CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Knome, Inc., the human genome interpretation company, today announced that it has appointed Gary A. Cohen, JD, MPH, as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the company. In this role, Mr. Cohen will be responsible for all legal functions of the company and will join the Knome executive management team.
“Knome has made significant progress this year expanding our software platform and informatics tools for interpreting whole genomes from academic and pharmaceutical research to clinical practice,” said Martin Tolar, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Knome. “As we move forward with products and services for use by physicians, Gary’s wealth of expertise and leadership in personalized medicine, intellectual property related to genomic information, and bioethics will help us navigate this new territory.”
Mr. Cohen has twenty-five years of experience with both public and private companies as a biotechnology and diagnostics industry corporate, transactional and intellectual property lawyer; bioethics and public policy advisor; and ethics and compliance officer. Most recently, he held the position of Vice President of Bioethics, Law and Policy at Foundation Medicine, Inc. Previously, Mr. Cohen held management roles with other leading life sciences companies, including serving as Vice President of Ethics and Corporate Responsibility as well as Associate General Counsel for Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice President and General Counsel of Genzyme Transgenics Corporation and as Senior Counsel for Genetics Institute, Inc. A lecturer at Boston University School of Law, Mr. Cohen was formerly the Joe and Viola Jacobs Visiting Professor of Biotechnology Law and Ethics at the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences in Claremont, California, and is the author of published professional works on ethics and intellectual property related to the life sciences industry. He has an AB from Washington University in St. Louis, a JD from Columbia Law School, and an MPH in health law, bioethics and human rights from Boston University School of Public Health.
“I am excited to join Knome at a time when the company is expanding its products and services to meet the growing demand and opportunities for interpretation of whole genomes as the industry adopts molecular medicine,” said Mr. Cohen. “I look forward to working with the accomplished management and technology team at Knome as the company grows to meet the emerging opportunities in the clinical genomics market.”
About Knome
Knome (www.knome.com) is a leading provider of human genome interpretation software and services. Clients use our innovative solutions to identify the genetic basis of disease, tumor growth, and drug response. Designed to accelerate the process of interpreting whole genomes and enable the clinical application of genomic findings, Knome’s technologies are helping to pave the healthcare industry’s transition to molecular-based, personalized medicine.