Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
James A. GarnerChief Executive OfficerJim has more than 33 years leadership experience providing products and services to help families and doctors better diagnose and manage health conditions. Expertise in developing and commercializing products and services for life sciences commercializing, distributing, and licensing more than 40 diagnostic products and services. Central in four mergers & acquisitions and raising $100M in venture capital and private equity funding.
Jim was the Chief Business Officer of Integrated Diagnostics, a diagnostics company developing technology for early detection, prediction and prevention of disease. Prior to that he was Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Senior Director of Corporate Development for UnitedHealth Group, Director of Marketing & Corporate Development at Elan Diagnostics and Sales Manager at DIANON Systems.
Jim received the Meritorious Service Medal among other honors while serving as Captain in the United States Army where he was Air-Cavalry Troop Commander, Aviation Task Force Operations Officer, Attack and Scout Helicopter Pilot, among other roles and distinctions.
Jim lives in Florida with his family where he enjoys surfing, golfing and tennis with his wife and two sons., Albert A. Luderer, Ph.D.Chairman of the BoardAl has more than 40 years of successful leadership in medical diagnostics, laboratory medicine and therapeutic development. Dr. Luderer is currently CEO and cofounder of Indi Molecular, a synthetic biology company which was a 2013 spinoff of Integrated Diagnostics where he was the founding CEO. Integrated Diagnostics discovered and commercialized the first non-invasive cancer rule out molecular diagnostic for early stage non-small cell lung carcinoma. Biodesix (BDSX) acquired Integrated Diagnostics in 2018. Earlier in his career, Luderer served as CEO of BioTrove Inc., a Molecular Biological Tools company acquired by Life Technologies in December 2009. Dr. Luderer’s prior positions include: CEO of Therapeutics company Light Sciences Inc.; President of bioMérieux, Inc. (BIM.PA); Vice President of Technology and Business Development for Dianon Systems (now Lab Corp); Vice President of Technology Development and Support at Boehringer Mannheim (Now Roche) and; Head of Biomedical Research for Corning.
Dr. Luderer has developed and commercialized major In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) systems including the global market leader for microbial detection and antibiotic susceptibility testing – Vitek®II; co-invented and established Standard of Care Diagnostics in cancer detection and has participated in the creation of one of the dominant global IVD companies – Siemens Diagnostics – through his participation in the negotiation and formation of the joint venture IVD firm Ciba Corning. Dr. Luderer holds a Ph.D. from Rutgers University where he was an NSF predoctoral fellow and performed postgraduate work in immunology and genetics at Sidney Kimmel Medical College (formerly Jefferson Medical College). He is an independent director of BioNano Genomics (BNGO) and the chairman of Allergenis.
Hugh A. Sampson, M.D.Board MemberHugh is the Kurt Hirschhorn Professor of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York and has over 40 years’ experience in clinical and basic research focusing on food allergic disorders and basic immunologic mechanisms responsible for these disorders. His research has been funded continuously by grants from the NIH, including the Principal Investigator for the Consortium for Food Allergy Research, has authored/co-authored over 550 original articles and 90 book chapters primarily on various aspects of food allergic disorders, and has chaired working groups that produced standardized criteria for diagnosing anaphylaxis and conducting double-blind placebo-controlled oral food challenges (Practall Guidelines).
Russ S. FeinCFO & Board MemberRuss began his career in 1987 in the Mergers and Acquisitions department of Jefferies & Company, Inc. and then spent a number of years in the merchant banking field where he negotiated acquisitions and investments both as principal and agent and often stepped in as COO and/or CFO of portfolio companies, leading growth strategies and building professional organizations around entrepreneurial businesses. In 1995, he left the investment banking field to work full time in senior management roles at a number of small and large operating businesses, including a chain of martial art studios, an Internet incubator and most recently as the Vice President, Worldwide Business Operations for Westcon Group, a $4 billion distributor of communications and technology equipment, where he also held the role of General Manager for a $300mm U.S. division. Russ received his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and graduated from Union College with honors in Managerial Economics.
David A. EspositoBoard MemberDavid is an experienced healthcare executive who has built and scaled multiple companies that resulted in successful exits to strategic buyers.
David is currently the CEO of ONL Therapeutics based in Ann Arbor, MI. ONL Therapeutics is developing therapeutics based on Fas inhibition to protect the vision of patients with retinal disease. David is the former CEO of Armune BioScience. The Company successfully launched the only non-PSA blood test to improve the detection of prostate cancer. Armune BioScience was sold to Exact Sciences (EXAS) in 2017.
He was President of Phadia US Inc. (allergy and autoimmune diagnostics) and played a pivotal role in the sale of the business to Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) in 2011. David began his career as a sales representative with Merck & Co. Inc. and rose through the ranks of sales, marketing and commercial strategy for the US Division. David is a combat veteran, led an infantry platoon with the 101st Airborne Division through several combat operations, and was recognized with a Bronze Star for combat action in Iraq in 1991. David earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his MBA from Syracuse University.
Vijay Aggarwal, Ph.D.Board MemberVijay brings extensive leadership in clinical diagnostic services as well as institutional and individual investment experience to Allergenis. As Managing Partner of The Channel Group, Dr. Aggarwal provides capital formation services to healthcare companies. He is also an active angel investor. Dr. Aggarwal was President and CEO of Aureon Laboratories, Inc., a predictive pathology company. From 2001 to 2004, he served as President of AAI Development Services, Inc., a global contract research organization. Following the acquisition of SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories (SBCL) by Quest Diagnostics, Dr. Aggarwal served on the Chairman’s Council and served as President of Quest Diagnostic Ventures.
During his tenure with SBCL, he held many positions, including Executive Vice President of Laboratories, having direct responsibility for all of SBCL’s U.S.-based laboratories, and as Vice President of Managed Care, responsible for third party reimbursement.
In addition to his position with Allergenis, he holds Board positions at Accugenomics, Interpace Biosciences, Moleculera and Slone Partners. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology/Toxicology from the Medical College of Virginia.
John C. SimonsBoard MemberJohn has spent over 36 years as a banker to small and mid-size businesses and the families that own them. John was an Executive Vice President for Bank of America (formerly Fleet National Bank) in the Regional Commercial Services Group, responsible for small business, middle market and corporate banking in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey and the Hudson Valley area. He was also Market Executive for FleetBoston Financial's activities in New York City. Prior to joining Fleet, John was a Senior Vice President with Chase Manhattan Bank. He began his career with Chemical Bank in 1983.
John is the Chairman of the Board of The United Hospital Fund, and a former director of amfAR, The American Foundation for Aids Research, The Greater Jamaica Capital Corporation and a former Trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. John was also Chairman of the Lincoln Center Business Council and a member of Lincoln Center Corporate Fund. John was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg in 2003 to be a member of the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. John has a bachelor's degree from Trinity College.
Kristy Consalvo, MBAHead of MarketingKristy is commercial leader with more than 16 years of experience within the diagnostics, medical device and laboratory services industries. She has consulted or worked with CareDx, Becton Dickinson (BD), Aspire Women’s Health, Boston Heart Diagnostics and Pion Inc. In her prior role as Senior Marketing Manager at Boston Heart Diagnostics, she launched a direct-to-consumer line of genetic testing, driving all aspects of the business from P&L management with project revenues of $3M, to the cross-functional implementation and management of operations, marketing, finance and customer care.
Kristy’s expertise includes commercial strategy, building efficient organizations, marketing automation, product management, medical marketing, B2B and B2C business development, and genomics. She has a track record of launching novel technologies that change clinical practice both nationally and globally. With her undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering, she is skilled at taking complex, technical concepts and communicating them in a manner that is easily understandable.
Kristy is also a mother of four kids, 3 of which have or had food allergies (some have outgrown). She is intimately familiar with the pain and anxiety of food avoidance, the time and resources required for risk preparation, and the inadequacy of current food allergy testing that families must go through.
Paul Kearney, Ph.D.Head of Product and Clinical DevelopmentPaul brings decades of expertise in bioinformatics in which he has used world-class data science and machine learning to develop and commercialize multiple products (lung cancer, pregnancy, food allergy, CNS, and data science technologies).
Paul has developed five complex diagnostic products currently in clinical use including PreTRM from Sera Prognostics where he currently oversees the evidence development strategy and is the Chief Data Officer. Formally, he co-founded four successful biotech companies including Data Incites and Integrated Diagnostics which was acquired by Biodesix (BDSX) in 2018.
Paul has developed multiple high-value diagnostics in oncology, pregnancy and food allergy with supporting evidence development of over 100 publications and 12 patents issued. He has also been successful and central in raising $200M in public and private funding and has experience assembling top management team of scientists, data analysts, laboratorians and IP experts to support company formation.
Thomas VollmersHead of Strategic Partnerships & Commercial StrategyThomas is an experienced Sales and Marketing Executive in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industry, specializing in Precision Medicine and Companion Diagnostics (CDx). He boasts extensive experience in US and Global CDx Commercialization across various therapeutic areas, including HIV, oncology, and allergic disease, and has successfully launched a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic products.
As a dedicated professional, Thomas excels at forging strategic and long-term partnerships with stakeholders within the Therapeutic and CDx ecosystem. His deep understanding of diagnostic platforms, technologies, and trends, coupled with his ability to collaborate effectively with diagnostic manufacturers, reference labs, lab networks, and key opinion leaders (KOLs), positions him as a valuable contributor to the growth and success of healthcare companies.
Throughout his distinguished career, Thomas has held significant roles at renowned companies such as The Upjohn Company, GlaxoSmithKline, ViiV Healthcare, Pfizer, and Merck. In these roles, he has been pivotal in developing, implementing, and managing commercial strategies that propel growth and innovation in the therapeutic and diagnostic sectors.