ALISO VIEJO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ambry Genetics’ Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Elliott, Ph.D. received the Orange County Business Journal’s ‘Innovator of the Year’ award during a luncheon celebration with more than 300 people at the Hotel Irvine on Thursday, September 22nd, 2016.
“If you look at Ambry Genetics today, we just opened a 65,000-square-foot lab here in Orange County, we have more than 600 tests on our menu and we’ve been able to have these accomplishments by doing what’s right for healthcare, doing what’s right for the patient and not being afraid to take chances, but to push science forward,” said Dr. Elliott during his acceptance speech.
Since joining Ambry in 2008, Dr. Elliott has been a key component of Ambry’s research and development department, involved in launching some of the most groundbreaking genetic tests in the industry. In addition to launching the first commercial next generation sequencing gene panel and the first CLIA approved diagnostic exome test, he was also involved in the pivotal Supreme Court decision involving gene patents alongside Ambry’s current President and Chairman and co-founder, Charles Dunlop.
“When I started at Ambry almost 9 years ago, he [Charles Dunlop] told me two things,” said Dr. Elliott. “One thing he told me is when you design a test, I want you to make that test as if one day your child is going to need it and his diagnosis depends on those results. The other thing he told me is when you’re trying to figure out what test to launch, don’t get on your calculator and try to figure out how much money the company is going to make…if it helps just one person, launch the test. And those are the principles Ambry still stands by.”
Out of the 75 Orange County innovators who were nominated, five were selected to receive the award. In addition to Dr. Elliott, the four additional honorees were Dr. Mitchell Brin, Allergan’s Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer; Stuart McClure, CEO and Co-Founder of Cylance, Inc.; Dr. Benjamin Park, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Enevate Corp.; and Annette Walker, President of Strategy and Chief Executive of Providence St. Joseph Health.
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ABOUT AMBRY GENETICS®
Ambry Genetics is both College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified. Ambry leads in clinical genetic diagnostics and genetics software solutions, combining both to offer the most comprehensive testing menu in the industry. Ambry has established a reputation for sharing data while safeguarding patient privacy, unparalleled service, and responsibly applying new technologies to the clinical molecular diagnostics market. For more information about Ambry Genetics, visit www.ambrygen.com
