Jen Bruursema is Senior Director of Marketing and PR at DELFI Diagnostics, where she leads marketing strategy for FirstLook Lung, a blood-based test for early lung cancer detection.

With more than 20 years in healthcare diagnostics, Jen has built her career at the intersection of complex science and human behavior. She got her start at Digene, where she commercialized the first FDA-approved HPV DNA test for cervical cancer screening, and has since held marketing leadership roles at QIAGEN, Ariosa Diagnostics (acquired by Roche), Karius, IDbyDNA (acquired by Illumina), Metabiota (acquired by Ginkgo Bioworks), and Clear Labs. Across genomics, infectious disease, prenatal screening, and oncology, her focus has remained consistent: translating breakthrough diagnostics into tools that actually reach the patients and providers who need them.

Jen is certified in AI and data-driven marketing and actively applies generative AI to scale marketing operations. She's based in San Francisco.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• Why branding in diagnostics is about keeping a promise and earning trust with every interaction.
• The importance of meeting people where they are in their journey with their health.
• How to differentiate in a regulated healthcare industry and why education, transparency, and medical-legal alignment are your strongest marketing assets.
• How to position innovation without triggering resistance and why DELFI frames its AI-powered First Look Lung test as an on-ramp to CT screening, not a disruption to existing standards of care.
• What it takes to stand out in a crowded diagnostic space by diving into focus, clinical evidence, and meaningful differentiation.
• The delicate balance between clinical credibility and the deeply emotional reality of cancer detection where fear and stigma are real.
• Why partnerships with health systems shapes everything from messaging hierarchy to channel strategy.
• How AI will transform marketing workflows by enabling smaller teams to scale content while protecting brand voice and regulatory guardrails.

Additional resources:

• Jen Bruursema on LinkedIn
• DELFI Diagnostics' Website
• Josh Dougherty on LinkedIn
• Josh Dougherty's speaking site
• A Brave New's Website