In this episode of Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Julie Ballard, founder of Carrot Clinical and Tiger Team Bio, who has helped shape leading diagnostics companies including Genomic Health, GRAIL, and Guardant Health.Julie shares her journey from clinical laboratory scientist to entrepreneur and consultant, and what she’s learned from years of helping startups navigate the complex world of lab operations and regulatory compliance. She dives into the realities of LDT validation, the high stakes of hiring, and how even well-funded teams can make costly mistakes when moving too fast.Key Takeaways:• Transitioning from clinical science to entrepreneurship in diagnostics• Why quality systems are critical for lab operations• Common mistakes in LDT development and validation timelines• The growing focus on women’s health and new opportunities for founders🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Kaylene Ready, Chief Product Officer at Juniper Genomics, a company transforming the future of IVF through whole genome embryo testing.

We explore how Juniper is turning IVF from a 50/50 coin flip into a more certain path to success, empowering families with better information and outcomes. Kayleen also shares how her background in genetics and startup leadership fuels her mission to make fertility treatment more accessible and effective.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• How Juniper Genomics is improving IVF success rates through advanced genetic testing

• Why education and awareness are key to genetic testing adoption

• The role of genetic counselors in guiding patients and clinicians

• How startups like Juniper are making IVF more accessible and efficient

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Scott O’Brien, who helped lead GenMark from a small startup to a $1.8 billion acquisition by Roche.

Scott shares how his transition from science to commercial strategy shaped GenMark’s journey, the critical role of customer experience in competing against industry giants, and what it really takes to scale a diagnostics company through both breakthroughs and setbacks.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• How commercial strategy can define success in diagnostics

• The power of customer experience and retention in building long-term value

• Lessons from scaling a startup to a billion-dollar acquisition

• Why adaptability and feedback culture are key to growth

Whether you’re a founder, commercial leader, or diagnostics enthusiast, this conversation offers a rare inside look at the decisions that built one of the sector’s standout success stories.

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Josh Smith, founder of Bench in a Box and scientist with a background in genetics and microbiology.

Josh shares the breakthrough idea that inspired his platform, the journey to patent-pending status, and the realities of building a diagnostics startup in today’s economic climate.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• The breakthrough behind Bench in a Box and its role in simplifying diagnostics

• Why fundraising is especially challenging for early-stage founders today

• The value of advisory teams, feedback, and adaptability in startup success

• How the diagnostics market is evolving with new technologies

Whether you’re a founder, scientist, or investor, this episode offers an inside look into what it takes to innovate and scale in the diagnostics space.

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Victoria Polyanskaya, a healthcare leader with over 10 years of experience who is driving global expansion for LinusBio.

We explore how diagnostics companies can successfully scale internationally, the opportunities in emerging markets, and the hard truths leaders need to hear when looking abroad.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• Why exposomics is shaping the next generation of diagnostics

• How regulation in the US differs from international markets

• The role of partnerships, funding, and cultural understanding in the Middle East

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Dean Remy, a 35-year veteran of the life sciences industry, founder, and fundraising strategist. Dean shares his unique journey from diagnostics into technology and commercial leadership, and why fractional leadership is becoming a smart, cost-effective model for today’s startups.

We dive into the evolving world of fundraising, the growing gap between investors and early-stage companies, and why diagnostics remain one of the most vital and investable areas of healthcare. Dean also sheds light on the shifting global investment landscape, from the U.S. to Europe and the Middle East, and the most common mistakes founders make when raising capital.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:
• Why diagnostics are central to the future of healthcare and early disease detection
• How fundraising strategies are changing in today’s cautious market
• The role of fractional leadership in helping startups scale efficiently
• Common mistakes founders make when pitching investors and how to avoid them

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of Diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Rachel Jones,former Chief Commercial Officer at BioFire and now at VedaBio. Rachel shares her remarkable journey from bench scientist to helping rebrand Idaho Technology into BioFire, scaling its commercial team from just 12 people into a billion-dollar diagnostics powerhouse, and ultimately shaping one of the most iconic success stories in infectious disease diagnostics.

We dig into the culture, growth, and lessons that definedBioFire’s rise, and what it takes to balance scientific innovation with commercial execution in a fast-changing market.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• How Rachel transitioned from the lab to commercialleadership

• Why integrating science and business is key to scalingdiagnostics

• The pivotal role of syndromic testing in BioFire’s success

• Lessons from BioFire’s acquisition by BioMérieux and itscultural impact

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of Diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Bradley Murray, CEO and co-founder of Delve Bio. Bradley shares his journey from academic research, success as a biotech startup, investment into life sciences and onto entrepreneurship, andhow those experiences shaped his approach to building diagnostics that put patients first.

We dive into why execution, not just vision is critical for survival in today’s diagnostics market, how Delve is transforming infectious disease testing through metagenomic sequencing, and what it takes to scale a company that’s tackling some of healthcare’s toughest problems.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• Why operational excellence is as important as scientific innovation

• How metagenomic next-generation sequencing is reshaping infectious diseasediagnostics

• The critical role of evidence generation for adoption and reimbursement

• Why execution, not just big ideas, drives real patient impact

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, scientist, or investor in diagnostics, this episode offers a rare look into what it takes to build a company that’s changing how we fight life-threatening infections.

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of Diagnostics.

This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Tara Maddala,statistician, diagnostics veteran, and founder of Pandora Bio and Tiger Team Bio, whose career also spans Genomic Health and Grail.

We explore how the truth-seeking culture at Genomic Healthshaped her approach to building and advising early-stage companies, why mental health diagnostics is still decades behind, and how AI is often misrepresented in our field.

Tara also shares lessons on adaptability, the pitfalls of poordata, and what it really takes to align technology, clinical design, and people for success in a fast-changing diagnostics market.

🔥 What You’ll Learn:

• Why most “AI in diagnostics” is really just advancedstatistics

• How early-stage founders can avoid costly mistakes withpoor data and convenience samples

• The potential of behavioral and social biomarkers inmental health diagnostics

• What investors are really looking for in adaptable,evidence-driven teams

• How lessons from Genomic Health and Grail still shape thefuture of diagnostics today

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This week on Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Mark Oldroyd, a commercialisation strategist with over 30 years in healthcare, including leadership roles at Foundation Medicine, Tempus, and C2i Genomics.

Mark has guided diagnostics and omics companies across the US, Europe, and Asia, helping them find the right path from breakthrough science to a sustainable business.

🔥What You’ll Learn:

• Why moving from science to market in diagnostics is harder than it looks

• How funding, reimbursement, and market conditions shape your strategy

• Why sometimes starting small is the smartest move

• The role of AI and software in the future of diagnostics

🔔 Subscribe to Diagnosing Dx for weekly conversations with leaders shaping the future of Diagnostics.