who we are

We Are Defining the Future of Early Cancer Detection

Our seasoned scientists and industry leaders have unparalleled experience in the fields of DNA mutation detection and genomics.

We have innovated technologies adopted by renowned companies: Roche, Abbott Labs, ThermoFisher and Quest. At AcuamarkDX, we are shaping a new future in cancer diagnostics and making early cancer detection a standard of primary care.

Our Team

Bernard Peperstraete, MD
Bernard Peperstraete, MD
Co-Founder/CEO
Bernard M. Peperstraete has over 20 years of experience in life sciences. He has held leadership and board positions at ACT Biotech, NGN Capital, Exosome Diagnostics, Potentia Pharma and others. With a background in medicine, he has also worked at Novartis, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and BMS Singapore. Bernard holds an MD from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Francis Barany, PhD
Francis Barany, PhD
Co-Founder/Scientific Expert Advisor
Dr. Francis Barany pioneered ligase chain reaction (LCR), ligase detection reaction (LDR), and Universal DNA arrays, which are crucial in genetic disease diagnosis, cancer mutation identification, pathogen detection, DNA microarrays, and targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). He has received numerous awards and recognition and holds 66 U.S. and over 100 international patents. Barany co-founded Acuamark Diagnostics Inc. and Unii Therapeutics, as well as founded Coferon Inc. He has published over 125 peer-reviewed articles and made significant contributions to the development of protein-degradation drugs.
Matthew Moore, PhD
Matthew Moore, PhD
Technology Expert Advisor
Dr. Mathew W. Moore is a globally recognized in Companion Diagnostics and Next Gen Sequencing. As VP of Research and Development at Neogenomics and CombiMatrix Molecular Diagnostics, and in his roles at US Labs and Response Genetics, he made significant contributions to their product lines. He also co-founded ResearchDx, a contract diagnostics development organization. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a PhD in Biotechnology from the University of New South Wales, Sydney.
Gene Godick, CPA, CMA
Gene Godick, CPA, CMA
VP of Finance, Treasurer
Gene Godick, VP of Finance and Treasurer at AcuamarkDx, brings over 25 years of executive and financial expertise, specializing in M&A transactions and fundraising. He currently runs G-Squared Partners, offering outsourced CFO services to VC-backed start-ups. Gene began his career at Arthur Andersen’s Enterprise Group, leading audits, M&A transactions, and an IPO. As a senior manager at KPMG, he worked with Safeguard Scientifics and Internet Capital Group. While serving as EVP and CFO of Verticalnet, he successfully led the company's IPO in 1999, raising more than $60 million. Under his leadership, Verticalnet raised over $300 million and completed over 25 acquisitions and divestitures.
Marcel Naime
Marcel Naime
Director of Operations and Partnerships, LATAM
Marcel Naime has a distinguished 20-year career in corporate investment banking, entrepreneurship, and strategic investment. He holds a Master of International Business degree from Ecole des Ponts et Chaussees Paris Tech, France, and a Finance Minor from the University of Illinois, USA. Marcel has held important roles as COO and CFO at Deutsche Bank and Leaseplan Leasing SA (ING) respectively. He brings extensive M&A advisory experience from his time at Arjil & Associés Banque in France. Marcel is a strong advocate for stakeholder wellbeing and mutual respect, driving meaningful engagement and transformative impact in healthcare and social sectors.
Ken Gorelick
Ken Gorelick
Senior Advisor, Clinical Development and Regulatory
With over 30 years of experience in drug and biotechnology development, Ken has acquired a deep understanding of various regulatory processes and interactions. Throughout his career, he has successfully handled NDAs, BLAs, INDs, Orphan Drugs, and Fast Track designations. His expertise spans multiple disease areas, including oncology, hematology, gastro-intestinal, anti-infectives, anti-virals, biodefense, cardiovascular, urologic, and critical care. Additionally, he has extensive experience in conducting technical due diligence and possesses specialized knowledge in Clinical Development and Regulatory Strategy. Ken received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Marisa Debboli-Cop, CCRP
Marisa Debboli-Cop, CCRP
CRM, Trial Execution
Marisa Debboli-Cop is a SOCRA-certified research professional with over 8 years of experience in clinical trials management. She has worked with prestigious institutions such as Aspira Women's Health, Yale University, and The Hospital of Central Connecticut, bringing a unique perspective to her work. Marisa holds a bachelor's degree from the University of New Hampshire and a CCRP certification from SOCRA, demonstrating her commitment to the field. She is dedicated to upholding high standards in clinical research and patient care, using her skills to achieve the best outcomes in her research endeavors.
Priyanka Singh
Priyanka Singh
CRM, Auditing & Quality Assurance
Priyanka Singh is a highly versatile professional with a background in effectively managing clinical research and promoting public health. She holds degrees in Public Health and Community Health from Hofstra University and improves comprehensive health outcomes for diverse populations. She holds certifications in Clinical Research, Human Subjects Protection, and Health Education, amplifying her expertise. Her extensive experience includes successfully managing international clinical trials, developing standard operating procedures, and ensuring inspection readiness.
Ezeddin Fadel
Ezeddin Fadel
CRM, Biorepository
Ezeddin Fadel, MD has a background in managing operations of oncology clinical trials and BioBanking at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. He has seven years of experience in clinical research operations management, focused on promoting research and offering high-quality cancer human samples. Currently he is enrolled in Biomedical Informatics Master’s Program at Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Science – NYU Grossman School of Medicine. He brings a unique blend of medical and technical expertise to his work, continually striving to make a life-saving difference in healthcare.
Stephanie McClure
Stephanie McClure
Human Resources
Stephanie McClure is a highly adaptable professional with a decade of experience in project management, marketing, and communications. With a strong aptitude for handling multiple projects and communicating effectively, she excels in complex challenges. She made substantial contributions in roles at reputable firms like Chatham Financial and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Stephanie's Magna Cum Laude graduation from Messiah College in Marketing demonstrates her dedication and comprehensive skill set: project and budget management, contract negotiation, and stakeholder management.
Virginia Amann
Virginia Amann
Strategic Communications Partner
Virginia Amann is the founder and CEO of ENTENTE Network. Her career spans over 30 years with groundbreaking initiatives across diverse sectors: healthcare, biotech, and pharmaceuticals. Known for her strategic acumen and problem-solving skills, she has steered organizations through complex and regulated environments. Her previous experience includes consulting to the Office of the Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson, establishing Science Over Stigma, a mental health coalition, and leading J&J’s Road to a Vaccine campaign acclaimed as 'game-changing in CSR' by Forbes. As Executive VP at Porter Novelli, she managed a diverse portfolio of healthcare clients, leading business development and growth. Her expertise extends to corporate affairs, public affairs, media relations, and stakeholder management.

Board of Directors

William Gedale, JD MBA
William Gedale, JD MBA
Executive Chairman
William J. "Bill" Gedale, Executive Chairman of the Company, brings extensive experience as an investor and biotech founder since 1965. He co-founded Promosome, serves as Chairman of PIN Pharma, and co-founded NGN Capital, a life-sciences venture fund. Mr. Gedale founded Mount Everest Advisors, consulted full-time for Warburg-Pincus Capital Management, and was a Managing Director at John W. Bristol & Co. and CEO of General American Investors. His board roles included KIKA Medical, BioArray Solutions, Unilab, Allied Clinical Labs, Bioreliance, U.S. Home Health Care, GAMCO, and General American Investors. Gedale holds an MBA from NYU, a JD from Fordham Law, and an AB from Syracuse University.
Giulia Kennedy, PhD
Giulia Kennedy, PhD
Board Member
Dr. Kennedy brings more than two decades of experience developing novel diagnostic technologies, most recently as global chief scientific officer and chief medical officer at Veracyte, a cancer genetics company. At Veracyte, she oversaw a worldwide team of research and development, medical affairs, data science, and clinical affairs professionals to fuel research and the development of the company’s genomic and other diagnostic tests.
Claudio Del Vecchio, PhD
Claudio Del Vecchio, PhD
Board Member
Claudio Del Vecchio is an international business entrepreneur and industry leader. He is a skilled executive and a seasoned public Board member. The Del Vecchio family founded the Luxottica Group where Mr. Del Vecchio was an Executive Board Director for several years, ran its US operations and oversaw its public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Subsequently, Mr. Del Vecchio acquired Brooks Brothers which he successfully ran for 20 years until the COVID Pandemic.
Cedric Francois, MD, PhD
Cedric Francois, MD, PhD
Board Member
Dr. Cedric Francois, Co-Founder and CEO of Apellis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: APLS), led the first group to test complement-inhibiting drug candidates for various diseases like AMD, GA, and PNH. He guided Apellis through its initial development, cross-over, and IPO, and now oversees its growing team, therapy portfolio, and commercialization. With numerous publications and several biotechnology patent applications, Dr. Francois holds an MD from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and a PhD in physiology from the University of Louisville. He was part of the team that conducted the first successful hand transplantation in Louisville in 1999, following his postgraduate training in pediatric and transplant surgery.
Bernard Peperstraete, MD, MBA
Bernard Peperstraete, MD, MBA
President/CEO
Dr. Bernard M. Peperstraete, President and CEO of Acuamark Diagnostics, Inc., co-founded the company leveraging his over 20 years of experience in the life sciences sector. He led ACT Biotech, a cancer pharmaceutical company, and was a Partner at NGN Capital. Bernard's board roles included Exosome Diagnostics, ACT Biotech, and Potentia Pharma. His early career included healthcare venture capital, managing the HIV business at Bristol Myers & Squibb in Singapore, and founding a research business. He holds an MD from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, a DTMIH from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Vanja Vuletic, MD, MBA
Vanja Vuletic, MD, MBA
Board Member
Early in his career, Dr. Vuletic was a cancer researcher at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School. After receiving an MBA from Harvard, he was a member of the Roche Pharma Biomarker strategy team, worked at Booz Allen Hamilton and was a hedge fund investor. Dr. Vuletic served on the Board at a mid-size pharmaceutical company in the emerging markets which was successfully sold to a multinational Pharma company. He is a board-certified physician and active biotech investor.

Advisory Team

 

Paul Brooke

Commercial Advisor

Managing Member of PMSV Holdings, a biotech, ESG and real estate investment firm. Executive Chairman of Caelum Bio, a pharmaceutical company focused on AL Amyloidosis. Board Member of Manning and Napier Mutual Funds, Cerus Endovascular and Pure Earth. Previously: Board of WebMD, Incyte, Viropharma and other public and private companies. Co-Founder and Managing Partner of venBio, a life sciences investment firm. Partner at Morgan Stanley, where he was Global Head of Health Care Research and Strategy. Managing Director at Tiger Management where he was responsible for health care investing, and Venture Partner at MPM Capital, a healthcare VC investor. As Chairman and CEO of Ithaka Acquisition Corp in 2008, he structured purchase of Alsius Corp and successfully sold its assets to Zoll Medical.

Haywood D. Cochrane

Commercial Advisor

Mr. Cochrane is the Chair of UNC’s Board of Trustees. Previously, Mr. Cochrane was CEO at CHD Meridian Corp (Walgreens), at Allied Clinical Labs and at Take Care Employer Solutions; EVP/CFO of LabCorp, COO at Biomedical Reference Labs, SVP North America Diagnostics and COO at Roche Biomedical Labs; Director at Tripath, American Esoteric Labs, Sonus Corp, Ameripath, Unilab.

J. William Efcavitch, PhD

Technology Advisor

Technology Officer (Consulting) Ohio University in 1978; Postdoctoral fellow University of Colorado, Boulder; Sr. Director R&D, Applied Biosystems Inc.; SVP Product Development & CTO, Helicos BioSciences Corp.; SVP R&D, Affymetrix; Independent Consultant.

Olivier Elemento, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine (EIPM), he is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine, Associate Director of the Institute for Computational Medicine, Director of the Laboratory of Cancer Systems Biology, Co-Leader of the Genetics, Epigenetics, and Systems Biology Program in the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, Assistant Dean for Scientific Computing and Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

Kerry J. Flom, PhD

Commercial Advisor

Previously, Dr. Flom was EVP and Chief Regulatory Officer at Cepheid (acquired by Danaher NYSE:DHR) where he had worldwide responsibility for development, implementation and management of Cepheid’s clinical and regulatory programs. Earlier, he served as Sr. Director, Clinical Affairs and Regulatory Submissions at Abbott Molecular Diagnostics, at Baxter as Director of Clinical Affairs, at Oncor and at Boehringer Mannheim. Throughout his career, Dr. Flom has led for over 30 products through regulatory filings and registration in the US and numerous international product registrations.

Paolo Fortina, MD PhD

Clinical Advisor

Professor of Cancer Biology and Medical Oncology at the Jefferson Medical College. Director of the NCI-funded and CLIA-certified Cancer Genomics Laboratory at the Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University.

David Gelfand, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Inventor of the real-time PCR (or “qPCR”) or "TaqMan" Assay. Previously, Vice President, Discovery Research Division and Director for the Program in Core Research at Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. CSO of WaferGen BioSystems, Inc., and currently, a consultant at the Centre National de Génotypage in France.

Howard Johnson, MBA

Commercial Advisor

Mr. Johnson is Chief Business Officer at Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IOVA), an oncology company focused on developing innovative T cell therapies for solid tumors. Howard is a senior entrepreneurial executive with thirty-years of experience in operations, finance, business development, and investor relations at biotechnology companies. A founding investor and initial Board Member of Acorda Therapeutics.

Larry J. Kricka, PhD

Clinical Advisor

Emeritus Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Director of the General Chemistry and Critical Care Laboratory at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Steven M. Lipkin, MD PhD

Clinical Advisor

Professor - Weill Cornell Medicine. University of California San Diego in 1995, Board Certified. Internal Medicine Duke University, Board Certified. Clinical Genetics National Human Genome Research Institute, Recognized authority on colorectal cancer genetics.

Christopher Mason, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Associate Professor Computational Genomics in Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine Institute for Computational Biomedicine with appointments at Department of Physiology,Biophysics and System Biology,, Meyer Cancer Center, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute. Director, WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction and WorldQuant Foundation Research Scholar. Affiliate Fellow of Genomics, Ethics, and Law, ISP, Yale Law School.

Mark Pochapin, MD

Clinical Advisor

Sholtz/Leeds Professor] of Gastroenterology, , Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Department of Medicne, Director, division of gastro-enterology & hepatology, Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy, and the prevention, early detection, and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Joseph Smith, Esq

Commercial Advisor

Previously, Executive VP BD and General Counsel of Cepheid (now Danaher), Sr. VP BD at Applied Biosystems (ABI), VP Intellectual Property at ABI and PE Biosystems (Perkin-Elmer). Responsible for building and designing ABI's IP acquisition strategy, expanding its IP estate in fields such as PCR thermal cyclers, PCR reagents and DNA sequencing.

Steven A. Soper, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Professor - The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Professor - Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology. The University of Kansas in 1989. Post-doc Los Alamos National Laboratory. Development of ultrasensitive detection methodologies and rare cell analysis tools for biological discovery.

Eugene Spier, PhD

Technology Advisor

Latvian Academy of Sciences in 1989, Postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine. Senior Director roles at Life Technologies and Fluidigm. Lead bioinformatics pipeline for Taqman assays, Applied Biosystems. Founded UniTaq Bio to commercialize novel methods for highly multiplexed qPCR for diagnostics.

David Weavil, CPA

Commercial Advisor

Previously, founder, CEO and President of Solstas Lab Partners (sold to Quest). Prior to that, CEO of Specialty Laboratories (sold to Quest), Chairman and CEO Unilab Corporation; Earlier, helped build Biomedical Reference Labs into Roche Biomedical Labs, which merged with National Health Labs to form LabCorp.

 

Paolo Fortina, MD PhD

Clinical Advisor

Professor of Cancer Biology and Medical Oncology at the Jefferson Medical College. Director of the NCI-funded and CLIA-certified Cancer Genomics Laboratory at the Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University.

Larry J. Kricka, PhD

Clinical Advisor

Emeritus Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Director of the General Chemistry and Critical Care Laboratory at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Steven M. Lipkin, MD PhD

Clinical Advisor

Professor - Weill Cornell Medicine. University of California San Diego in 1995, Board Certified. Internal Medicine Duke University, Board Certified. Clinical Genetics National Human Genome Research Institute, Recognized authority on colorectal cancer genetics.

Kenneth Offit, MD

Clinical Advisor

Professor - Weill Cornell Medicine. University of California San Diego in 1995, Board Certified. Internal Medicine Duke University, Board Certified. Clinical Genetics National Human Genome Research Institute, Recognized authority on colorectal cancer genetics..

Mark Pochapin, MD

Clinical Advisor

Sholtz/Leeds Professor] of Gastroenterology, , Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Department of Medicne, Director, division of gastro-enterology & hepatology, Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy, and the prevention, early detection, and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Paul Brooke

Commercial Advisor

Managing Member of PMSV Holdings, a biotech, ESG and real estate investment firm. Executive Chairman of Caelum Bio, a pharmaceutical company focused on AL Amyloidosis. Board Member of Manning and Napier Mutual Funds, Cerus Endovascular and Pure Earth. Previously: Board of WebMD, Incyte, Viropharma and other public and private companies. Co-Founder and Managing Partner of venBio, a life sciences investment firm. Partner at Morgan Stanley, where he was Global Head of Health Care Research and Strategy. Managing Director at Tiger Management where he was responsible for health care investing, and Venture Partner at MPM Capital, a healthcare VC investor. As Chairman and CEO of Ithaka Acquisition Corp in 2008, he structured purchase of Alsius Corp and successfully sold its assets to Zoll Medical.

Haywood D. Cochrane

Commercial Advisor

Mr. Cochrane is the Chair of UNC’s Board of Trustees. Previously, Mr. Cochrane was CEO at CHD Meridian Corp (Walgreens), at Allied Clinical Labs and at Take Care Employer Solutions; EVP/CFO of LabCorp, COO at Biomedical Reference Labs, SVP North America Diagnostics and COO at Roche Biomedical Labs; Director at Tripath, American Esoteric Labs, Sonus Corp, Ameripath, Unilab.

Kerry J. Flom, PhD

Commercial Advisor

Previously, Dr. Flom was EVP and Chief Regulatory Officer at Cepheid (acquired by Danaher NYSE:DHR) where he had worldwide responsibility for development, implementation and management of Cepheid’s clinical and regulatory programs. Earlier, he served as Sr. Director, Clinical Affairs and Regulatory Submissions at Abbott Molecular Diagnostics, at Baxter as Director of Clinical Affairs, at Oncor and at Boehringer Mannheim. Throughout his career, Dr. Flom has led for over 30 products through regulatory filings and registration in the US and numerous international product registrations.

Howard Johnson, MBA

Commercial Advisor

Mr. Johnson is Chief Business Officer at Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IOVA), an oncology company focused on developing innovative T cell therapies for solid tumors. Howard is a senior entrepreneurial executive with thirty-years of experience in operations, finance, business development, and investor relations at biotechnology companies. A founding investor and initial Board Member of Acorda Therapeutics.

Joseph Smith, Esq

Commercial Advisor

Previously, Executive VP BD and General Counsel of Cepheid (now Danaher), Sr. VP BD at Applied Biosystems (ABI), VP Intellectual Property at ABI and PE Biosystems (Perkin-Elmer). Responsible for building and designing ABI's IP acquisition strategy, expanding its IP estate in fields such as PCR thermal cyclers, PCR reagents and DNA sequencing.

David Weavil, CPA

Commercial Advisor

Previously, founder, CEO and President of Solstas Lab Partners (sold to Quest). Prior to that, CEO of Specialty Laboratories (sold to Quest), Chairman and CEO Unilab Corporation; Earlier, helped build Biomedical Reference Labs into Roche Biomedical Labs, which merged with National Health Labs to form LabCorp.

Olivier Elemento, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine (EIPM), he is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine, Associate Director of the Institute for Computational Medicine, Director of the Laboratory of Cancer Systems Biology, Co-Leader of the Genetics, Epigenetics, and Systems Biology Program in the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, Assistant Dean for Scientific Computing and Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

David Gelfand, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Inventor of the real-time PCR (or “qPCR”) or "TaqMan" Assay. Previously, Vice President, Discovery Research Division and Director for the Program in Core Research at Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. CSO of WaferGen BioSystems, Inc., and currently, a consultant at the Centre National de Génotypage in France.

Christopher Mason, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Associate Professor Computational Genomics in Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine Institute for Computational Biomedicine with appointments at Department of Physiology,Biophysics and System Biology,, Meyer Cancer Center, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute. Director, WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction and WorldQuant Foundation Research Scholar. Affiliate Fellow of Genomics, Ethics, and Law, ISP, Yale Law School.

Steven A. Soper, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Professor - The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Professor - Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology. The University of Kansas in 1989. Post-doc Los Alamos National Laboratory. Development of ultrasensitive detection methodologies and rare cell analysis tools for biological discovery.

J. William Efcavitch, PhD

Technology Advisor

Technology Officer (Consulting) Ohio University in 1978; Postdoctoral fellow University of Colorado, Boulder; Sr. Director R&D, Applied Biosystems Inc.; SVP Product Development & CTO, Helicos BioSciences Corp.; SVP R&D, Affymetrix; Independent Consultant.

Eugene Spier, PhD

Technology Advisor

Latvian Academy of Sciences in 1989, Postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University School of Medicine. Senior Director roles at Life Technologies and Fluidigm. Lead bioinformatics pipeline for Taqman assays, Applied Biosystems. Founded UniTaq Bio to commercialize novel methods for highly multiplexed qPCR for diagnostics.

AcuamarkDx logo

Acuamark Diagnostics develops technology that allows for highly accurate screening of blood to detect cancer markers at the early cancer stages, before cancer becomes untreatable.

NAVIGATION

HELPFUL LINKS

Contact Us

101 Avenue Of The Americas
3rd Fl (c/o JLabs)
New York, NY 10013

 101 Avenue Of The Americas
3rd Fl (c/o JLabs)
New York, NY 10013

 

info@AcuamarkDx.com

 info@AcuamarkDx.com