NeoGenomics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NEO), a leading provider of cancer-focused genetic testing services and global oncology contract research services, has announced that Shashikant Kulkarni, M.S (Medicine)., Ph.D., MBA, FACMG will be joining the NeoGenomics executive team as Executive Vice President for Research & Development and Chief Scientific Officer on March 7th.

Dr. Kulkarni most recently served as Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Innovation and Emerging Business at Baylor Genetics. He also served as a tenured professor and Vice Chairman for Research in the number one Genetics Department in the US, Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.* At Baylor, he led an extensive clinical and translational research team, delivering top-quality clinical genomics and multi-omics tools. Working in collaboration with many professional societies, he has been a pioneer in creating best practices guidelines in Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing for somatic cancer, constitutional genomics, bioinformatics, and whole-genome sequencing.

“I am thrilled and honored to join the NeoGenomics team and be a part of the organization focused on providing the best of the class, complete suite of diagnostic tests from pathology to cytogenetics to NGS for the entire cancer care continuum.” – Dr. Kulkarni

Dr. Kulkarni is considered a world-renowned expert and key opinion leader in cancer genomics with a focus on the application of genomic and multi-omic technologies to improve the understanding of human disease and the precision of clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. He brings the unique combination of world-class clinical, scientific, commercial, and regulatory talents to the role. Dr. Kulkarni has served as an expert panelist on several preeminent regulatory agencies such as FDA, CDC, CMS, and NIH. He has given numerous national and international presentations and, as a leading voice, presented his insight, thoughts, and opinions as a frequent guest on multiple major news outlets across the country. Additionally, he has published extensively in peer-reviewed articles and numerous well-known journals. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Genetics Journal and has co-edited a book, available on Amazon, titled Clinical Genomics – A Guide to Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing.

“NeoGenomics is thrilled to have such a well-respected, global oncology genomics authority like Dr. Kulkarni leading its research and innovation teams. Dr. Kulkarni will be a vital member of the executive team, drawing on years of research expertise, clinical genomics experience, a strong network, business acumen, and a passion for innovation in precision medicine” said Mark Mallon Chief Executive Officer of NeoGenomics.

“I am thrilled and honored to join the NeoGenomics team and be a part of the organization focused on providing the best of the class, complete suite of diagnostic tests from pathology to cytogenetics to NGS for the entire cancer care continuum, Dr. Shashi Kulkarni said. “I am extremely excited to use cutting-edge, multi-omic precision oncology tools to impact the over half a million patients with cancer that NeoGenomics serves annually.”

Dr. Kulkarni did his Clinical Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. He completed his translational genomics training at Imperial College in London, UK, and at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the premier medical school in New Delhi, India. He is an American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics board-certified medical geneticist with dual certifications in Clinical Molecular Genetics & Genomics and Clinical Cytogenetics & Genomics. He is also a fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and genomics and has an executive MBA.

* For nine years running, the Department remains the No. 1 ranked U.S. genetics department, as measured by the number of NIH-awarded grants and total funding received. For 2019, the amount in funding dollars from NIH awards totaled more than $78 million (source Blueridge rankings).