MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--23andMe, the leading personal genetics company, today announced the appointment of Dr. Jill Hagenkord as chief medical officer. Hagenkord will be responsible for all medical affairs activities serving as the company liaison to physician, medical, genetics and research industry groups. Hagenkord will also oversee laboratory, shipping and fulfillment operations for the company. Hagenkord was the first physician with subspecialty training in both pathology/oncology informatics and molecular genetic pathology making her uniquely qualified to safely usher parallel molecular testing technologies from the research laboratory into clinical applications. Hagenkord is a respected pathologist and published researcher who brings more than 15 years of experience to her new role at 23andMe.
“Jill brings a valuable medical perspective to 23andMe as we continue to develop our services and embrace the enhanced regulatory environment,” said Andy Page, president of 23andMe. “As we respond to the tremendous market opportunity for personal genetics, Jill's unique background and strong reputation will help us improve our service as we explore domestic and international markets.”
“23andMe recognizes that it is essential to collaborate with medical professional societies and regulatory agencies to set standards for how to safely, responsibly, and usefully provide personal genetic information to consumers,” said Jill Hagenkord, chief medical officer for 23andMe. “As an active member of several professional societies, I believe I can help the company harness the valuable experience and domain expertise these organizations provide to facilitate a well informed approach to direct-to-consumer genetics. I am very excited to join the 23andMe team and contribute to their efforts to create and define a new industry.“
Most recently, Hagenkord served as senior vice president of medical strategy for InVitae Corporation, a genetics information company, where her role included serving as medical director, contributing to corporate strategy, acting as commercial liaison, and leading the company’s physician education programs.
Hagenkord is a board-certified molecular genetic pathologist. Prior to joining Invitae, Hagenkord served as chief medical officer and senior vice president at Complete Genomics, Inc. Her other prior experiences include founder and chief medical officer for iKaryos Diagnostics, associate professor of pathology at Creighton University School of Medicine, director of molecular pathology and clinical genomics at Creighton Medical Laboratories, and pathologist at Deltagen, Inc. Hagenkord received her M.D. from Stanford University School of Medicine in 1999, did her residency training in pathology at the University of California at San Francisco and the University of Iowa, and completed fellowships in pathology/oncology informatics and molecular genetic pathology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“I’m very excited about our growing leadership team,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO and co-founder of 23andMe. “Making personalized medicine a reality will require a strong partnership between 23andMe and the physician and medical communities. Jill will be critical in evolving our product and solidifying those medical relationships.”
About 23andMe
23andMe, Inc. is the leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping individuals understand their own genetic information through DNA analysis technologies and web-based interactive tools. The company's Personal Genome Service® enables individuals to gain deeper insights into their ancestry and inherited traits. The vision for 23andMe is to personalize health care by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. 23andMe, Inc. was founded in 2006, and the company is advised by a group of renowned experts in the fields of human genetics, bioinformatics and computer science. More information is available at www.23andme.com.
