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People in the News at Metabolon, IDT, WorldQuant Foundry, PanGia Biotech, Syantra

Metabolon: Michael Irwin

Metabolon has appointed Michael Irwin as VP, global head of sales. Irwin joins Metabolon from Olink, where he was most recently global VP of sales, support, and marketing. Prior to that, he worked for Calibre Scientific, where he was senior VP of global sales and marketing. He has also held senior positions with Agilent Technologies, Pacific Biosciences, and Life Technologies.


Integrated DNA Technologies: Ajay Gannerkote

IDT appointed Ajay Gannerkote as president, effective immediately. Gannerkote previously served as president of Siemens Healthineers' ultrasound business and as a partner at McKinsey & Company. Gannerkote earned an MBA at the University of Michigan and a bachelor of science in electronics and telecommunication engineering at the University of Mysore in India.


WorldQuant Foundry: Christopher Mason

Chris Mason has been appointed as senior healthcare adviser of WorldQuant Foundry, an incubator for technology companies. He is a professor at Weill Cornell Medicine. Mason will help WorldQuant Foundry's entrepreneurs and data scientists identify and develop opportunities in the healthcare sector, focusing on AI-driven startups, precision medicine, and medicine in space.


PanGia Biotech: Curtiss McNair

Liquid biopsy test developer PanGia Biotech has appointed Curtiss McNair as VP of operations. McNair has more than 20 years of experience in laboratory management, clinical trials, and operational strategy, PanGia said, and most recently served as VP/general manager of laboratory services at the American Oncology Network, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is also currently defending his Ph.D. dissertation on organizational leadership at Carolina University, the company said. McNair also holds an MBA from Ashford University and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Victory University.


Syantra: Holly Smithson

Calgary, Alberta-based early cancer detection company Syantra has appointed Holly Smithson to its board of directors. Smithson is currently CEO of women's global advocacy organization Athena. She served as a presidential appointee in President George W. Bush's administration, advancing legislative initiatives at the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of State. She was also a delegate in California Gov. Jerry Brown's Cleantech Trade Mission to China. She joins Syantra as it prepares to launch Onco-ID, which amplifies and analyzes the body's signals for early cancer detection.


For additional recent items on executive appointments, promotions, and departures in the omics and molecular diagnostics space, please see the People in the News page on our website.