Innovation is in Our Blood

Eric is a 20-year veteran of the diagnostics industry. Prior to incubating Babson Diagnostics at Siemens Healthineers, Eric was Siemens’ VP, Portfolio & Product Management, responsible for its $3 billion global product portfolio of central laboratory technologies. He was also responsible for the company’s web properties and $1 billion in e-commerce operations as the global head of Siemens’ clinical laboratory automation and IT business, which advanced from #2 to #1 in market share during his tenure.

Eric earned his BS in Biology from MIT and his MS in Technology Management from the University of Pennsylvania.

David Stein is the former global head of strategy and president of molecular diagnostics for Siemens Healthineers. His previous roles include CEO of Siemens' point of care business, head of strategy for the Diagnostics division, and global vice president of engineering within the Diagnostics division. Working alongside Eric Olson, he was instrumental in incubating Babson Diagnostics in the company’s earliest days. David is also the Board Chairman of PixCell Medical, Israel.

Dr. Stein earned his Ph.D. in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

Judson Cooper is a founding principal of Prism Ventures LLC. He has been an active investor in technology, biotechnology and health care companies since 1990. He has co-founded eight medical technology companies, serving in senior operating and advisory positions to provide financing, recruit management and oversee corporate operations and strategy. Mr. Cooper served as Chairman of SIGA Technologies and of Lev Pharmaceuticals from 2003 until its acquisition in 2008 in a transaction valued at over $500 million.

Mr. Cooper has an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Dennis Gilbert serves as head of laboratory diagnostics research and development at Siemens Healthineers. Previously head of research and development for BD Life Sciences, Abbott Diagnostics and Applied Biosystems, he has led some of the most notable innovations in the research and diagnostics industries. At Siemens Healthineers, Dennis leads research and development for the Atellica Solution, the state-of-the-art instrument suite used for Babson Diagnostics’ chemistry and immunoassay tests.

Dr. Gilbert received a BS in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California, San Diego and a Ph.D. in genetics from Johns Hopkins University.

Neil Cohen is the founder and chairman of Emerald Development Managers LP, a venture capital firm founded in 1994. He is also co-founder, co-CEO, and a member of the Executive Committee of American Rock Salt Company, LLC, the largest salt mine in the US. Mr. Cohen serves as a board director of Proscia Inc., Sustained Nano Systems, and TBT Pharma Inc., and as a board observer for LifeSprout, Inc., Torigen Pharmaceuticals, and WATT Fuel Cell Corp. He is also an advisory board member for the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and the Irving Medical Center at Columbia University.

Neil holds a BES from Johns Hopkins University and MS in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Dave Hickey serves as worldwide president of integrated diagnostic solutions at BD. A health care executive with over 25 years in the in vitro diagnostics industry, Dave currently leads BD’s diagnostics businesses, including the division with which Babson is engaged in a long-term strategic partnership agreement. He has formerly served as CEO of Siemens’ central laboratory business unit and as worldwide director of marketing for Bayer Diagnostics. He is an active participant on the boards of directors for AdvaMed Dx and the University Of Maryland Health Sciences Research Park.

Dave earned his degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences (Clinical Biochemistry) at the University of Manchester.

As a Senior Associate at Emerald, Cy evaluates new investment opportunities and supports the firm’s portfolio companies. Prior to Emerald, Cy worked at Barings, an institutional asset management firm, where he spent time on both the firm’s U.S. high-yield investment team covering technology, media, and telecom companies, as well as its European high-yield and distressed investment teams. He also worked at Rhapsody Venture Partners, an early-stage VC firm in Cambridge, MA investing in materials science and applied engineering innovations.

Cy holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BS in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Maninder “Mini” Kahlon is a volunteer advisor to Babson Diagnostics’ Board of Directors and is Vice Dean for the Health Ecosystem at the UT Dell Medical School, which she helped to launch. Preceding this role, Mini served as Chief Information Officer and Executive Director for UCSF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Focused on advancing health care innovation, Dr. Kahlon has served as Vice Chair of MedTech Innovation for the Austin Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Founding Co-Chair of the Austin Healthcare Council, and, as of 2019, Executive Director of Factor Health, a program that builds new businesses to address the broader social and behavioral drivers of health. Mini has centered her career on innovations that increase health impact at better price points for society.

Dr. Kahlon graduated from Bryn Mawr College and earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Francisco.

Dominic is a laboratory veteran with over 20 years’ experience in the Diagnostic Industry and most recently was the Vice President of Market Access for Mindera Health, where he helped to commercialize their proprietary test to help physicians select the most appropriate biologic for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.  Prior to Mindera Health, Dominic worked at Agendia, Inc. where he was responsible for all Managed Care coverage and contracting for their proprietary breast cancer assay, MammaPrint.

Dominic has worked with numerous laboratories in various consulting roles in the last 10 years and started his laboratory career with Quest Diagnostics where he worked for 13 years and held various roles including managing the West Region Managed Care team with contract revenue of over $1 Billion in Annual Sales.

Kristie has more than 20 years of marketing experience across health care, retail, and insurance. She spent 10 years at CVS Health in various roles, most notably leading the marketing department for MinuteClinic, the country’s largest retail medical clinic. She served as a member of the executive leadership team and officer of the company, growing the offering to more than 1,000 clinics nationally and making the brand synonymous with retail care.

Kristie went on to lead marketing for DentaQuest, the nation’s largest Medicaid dental insurer, and then returned to CVS Health as Executive Director of strategic marketing and digital engagement at Aetna. Previously she served as Senior Marketing Officer for Lifespan, an integrated health system in Providence, Rhode Island.

Kristie has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Bentley University and graduated from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Education Program.

Nicholas brings over 20 years’ experience in retail pharmacy, pharmacy services, and pharmacy operations. Most recently, he was Vice President of Pharmacy Retail Operations at McKesson, the leading wholesale distribution company and franchiser of independent pharmacies. Prior to joining McKesson, Nicholas was working with Target on their health care team in regulatory affairs and state/federal compliance.

Nicholas spent several years working in LTC Pharmacy focused on operations and profitability for PharMerica. He also has spent over 10 years with CVS/Health in several different positions, most notably working on the pharmacy operations CVS/Caremark offerings, PMS, acquisitions, and patient care initiatives.

He has a Doctor of Pharmacy from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Chris Tanzi previously served as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing with Siemens Healthineers where he led the Central Laboratory Solutions Franchise Group.  Chris’ responsibilities spanned portfolio strategy, product management and marketing for in vitro diagnostic products accounting for over $2 billion of annual revenue for Siemens.  During his 10 years with Siemens, Chris also headed the Strategic Planning team across the organization. Prior to joining Siemens, Chris led Global Molecular Market Development with Immucor, a Transfusion and Transplant diagnostics company. 

Chris holds a BSE in Chemical Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences of the University of Pennsylvania as well as an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.    

Prior to joining Babson Diagnostics, Jones spent more than ten years at Clinical Pathology Laboratories Inc. in Austin, one of the nation’s largest providers of lab services to the medical community. Most recently, he was senior vice president of business development and strategic operations, where he fostered strategic partnerships with hospitals, health systems, clinics, and employer groups across the U.S.. He also executed successful tactical market planning and standardization processes for new lab tests and IT product implementation projects. 

Roy previously served as VP, Molecular Diagnostics Product Development for Siemens Healthineers, where he was responsible for defining and developing next generation molecular diagnostic analyzers.

Roy earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.

CJ is a seasoned IT leader with 18 years of experience managing software product strategy, engineering, and IT systems for startups and Fortune 500 companies. While working at Molina Healthcare, he successfully led the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS) implementation and operations for the State of Idaho, enabling effective care management, provider enrollment, and claims administration. In his most recent role, CJ led an IT consulting practice delivering key digital commerce initiatives for enterprise clients. He maintains a keen interest in transforming health care through emerging technologies.

CJ earned his BS in Computer Science from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dr. Jacobson has over 30 years of experience in research, development, and commercialization of research and medical products and services. He previously served as Laboratory Director for SpectraCell Laboratories, PHDx Inc., and Biophysical Corporation – high-complexity, CLIA-accredited laboratories – in Austin and Houston, Texas. He was at Luminex Corporation in Austin for ten years in a variety of positions including Chief Scientific Officer, where he founded and chaired the Luminex Scientific Advisory Board, directed external research collaborations with key academic and industry thought leaders, established an external content licensing program, and directed strategic initiatives in personalized medicine and biomarker development. Dr. Jacobson is an inventor on five patents and is the author of publications in genetics, molecular biology, medical devices, and laboratory science.

Dr. Jacobson has a Ph.D. in Population Biology (Genetics) from Washington University in Saint Louis and completed postdoctoral training at North Carolina State University and Duke University. He was also a faculty member in the Department of Biology at the University of Houston.

Dutch brings more than 20 years of medical device experience in procurement, planning, operations, and customer service. He has a deep expertise in resilient and scalable supply chains, new-product introduction, collaborative supplier management, and effective technology deployment. Most recently he was the vice president of manufacturing and operations at Lima USA, a global orthopedics company.

Heath has twelve years’ experience in laboratory management, including at Texas Oncology, Schryver Medical, and Clinical Pathology Laboratories. He has prior experience at three startup companies and has helped to open five brand-new laboratories. He previously served as Hematology Applications Specialist at Siemens.

Heath is an ASCP-certified Medical Technologist and earned his BS in Clinical Laboratory Science from Texas State University.

Chris entered his position with twelve years’ experience as a Biochemist at Siemens Healthineers. His background is in clinical assay R&D with a heavy focus on reagent optimization, method integration, and verification. He has applied Six Sigma principles to innovative development projects including Vitamin D, ELF, and high-sensitivity Troponin I.

Chris earned his BS in Biotechnology & Biochemistry from Rutgers University.

Jane has over ten years of experience in product development, manufacturing, and quality assurance in the medical device, pharmaceutical, and oil & gas industries. Most recently, she worked at Stryker as their Global Supplier Quality Manager, increasing supplier performance through quality improvement projects, standardized processes, and managing an effective supplier audit program globally.

Jane earned her BS in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Celia has seven years’ managerial and administrative experience between a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a consumer cooperative.

Celia earned her BFA from the University of Oklahoma as a National Merit scholar.

Kelsey is an accomplished accounting professional with over 20 years of experience and a demonstrated history of working in a diverse array of industries including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and construction. She has built and managed complex accounting teams, with controllerships at Centex Materials, LLC, Compass Group USA and ALK Abello Pharmaceuticals.

Kelsey earned her MBA from Texas A&M University.

Dr. Wu is Professor of Laboratory Medicine at UCSF and Chief of Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology Laboratories at San Francisco General Hospital. He was awarded the American Association for Clinical Chemistry Outstanding Contributions to Education Award in 2002 and the In Vitro Diagnostic Technology’s Top 10 Persons in the IVD Industry in 2005. Dr. Wu is a published author and is Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Chimica Acta.

Dr. Wu earned his Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Purdue University, and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Illinois.

Dr. Evans is Principal and Founder of BioDecisions Consulting. Dr. Evans has previously served as Vice President of Scientific Affairs at Beckman Coulter and as President of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC). She has 30 years’ experience in diagnostics and laboratory medicine, and due to her work’s impact, was honored with AACC’s Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine in 2017.

Dr. Evans earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Detroit.

Dr. Christenson is Medical Director of Core Laboratories and Professor of Pathology and Medical and Research Technology at the University of Maryland. An international expert in cardiac biomarkers and clinical utility, he has published more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Christenson previously served as President of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Dr. Christenson earned his BA in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts and his PhD in Analytical Chemistry at Florida State University.

Dr. Donnelly was formerly the EVP Regulatory and Clinical Affairs for Quotient Limited, as well as Chief Scientific Officer for Siemens Healthineers’ Diagnostics division, where he served as Global VP for the Medical, Clinical, Scientific, and Statistical Affairs groups. He is an accomplished laboratory director and academic researcher with previous roles including Associate Professor of Pathology at NYU School of Medicine and Associate Director of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation. He has served as Medical Director across multiple clinical pathology disciples at high-complexity CLIA laboratories in Manhattan and the Bronx.

Dr. Donnelly earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Biochemistry at George Washington University and his MBA at the University of Ottawa. A diplomate in Clinical Chemistry from the American Board of Clinical Chemists, he is also a Fellow of both the US and Canadian National Academies of Clinical Biochemistry.