BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Biodesix, Inc., a fully integrated molecular diagnostics company dedicated to precision medicine, today announced two key additions to its leadership team. Richard Hockett, M.D., assumes the role of chief medical officer, overseeing the regulatory, medical and clinical strategy for Biodesix’ expanding pipeline of new products. Jasmine Gruia-Gray, Ph.D., has been named vice president of strategic marketing, a role in which she will engage the marketplace on the clinical value of using noninvasive diagnostics to guide targeted therapy for patients. Throughout their careers, Hockett and Gruia-Gray have been motivated by the same dedication to improving patient outcomes that has driven Biodesix for nearly a decade.
Dr. Hockett, a board certified clinical pathologist and champion of personalized medicine, brings three decades of experience in applying biomarkers to clinical medicine. He most recently served as chief medical officer for CombiMatrix, a molecular diagnostics company, and before that as chief medical officer for Affymetrix, which specializes in microarray technology and genomic analysis. Dr. Hockett began his industry career in genomic medicine with Eli Lilly and Co., where he developed the pharmacogenomic program and oversaw the application of genetic biomarkers to clinical drug development. He earned his doctor of medicine degree from the University of Minnesota, and pursued a residency in Clinical Pathology at Washington University, St. Louis.
“Dr. Hockett has an impressive track record of delivering truly innovative personalized medicine technologies to patients in need,” said David Brunel, CEO of Biodesix. “He shares our mission at Biodesix to provide clinicians with important and unique information relating to a patient’s diagnosis, prognosis or response to therapy. Above all else, our goal is to empower better patient care and higher quality of life during treatment.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Gruia-Gray has joined Biodesix to lead marketing efforts for the company and its novel diagnostic products. Prior to joining Biodesix, Jasmine held marketing leadership roles at Affymetrix and Thermo Fisher Scientific (formerly Dionex Corp.) where she engaged scientific thought leaders to enhance the corporate brand and brought the “voice of the customer” inside the company. Under her leadership at GE Healthcare (formerly Amersham Biosciences) the company's proteomics portfolio experienced double-digit growth.
“Jasmine is a dynamic leader with a strong scientific background, as well as a history of launching innovative products and brands that redefine the healthcare marketplace,” Brunel said. “We look forward to Jasmine’s contributions as we continue to change the course of precision medicine.”
Dr. Gruia-Gray holds a doctor of philosophy in molecular biology from the University of Toronto. She dedicated five years to the National Institute of Health, supporting the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases through a post-doctorate fellowship.
About Biodesix
For more information about Biodesix, please visit www.Biodesix.com.
