NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – NanoString Technologies this week announced the passing of J. Wayne Cowens, who had served as the firm's chief medical officer since 2011. He was 67 years old.
While NanoString searches for a new chief medical officer, the firm has put together a team to handle medical affairs, as well as to support regulatory and product development efforts. As such, "the company does not believe Cowens' death will have any material impact on [the] timing and execution of its ongoing product development initiatives, regulatory submissions, or efforts to gain reimbursement and treatment guideline inclusion for the Prosigna Breast Cancer Assay," NanoString said.
Before coming to NanoString, Cowens held senior positions at Genomic Health, Chiron (now Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics), and Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals.
Genome Canada named Paul-Émile Cloutier as vice president of advocacy and external relations. In the role, Cloutier will manage government and stakeholder relations, communications, events and sponsorships, and activities in the genomics and society section.
Cloutier has worked as a senior executive in the nonprofit and private sectors, including spending 11 years at the Canadian Medical Association as CEO, secretary general, and assistant secretary general. He also was a senior executive in government relations at VIA Rail Canada, a senior policy advisor for several federal ministers, and chief of staff to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of Ontario.
Erica Fishel has been named director of technology transfer at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, where she will focus on expanding the center's IP and technology transfer program. She also will monitor the center's research to identify and protect IP that can be used to bring products to market. She previously was a scientific adviser on agricultural technology issues at IP law firm Global Patent Group. She also was a biochemist at Sigma-Aldrich. Fishel currently is an adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis, and Fontbonne University, also in St. Louis.
IMGM Laboratories has appointed Michael Bonin as managing director. Previously, he served as director of MFTServices, a core facility for expression profiling and genotyping at the Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics at the University of Tübingen.
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