Biography
In his role as Freenome’s Chief Scientific Officer, Jimmy is responsible for our scientific strategy, research operations, and growing the company’s world-class scientific team. He brings a proven record of translating cutting-edge research into commercial success, with a focus on the development and launch of blood-based assays for cancer monitoring and detection of molecular residual disease. Prior to joining the private sector, as CSO for Oncology at Natera, the global genomic diagnostics company, Dr. Lin led the intramural clinical genomics program at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. At Johns Hopkins and Washington University in St Louis, he spearheaded the computational analyses of the first-ever exome sequencing studies in multiple cancer types. Dr. Lin holds an MD and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as well as a Master of Health Sciences in Bioinformatics from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. As an undergraduate at Yale, he majored in Cognitive Science and Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry. Dr. Lin was a 2016 Senior TED Fellow and is the Founder and President of the Rare Genomics Institute.
Blood/liquid biopsy-based biomarkers for the most accurate early detection of cancer are still in the early phases of development. Before these types of biomarkers/tests can be used in the clinical setting, various clinical and preclinical issues (e.g. detection sensitivity) need to be addressed. This session discusses latest advancements in the development of blood-based biomarkers and describes clinical study programs in which they are implemented, including the limitations and challenges that need to be overcome before the translation of their use for clinical purpose will be a reality.