catherine’s interests and expertise lie with the intersection of genotype and phenotype, and the integration of patient-reported outcomes with genomics and medicine.

Kenneth Chahine, Ph.D., J.D., Senior Vice President and General Manager, DNA, ancestry.com
Ken Chahine has served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Ancestry DNA, LLC since 2011. Prior to joining us he held several positions, including as Chief Executive Officer of Avigen, a biotechnology company, in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Utah, and at Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals (currently Pfizer). Mr. Chahine also teaches a course focused on new venture development, intellectual property, and licensing at the University of Utah’s College of Law. He earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan, a J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law, and a B.A. in Chemistry from Florida State University.

Mick Correll, COO, Genospace
Mick Correll is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of GenoSpace, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company that is pioneering a bold and innovative software platform for advancing 21st-century genomic medicine. Prior to launching GenoSpace, Mick was the Associate Director of the Center for Cancer Computational Biology (CCCB) at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, overseeing the Center’s next-generation sequencing facility, bioinformatics consulting service and software development efforts.Mick started his career as a Bioinformatician at Lion Bioscience Research Inc, where he was the principle architect of a globally distributed gene annotation and analysis platform, and subsequently served asHead of Professional Services for Lion Bioscience Inc in North America, and Director of Healthcare Product Management at InforSense LLC.

Steven Dickman, President & Owner, CBT Advisors
Steven Dickman is President & Owner of CBT Advisors, a boutique life sciences consulting firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. CBT Advisors works with over 20 clients a year on product positioning and corporate strategy; communications and fund-raising materials; and market analysis based on research and expert interviews. Clients include public and private biotech companies and life science venture funds. Before founding CBT Advisors in 2003, Mr. Dickman spent four years in venture capital with TVM Capital. There, Mr. Dickman’s deals included Sirna Therapeutics, sold to Merck in 2006 for $1.1 billion. Earlier, he was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, a freelance contributor to The Economist, Discover, Science, GEO and Die Zeit and the founding bureau chief for Nature in Munich, Germany. Fluent in German, Mr. Dickman received his biochemistry degree cum laude from Princeton University.
Lynn Doucette-Stamm, Ph.D., Vice President, Development and Clinical Operations, Interleukin Genetics, Inc.
Lynn Doucette-Stamm has served as Vice President of Development and Clinical Operations at Interleukin Genetics since 2011. Prior to joining Interleukin she has worked in numerous capacities in Life Sciences for greater than 25 years. Key positions she has held prior to Interleukin include Vice President of Business Development at Beckman Coulter Genomics and Agencourt Bioscience, and Vice President and General Manager of the GenomeVisionTM Services Business Unit at Genome Therapeutics. She earned a Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Genetics from Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences and a B.S. in Biology from McMaster University.
Yaniv Erlich, Ph.D., Principal Investigator and Whitehead Fellow, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research 
Dr. Yaniv Erlich is Andria and Paul Heafy Family Fellow and Principal Investigator at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received a bachelor’s degree from Tel-Aviv University at Israel and his PhD from the Watson School of Biological Sciences at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Dr. Erlich’s research interests are computational human genetics. He has extensive experience in developing new algorithms for high throughputs sequencing and to detect disease genes. In two of his studies, he identified the genetic basis of devastating genetic disorders. His lab works on a wide range of topics including developing compressed sensing approach to identify rare genetic variations, devising new algorithms for personal genomics, and using Web 2.0 information for genetic studies. Dr. Erlich is the recipient of the Harold M. Weintraub award, the IEEE/ACM-CS HPC award, Goldberg-Lindsay Fellowship, Wolf foundation scholarship for Excellence in exact science, and Emmanuel Ax scholarship, and he was selected as one of 2010 Tomorrow’s PIs team of Genome Technology.

Kyle Fetter, Associate Vice President, Molecular Diagnostics, XIFIN, Inc.
Kyle Fetter has overseen the commercialization, billing, and reimbursement processes for more than 10 molecular diagnostic companies releasing new high complexity laboratory testing services into the healthcare market. He currently manages billing processes for more than 10 companies at various stages of commercialization and third party payer contracting. In addition to overseeing a large molecular diagnostic billing department, Mr. Fetter consults with molecular diagnostic companies on projecting cash flow for non-covered services, implementing successful appeals strategies, and the relationship between sales and reimbursement for new medical technology. He came to the healthcare industry with a background in private equity and technology commercialization. Mr. Fetter has a B.A. in History and Journalism from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A from the University of Utah.
Birgit Funke, Ph.D., FACMG, Assistant Molecular Pathologist and Director of Clinical Research and Development, Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Assistant Professor in Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Birgit Funke, Ph.D., FACMG is an Associate Laboratory Director of the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine (LMM) at PCPGM and is an Instructor in Pathology at Harvard Medical School. She currently oversees genetic testing and test development in the area of cardiovascular disease at the LMM. She has authored and co-authored many publications focusing on a wide array of topics, most recently incentive learning and memory in mice. Currently, Dr. Funke focuses on genetic testing with emphasis on genetically heterogeneous cardiovascular diseases, with the goal of defining the genetic basis for these disorders and developing comprehensive tests using new emerging molecular technologies. In addition, she is interested in developing genetic tests for common, complex disorders, working to understand the genetic variants that have been linked with psychotic and affective disorders.

Amanda Gammon, MS, CGC, Licensed Genetic Counselor, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah 
Amanda Gammon is a board-certified genetic counselor with a master’s degree in genetic counseling from University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology and English literature. While completing her education, Amanda worked at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers. She began working at Huntsman Cancer Institute in July 2007. She provides genetic counseling to patients in the Family Cancer Assessment Clinic and the research-oriented High Risk Breast Cancer Clinic. She also provides counseling for two National Institutes of Health-funded studies. For one study, she discusses familial colorectal cancer risk with individuals by telephone in rural Utah and Idaho to assess effectiveness of telephone intervention versus written risk information in encouraging individuals to pursue colonoscopy. In the other, she provides hereditary breast and ovarian cancer counseling to women in rural Utah both by phone and in-person to assess equivalency. Her main research interests include hereditary breast cancer and provision of genetic counseling through alternative modes for individuals with limited access to genetic counseling centers.

Manuel L. Gonzalez-Garay, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Dr. Gonzalez-Garay obtained his B.S. from the University of Nuevo Leon, Mexico in 1988. He wrote a bachelor’s research dissertation “Papillomavirus and cervical cancer in Mexican population” under the supervision of Dr. Barrera-Saldana and Dr. Gariglio. After a pre-doctoral fellowship at University of Texas, he joined the doctoral program in 1990. In 1996, Dr. Gonzalez-Garay completed his Ph.D. at the University of Texas, writing a dissertation about the regulation of the stoichiometry of tubulin. After a two-year Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the lab of Dr. Fernando Cabral, he joined Lexicon Genetics as a Bioinformatician. He was subsequently promoted to manager of Bioinformatics Group. During his stay at Lexicon Genetics, Dr. Gonzalez-Garay developed a large number of proprietary software and databases to support the gene knockout and drug discovery pipelines. During 2002, Dr. Gonzalez-Garay moved to Baylor College of Medicine, Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC) where he working as a Senior Scientific Programmer and team leader. During his stay at the HGSC he developed “Genboree discovery system” and participated as a bioinformatician in a large number of sequencing projects including the sequencing of the Human chromosome 3 and 12, the complete genomes of Rat and Sea Urchin. Dr. Gonzalez-Garay was instrumental in the development of pipelines for the re-sequencing of candidate genes at HGSC. From 2007 to 2009 he actively participated in the Tumor Sequencing Project (TSP) and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) project. In January, 2010, The IMM recruited Dr. Gonzalez-Garay as Research Assistant Professor for The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. Dr. Gonzalez-Garay is currently developing the pipelines to analyze whole genome and exome sequences and he is currently participating in three main projects: The identification of the causal mutations for tuberous sclerosis, cardiomyopathy and schizophrenia.

Robert Green, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School 
Robert C. Green, MD, MPH is a medical geneticist and a clinical researcher who directs the G2P research program (genomes2people.org) in translational genomics and health outcomes in the Division of Genetics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Green is principal investigator of the NIH-funded REVEAL Study, in which a cross-disciplinary team has conducted 4 separate multi-center randomized clinical trials collectively enrolling 1100 individuals to disclose a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in order to explore emerging themes in translational genomics. Dr. Green also co-directs the NIH-funded PGen Study, the first prospective study of direct-to-consumer genetic testing services and leads the MedSeq Project, the first NIH-funded research study to explore the use of whole genome sequencing in preventive medicine. Dr. Green is currently Associate Director for Research of the Partners Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine, a Board Member of the Council for Responsible Genetics and a member of the Informed Cohort Oversight Boards for both the Children’s Hospital Boston Gene Partnership Program and the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative. He co-chairs the ACMG working group that is currently developing recommendations for management of incidental findings in clinical sequencing.

Steve Gullans, Managing Director, Excel Venture Management
Dr. Gullans is an experienced investor, entrepreneur and scientist. At Excel, he focuses on life science technology companies with a particular interest in disruptive platforms that can impact multiple industries. Steve is currently a Director at Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, PathoGenetix, nanoMR, Cleveland HeartLab, and Catch.com. He was previously a board member of Activate Networks as well as BioTrove which was acquired by Life Technologies (LIFE) in 2009 and Biocius Life Sciences which was acquired by Agilent Technologies (A) in 2011. Prior to Excel, Steve co-founded RxGen, Inc., a pharma services company where he served as CEO from 2004-2008. In 2002, Steve stepped in as a senior executive at U.S. Genomics to direct operations, recruit a new CEO, and assist with fundraising. In the 1990s, he co-developed the technology that launched CellAct Pharma GmbH, a drug development company. Steve’s experience with venture investing began in the late 1980s when he became an active advisor to small biotechs and venture investors, including being a Senior Advisor to CB Health Ventures for 10 years. Dr. Gullans is an expert in advanced life science technologies and was a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital for nearly 20 years. He has published more than 130 scientific papersin many leading journals, lectured internationally, and co-invented numerous patents. He recently co-authored with Juan Enriquez an eBook entitled, Homo evolutis: A Short Tour of Our New Species, and a comment in Nature entitled, “Genetically Enhanced Olympics Are Coming,” which describe a world where humans increasingly shape their environment, themselves, and other species. Steve received his B.S. at Union College, Ph.D. at Duke University, and postdoctoral training at the Yale School of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the AAAS and the AHA.

Tina Hambuch, Senior Scientist, Illumina, Inc.
Tina Hambuch earned her Bachelor’s degree from UC Riverside and her doctorate from UC Berkeley, focusing on genetic analyses of genes that control the immune system. She continued her studies of genetic variation as a post-doctoral fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and an assistant professor at the Ludwig Maximillians University in Munich. After her academic career, Tina used her understanding of genetics and genetic variation to help identify and design diagnostic sequencing tests for clinical application at Ambry Genetics. Tina joined Illumina in 2008 where she combined her experience in genetics, genomics, and clinical diagnostics to contribute to the development of the CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited Illumina Clinical Services Laboratory (ICSL). In 2010, she launched a California-certified Clinical Genetic Molecular Biologist Scientist training program in which she serves as the Education Coordinator and Director. Tina is currently active in the development and validation of genetic testing, as well as clinical tools for doctor support and education. Tina is a member of the American College of Medical Genetics and the American Society of Human Genetics.

Michael Hawley, Chief Design Officer, Mad*Pow

As leader of the Mad*Pow Experience Design team, Michael leverages expertise in usability and user experience to help clients achieve their goals through design. Michael holds his MS in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley College McCallum Graduate School of Business, and BA in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan. He is an active member of the professional design community, serving as an officer in the User Experience Professional’s Association and contributing ideas as a speaker and author, exploring trends within the UX discipline as a published columnist in publications such as UXMatters, iMedia, TMCNet and CPWire.
Caleb J Kennedy, Ph.D., Lead Scientist, Good Start Genetics, Inc.
Caleb currently leads an amazing group of scientist-engineers developing high-performance analytical tools for next-generation advances in genetic testing and research. He holds a Ph.D. in genetics from Harvard University, as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees in molecular and cellular biology from Texas A&M University. Caleb has two beautiful boys, one with Down syndrome.
Ayub Khattak, CEO, ruubix
Ayub Khattak, CEO or ruubix inc., uses his background in biochemistry, programming and electronics in the development of the ruubix digital diagnostic platform. He has his degree in Mathematics from UCLA and developed a NSF funded project in the genetic engineering of RNAi systems before founding ruubix.

Wendy Kohlmann, MS, CGC, Licensed Genetic Counselor, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah 
Wendy Kohlmann is a board-certified genetic counselor with a master’s degree in genetic counseling from the University of Cincinnati and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Wisconsin. She has worked as a genetic counselor at the University of Texas-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor. She began working at Huntsman Cancer Institute as a research associate in 2006. Wendy Kohlmann’s research interests include the inherited basis of melanoma and pancreatic cancer, psychosocial and behavioral outcomes of genetic counseling, and issues for children and adolescents with hereditary cancer syndromes.

Antoinette F. Konski, J.D., Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Antoinette F. Konski is a partner with Foley & Lardner LLP where her practice focuses on intellectual property. She works with life science clients, creating and optimizing value in intellectual property portfolios encompassing technologies that include personalized medicine, regenerative and stem cell biology, antibodies, immunology, gene therapy, nanotechnology, diagnostics, small molecules and drug delivery. She represents public and private companies and universities. Ms. Konski currently serves as the firm’s Silicon Valley IP office chairperson and co-chair of the Life Sciences Industry Team.

Gary J. Kurtzman, MD, Managing Director, Healthcare, Safeguard
Gary has 25+ years of experience in operations and investments, leveraging his medical expertise to enable businesses to enhance their products and grow their services, as well as to discover new partnering potential in developing entrepreneurial companies. Gary joined Safeguard in 2006, where he is responsible for identifying, deploying capital in and supporting emerging healthcare companies in molecular and point-of-care diagnostics, medical devices and healthcare IT. He targets companies with solutions that address the high cost of medical care, and safer and more effective treatments. Gary is a board member of Safeguard partner companies Alverix, Crescendo Bioscience, Good Start Genetics, Medivo, and PixelOptics. Gary has realized value for companies through a series of successful IPOs, M&A and turnaround transactions—most recently Shire’s acquisition of Safeguard’s partner company Advanced BioHealing for $750 million, in cash, representing a 13x cash-on-cash return for Safeguard; and Eli Lilly’s acquisition of Safeguard’s partner company Avid Radiopharmaceuticals for $300 million, up front, with an additional $500 million payout dependent upon the achievement of future regulatory and commercial milestones, representing an initial 3x cash-on-cash return for Safeguard with the potential to realize up to 8x. Gary joined Safeguard from BioAdvance, a state initiative committed to funding early-stage life sciences companies, where he served as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer at Pluvita Corporation, a company developing biological and bioinformatic solutions for drug and diagnostic development. Gary also previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Genovo, Inc., a gene therapy start-up company. He was also employed as head of research & development by Avigen, Inc., an early-stage gene therapy company located in San Francisco. Gary began his career with Gilead Sciences, Inc.—at the time, a pre-IPO biotechnology company—as virology group leader. A board-certified internist from Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, MO, with a hematology sub-specialty, Gary has authored more than 40 research articles, book chapters and reviews, and is credited as inventor on twelve issued United States patents. Presently, Gary serves on various academic and biomedical committees and boards along with the editorial board of Biotechnology Healthcare. Presently, Gary is a lecturer in the Health Care Systems Department at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches entrepreneurship in life sciences.

Gholson Lyon, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Human Genetics, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Research Scientist, Utah Foundation for Biomedical Research
Gholson Lyon is an assistant professor in human genetics at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and a research scientist at the Utah Foundation for Biomedical Research. He is also a board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist. He earned an M.Phil. in Genetics at the University of Cambridge, England, then received a Ph.D. and M.D. through the combined Cornell/Sloan-Kettering/Rockefeller University training program. He started his independent research career in 2009, after finishing clinical residencies in child, adolescent and adult psychiatry. In addition to his research on the genetics of neuropsychiatric illnesses, Dr. Lyon is focusing on the genetic basis of rare Mendelian diseases.

Daniel MacArthur, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital; Co-founder, Genomes Unzipped 
Daniel MacArthur is a group leader at the Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and a research affiliate at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. His research focuses on understanding the functional impact of genetic variation using genome sequencing data. His writing on personal genomics is archived at Wired Science, and his research is described on his lab page at http://www.macarthurlab.org/.

Ellen T. Matloff, M.S., Research Scientist, Department of Genetics and Director, Cancer Genetic Counseling, Yale Cancer Center
Ellen T. Matloff, M.S., C.G.C., received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Union College, her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern University, and her board certification from the American Board of Genetic Counseling. She specializes in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (BRCA1, BRCA2), hereditary colon cancer syndromes (HNPCC, FAP), and rare cancer syndromes. Her interests include patient and provider issues in genetic counseling, sexuality and cancer patients, and the impact of patents on clinical practice.

Martin Mendiola, M.D., MPH, Director, Clinical Program Development, Happtique
Martin Mendiola is responsible for clinical needs assessments of mHealth technology for the purposes of enhancing the provision of care and patient engagement and satisfaction. He is involved in the clinical implementation of Happtique’s solutions within client health systems while serving as a liaison to its healthcare providers. He has also created the medical, health, and wellness library intellectual property offered to Happtique’s members. Prior to joining Happtique, Martin worked in the direct delivery of care within several hospital systems and through international humanitarian relief efforts, and has conducted extensive clinical research. He earned his MD from the Ponce School of Medicine and MPH in Health Policy from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Peter S. Miller, COO, Genomic Healthcare Strategies
Peter Miller is Chief Operating Officer of Genomic Healthcare Strategies, a company focused on the changes in healthcare resulting from advances in molecular medicine. Peter spent his career building companies which have operated in expanding markets driven by new technology. He has a track record of spotting trends and successful implementation. He did his undergraduate work at MIT. While working on his MBA at MIT’s Sloan School, he was a founding member of Abt Associates Inc, and over a period of 17 years worked as COO and Board member as the company grew from 3 people to 800. Peter has been a key advisor to firms facing a variety of transitional events (external or internal), entering new markets, and facing choices around mergers/acquisitions/going public. He has helped build successful companies in software and professional services, three of which were sold to public companies. He has served on a number of boards of innovative technology companies, helping build their success, both organizationally and in their markets. He has a long term interest in health care. He established the original health care research group at Abt Associates. He has helped teach a course at Harvard School of Public Health, working with Dr. John Bryant, later Dean of Columbia’s School of Public Health. He has worked on physician education with the American Association of Medical Colleges and has been a board member of several health care services firms. He has extensive experience with entrepreneurial companies, having successfully worked with firms raising money seven times, both as an employee and as a business plan quarterback. He is involved in M&A activities on both the buy and sell sides. In addition he has been a licensed (NASD) broker/dealer. Peter is a frequent invited speaker on the changing healthcare landscape, writing and speaking on Personalized Medicine for many years as a thought leader. He has been invited to speak at the Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, LabCompete, the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Technology Management Program, among others. Peter is co-author with Keith Batchelder of GHS of an invited Nature Biotechnology commentary: “A Change in the Market – Investing in Diagnostics.” He is active with his alma mater, having been Board Chairman of the Global MIT Enterprise Forum, a past board member of the MIT Alumni Association, and currently helps fledgling startups as Co-Director of the MIT Venture Mentoring Service.

Georgia Mitsi, MSc, Ph.D., MBA, Founder and CEO, Apptomics LLC 
Georgia Mitsi MSc, PhD, MBA is the Founder and CEO of Apptomics LLC ,a health technology firm specializing in the design and validation of quality medical mobile applications for selected conditions with high unmet need focusing primarily in CNS. Georgia received her PhD in Health Sciences and MSc in Applied Medical Sciences from University of Patras, Greece and her MBA from University of Miami. She has extensive experience in Pharmaceutical Industry and Healthcare Consulting where she has been involved in positions of increased responsibility in areas such as Clinical Research, Health Outcomes and Health Economics. She often played an instrumental role in uncovering and fostering new business opportunities and developing a strategic roadmap for product’s value proposition. Georgia also worked at the Health Services Research Center (HSRC), a joint venture between Humana and University of Miami and among other responsibilities she led the scientific effort for Games for Health initiative. She has completed successfully many research projects of high complexity and has collaborated with pharmaceutical companies as well as academic institutions. She has co-authored several scientific publications and presented in conferences such as ISPOR and DIA. Georgia is also a published novelist in her native language, Greek.

David Mittelman, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech Department of Biological Sciences, and VTC School of Medicine
Dr. Mittelman is an Associate Professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, the Virginia Tech Department of Biological Sciences, and the VTC School of Medicine. David Mittelman holds a PhD in Molecular Biophysics through the Department of Biochemistry at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Dr. Mittelman completed his postdoctoral training in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at BCM. In 2009, Dr. Mittelman was awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, and began an independent research program in population-scale genomics at BCM’s Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC). Currently, Dr. Mittelman leads the Genetics and Genomic Medicine Laboratory at Virginia Tech, combining experimental and computational approaches to characterizing personal genomes.

Anne Morriss, Founder and CEO, Genepeeks
Anne is the founder and CEO of Genepeeks, a genetic information company that helps families to protect their future children. She has helped to launch and grow multiple technology companies, and is the best-selling co-author of Uncommon Service: How to Win By Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business (Harvard Business Review Press). Anne received her B.A in American Studies from Brown University and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School.

Julia Oh, Chief Science Officer, 1eq

Heidi L. Rehm, Ph.D., FACMG, Chief Laboratory Director, Molecular Medicine, Partners HealthCare Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine (PCPGM); Assistant Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Heidi Rehm, Ph.D. was recruited in 2001 to build the Laboratory for Molecular Medicine at PCPGM and serves as its Laboratory Director. She is a board-certified clinical molecular geneticist and Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School with appointments at BWH, MGH and Children’s Hospital Boston. Her undergraduate degree is from Middlebury College, her graduate degree in Genetics is from Harvard University and her postdoctoral and fellowship training was at HMS. Heidi has served as the Director of the ABMG Clinical Molecular Genetics Training Program at HMS since 2006. In addition to running the LMM and the molecular training program, she also conducts research in hearing loss, Usher syndrome, cardiomyopathy and the use of IT in enabling personalized medicine.
Jessica Richman, CEO and Co-Founder, uBiome

Gabe Rudy, Vice President, Product Development, Golden Helix and Author “A Hitchhikers Guide to Next Generation Sequencing”
Gabe Rudy has been GHI’s Vice President of Product Development and team member since 2002. Gabe thrives in the dynamic and fast-changing field of bioinformatics and genetic analysis. Leading a killer team of Computer Scientists and Statisticians in building powerful products and providing world-class support, Gabe puts his passion into enabling Golden Helix’s customers to accelerate their research. When not reading or blogging, Gabe enjoys the outdoor Montana lifestyle. But most importantly, Gabe truly loves spending time with his sons and wife.

Meredith Salisbury, Senior Consultant, Bioscribe
Prior to becoming a consultant for Bioscribe, Meredith was CEO and Editor-in-Chief of GenomeWeb, the leading news and information service for scientists in the systems biology field. During her 11 years with the company, Meredith honed her knowledge of the genomics market, with a particular focus on next-gen DNA sequencing. She is the co-founder of the Consumer Genetics Conference held annually in Boston. Before joining GenomeWeb, Meredith had an extended internship in the busy newsroom at Newsweek in New York City. Meredith brings her industry knowledge and connections to oversee editorial strategy for Bioscribe clients. Meredith enjoys hot-air ballooning and is based in the NYC metropolitan area.

Anish Sebastian, Co-Founder and CEO, 1eq

Juhan Sonin, Creative Director, Involution Studios, MIT
Juhan Sonin is an emeritus of some of the finest software organizations in the world: Apple, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has been a creative director for almost two decades with his work being featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, BBC International, Billboard Magazine and National Public Radio (NPR). He is also a lecturer on design and rapid prototyping at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Vasisht Tadigotla, Ph.D., Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, Courtagen Life Sciences, Inc.
Vasisht is currently working as a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at Courtagen Life Sciences. Previously, he has worked as a Staff Scientist at Life Technologies helping develop the SOLiD and Ion Torrent sequencing technologies and at the Department of Physics at Boston University. Vasisht earned a Ph.D. in Biophysics and Computational Biology from Rutgers University and a B.Tech. in Biochemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.

Spencer Wells, Ph.D., Explorer-in-Residence and Director, The Genographic Project, National Geographic Society
Spencer Wells is a leading population geneticist and director of the Genographic Project from National Geographic and IBM. His fascination with the past has led the scientist, author, and documentary filmmaker to the farthest reaches of the globe in search of human populations who hold the history of humankind in their DNA. By studying humankind’s family tree he hopes to close the gaps in our knowledge of human migration. A National Geographic explorer-in-residence, Wells is spearheading the Genographic Project, calling it “a dream come true.” His hope is that the project, which builds on Wells’s earlier work (featured in his book and television program, The Journey of Man) and is being conducted in collaboration with other scientists around the world, will capture an invaluable genetic snapshot of humanity before modern-day influences erase it forever. Wells’s own journey of discovery began as a child whose zeal for history and biology led him to the University of Texas, where he enrolled at age 16, majored in biology, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa three years later. He then pursued his Ph.D. at Harvard University under the tutelage of distinguished evolutionary geneticist Richard Lewontin. Beginning in 1994, Wells conducted postdoctoral training at Stanford University’s School of Medicine with famed geneticist Luca Cavalli-Sforza, considered the “father of anthropological genetics.” It was there that Wells became committed to studying genetic diversity in indigenous populations and unraveling age-old mysteries about early human migration. Wells’s field studies began in earnest in 1996 with his survey of Central Asia. In 1998 Wells and his colleagues expanded their study to include some 25,000 miles of Asia and the former Soviet republics. His landmark research findings led to advances in the understanding of the male Y chromosome and its ability to trace ancestral human migration. Wells then returned to academia where, at Oxford University, he served as director of the Population Genetics Research Group of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford. Following a stint as head of research for a Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, Wells made the decision in 2001 to focus on communicating scientific discovery through books and documentary films. From that was born The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, an award-winning book and documentary that aired on PBS in the U.S. and National Geographic Channel internationally. Written and presented by Wells, the film chronicled his globe-circling, DNA-gathering expeditions in 2001-02 and laid the groundwork for the Genographic Project. Since the Genographic Project began, Wells’s work has taken him to over three dozen countries, including Chad, Tajikistan, Morocco, Papua New Guinea, and French Polynesia, and he recently published his second book, Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project. He lives with his wife, a documentary filmmaker, in Washington, D.C.
Eric P. Williams, Ph.D., Senior Bioinformatics Scientist, National Marrow Donor Program
Dr. Eric Williams is Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) which is entrusted to operate the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, including the Be The Match Registry. Eric has 9 years of experience working in research related to aspects of biology, histocompatibility and population genetics associated with finding matching donors for patients needing stem cell therapies. His interests include the utilization of genetic information to further medicine, infer ancestry, and aid in family history research. He has led development of systems utilized by worldwide transplant centers to access population HLA frequency and ancestry information critical to the process of finding matching, unrelated donors for patients. Other activities have included utilizing Geographic Information Systems to map global frequencies of HLA haplotypes and a US market area capacity analysis resulting in increased funding to develop facilities at medical institutions supporting stem cell therapy programs. Prior to his work with the NMDP, Eric has 18 years experience supporting marker assisted plant breeding programs at Pioneer Hi-Bred, Mycogen Seeds and Syngenta Seeds. Dr. Williams received a Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics and a MS in Plant Physiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a BA in Agronomy from Brigham Young University.
Rina Wolf, Vice President, Commercialization Strategies, XIFIN, Inc.
Rina Wolf is a nationally recognized expert in the field of laboratory commercialization and reimbursement, with over 20 years of experience in the diagnostic laboratory industry, specializing in Molecular Diagnostic Laboratories. She lectures extensively on these topics and has consulted for major laboratories and laboratory associations throughout the U.S.. She is a former President and board member of the California Clinical Laboratory Association and is an active participant with the ACLA (American Clinical Laboratory Association) and the Personalized Medicine Coalition. Ms. Wolf also advises and presents to investor audiences, recent speaking engagements include Piper Jaffray, Cowen Group and Bloomberg’s G2 Intelligence Lab Investment Forum. Most recently Ms. Wolf held the position of Vice President of Reimbursement and Regulatory Affairs at Axial Biotech, Inc. where she was responsible for creating and implementing their successful reimbursement strategies. Prior to joining Axial Biotech, Inc., Ms. Wolf held executive positions in the area of commercialization and reimbursement at RedPath Integrated Pathology, Inc., Genomic Health, Inc., and Esoterix (now LabCorp). Ms. Wolf has a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA and a Masters of HealthCare Administration.

http://www.consumergeneticsconference.com/cgc_content.aspx?id=116061
 

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