|
Steve Laken "had already achieved more public acclaim than many scientists receive in a lifetime." He had been featured on the nightly news of all four major television networks, in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, USA Today and on National Public Radio and the Associated Press Radio Network. In his fourth year of a graduate program in cellular and molecular medicine, Dr. Laken was part of the team credited with discovering the first familial genetic mutation that causes colorectal cancer and with developing a simple blood test to identify it. The American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncologists now recommend genetic testing based on this work. Subsequent to graduate school, Dr. Laken worked at Exact Sciences Inc. as Director of Business Development and Intellectual Asset Management. He managed the firm's portfolio of intellectual property, licensed new technology and genes, established collaborative relationships with scientists and industry, and designed and managed clinical studies. He successfully identified the firm's first product and implemented its launch, establishing commercial operations two years ahead of the initial goal. He played a key role in raising Series D financing and was part of the management team that took Exact Sciences public through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Dr. Laken is a recipient of the MIT Technology Review 100 Young Innovators Award (2002) and the David Israel Macht Prize from Johns Hopkins University (1999). He holds four patents and was instrumental in developing four commercially-available DNA-based diagnostic products both at Johns Hopkins and at Exact Sciences. He holds a B.S. in Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. | 