EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diassess Inc., a developer of rapid, accurate, point-of-care infectious disease tests, announced today that Mr. Engelson has joined as President & Chief Executive Officer effective February 8, 2019. Mr. Engelson brings three decades of medical device innovation and commercialization experience. Mr. Engelson previously served as Chief Executive Officer at Medina Medical, which is now part of Medtronic. Mr. Engelson also currently serves as a Venture Partner at ShangBay Capital. Mr. Engelson previously served as a partner of the medical device incubator, The Foundry, following his role as President and CEO of two Foundry start-ups. Prior to this, Mr. Engelson served as Chief Financial Officer of Fluidigm Corporation, as a Venture Partner at Versant Ventures and as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Institutional Venture Partners. Previously, Mr. Engelson spent 13 years in various operating roles at Target Therapeutics where he led the early start-up into the then fledgling field of Interventional Neuroradiology, participated in the IPO roadshow and later became its General Manager following its acquisition by Boston Scientific Corporation. Mr. Engelson began his career at Advanced Cardiovascular Systems. He is the inventor of more than 50 medical device patents and is the recipient of the 1998 Inventor of the Year Award from the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association. Mr. Engelson currently serves on the Board of Directors of Neptune Medical and ARANZ Medical. Mr. Engelson holds B.A and M.S. degrees in Microbiology and Bioengineering, both from the University of California, San Diego, and completed the Stanford Executive Program.
“I am honored to be working alongside the talented Diassess team, including co-founder, Debkishore Mitra, PhD, on such an innovative technology for the rapid, instrument-free diagnosis of viral and bacterial infections,” commented Mr. Engelson. Diassess was led by co-founder and outgoing CEO, John Waldeisen, PhD. Dr. Waldeisen remains a member of the Diassess Board of Directors. “We're excited to be working with Mr. Engelson and for Diassess to be progressing into the commercialization stage,” said Dr. Waldeisen.
Founded in 2013, Diassess is applying its expertise to develop and commercialize rapid DNA-based diagnostic tools for infectious diseases such as respiratory illnesses, sexually transmitted infections and others. Diassess’s flu-diagnostic technologies give physicians and consumers a highly accurate diagnosis within 20 minutes. Beginning with a nasal swab, the sample is inserted into a disposable DNA test. The battery-powered device quickly analyzes the sample and a digital readout indicates either influenza A, B or negative diagnosis. The in-home version will use a smartphone app to directly connect the consumer to treatment options.