Ryan Taft has joined Illumina as director of scientific research. Taft is laboratory head and senior research fellow at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience. Taft will maintain a joint appointment with UQ while working for Illumina.
Vermillion has tapped James LaFrance, chairman of the firms' board of directors, to succeed Thomas McLain as president and CEO. LaFrance, who will continue to serve as Vermillion's board chairman, formerly was CEO of Omnyx and held executive leadership posts at Ventana Medical Systems and Bayer Diagnostics.