STRONG MOVE: DR. EDWARD STRONG, Ph.D, JOINS iAssay, Inc.

San Diego – Sept 1, 2020

Dr. Edward Strong, the geneticist who co-founded and served as CEO of MedGenomics, Inc., has been named Scientific Director of iAssay, Inc. Strong will guide the researchers and engineers who are developing iAssay’s product line.

 iAssay is creating a suite of tools that support remote testing for COVID-19 and other medical conditions directly from patients’ homes, physicians’ offices, workplaces, and other locations. The data gathered by an iAssay device is uploaded to the Cloud, and instantly becomes available for evaluation by physicians and clinicians. The data will also become part of the anonymized Big Data stream for use in a multitude of applications, including epidemiological studies.

“iAssay is committed to empowering rapid, secure, accurate diagnostics, delivered from any remote location,” Strong said. “This will greatly increase access to healthcare for all Americans, including the homebound and other underserved populations.” 

Strong holds a Ph.D from Cornell University. He is a former NIH Fellow who contributed to work that won awards from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Strong has translated scientific breakthroughs into meaningful products throughout his career.

At MedGenomics, Inc., Strong helped consumers understand the real-world implications of genetic tests. Recently, as interim CEO of LifeGenomix, Inc., his team repurposed genetic testing capabilities originally designed for human athletic performance for use in non-human markets. In so doing, he was able to demonstrate proof of concept to support equine purchasing and training decisions. Reviving operations, he led the charge for implementation of an integrated online marketplace to transact orders and schedule site visits for collection. LifeGenomix’s system was designed to create smarter, healthier, and more responsible breeding and veterinary care programs. 

“Ed is a rare individual, combining world-class intelligence with a burning desire to help others,” said Lonnie Adelman, founder and CEO of iAssay, Inc. “He’ll lead a team that is passionate about meeting the ever-increasing health care needs of a diverse population.” 

Sometimes compared to the “tricorder” in the “Star Trek” TV series and movies, iAssay’s hand-held device serves multiple purposes. Lightweight and portable, it can be used by healthcare providers to analyze a patient sample of blood, urine, or saliva, then relay key diagnostic information to the Cloud. Within seconds, clinicians can view data on secure Internet portals. 

The versatile system is meant for use with patients at home and other “Point of Care” (POC) settings, eliminating the transportation of patient samples to labs. Instead, iAssay’s system sends test results to the Cloud, quickly supporting a doctor’s diagnosis, and potentially saving patients’ lives who before iAssay might have waited hours or days for a test result and subsequent diagnosis. 

Dr. Strong summed it up, “iAssay is mission-driven to enable faster, more accurate POC diagnostics, and has the incredible engineering and product development team necessary. I am thrilled to join the team and look forward to building and executing on our opportunities together with the growing number of rapid diagnostic assays.”