CULTURE

We are cancer-fighting pioneers,
guided by an epic purpose.

At Epic Sciences, we constantly strive to push the boundaries of medical technology, finding vital answers to personalize and transform human health.

More than just science.
Living life to the fullest.

Our people – talented, dedicated, and passionate about their vision – make the difference. We are a culture of collaboration. Working (and playing) as a team empowers us to bring an irrepressible energy to everything we do. It’s challenging, but never dull.

WATCH OUR EPIC STORY VIDEO

CORE VALUES

These values are our North Star, guiding us in the quest to revolutionize cancer care.

Principled

Be accountable, ethical, data-driven and transparent.

PATIENT-FOCUSED

Relentlessly strive to improve the duration and quality of patient lives.

COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE

Maintain the highest quality of data, products, services and customer experience.

INNOVATIVE

Constantly pursue the next level of discovery in all our activities.

COLLABORATIVE

Work in concert with one another and with our customers.

COURAGEOUS

Confront all challenges with moral and intellectual integrity.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

 

Our commitment to our people and our community

 

We champion diversity and inclusivity at Epic and in our community. We believe people do their best work in an environment that recognizes and appreciates different perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures.

We celebrate the differences our people bring to the workplace: race, gender, age, religion, and identity – and believe that those differences make us better.

Within our community, we promise to nurture and develop talent, to celebrate, support and sustain diversity, and help develop the next generation of scientists in our discipline.

 

Epic Sciences’ Diversity and Inclusion Action Team

To support and focus the company’s energy around diversity and inclusion, we’re proud to identify the first D&I Action Team members: Priscilla Ontiveros, Sr. Alliance Manager, Jayne Bersabe, Senior Project Coordinator, Sheila DeVera, Project Coordinator, and Mark Frilles, Research Associate. These people have volunteered to help shape the outcomes we will generate for our first year, and we want to recognize and thank them for their commitment. If you are interested in what the D&I Action Team is doing or are interested in volunteering as well, please see Jim Kreiss in Human Resources.




The San Marcos Promise Partnership

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Epic Sciences is proud to be partnering with The San Marcos Promise, a nonprofit foundation working to connect education, business, and community leaders to impact student futures.  SMP’s programs target students in the San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD), where 69% of the 21,000 K-12 students are students of color, and 41.7% of students qualify for the free or reduced meal program.

SMP’s goal is to help SMUSD students discover their interests and strengths and take the necessary steps to prepare for a successful career. With a STEM-focus, SMP’s programs have the potential to increase college enrollment rates among all students and increase entry-level wages for students directly joining the workforce.  Epic Sciences’ volunteers will partner with SMP to provide mentoring, career advice, and coaching to students.

 

 


OUR MISSION

Extend patient lives by delivering the clarity to guide treatment decisions.

OUR VISION

Unlocking the power of comprehensive cancer profiling to empower real-time, precision medicine.

CAREERS

We’re looking for inspired visionaries – diverse individuals with a passion for precision and a deep commitment to making a profound difference. Join us to transform cancer care and extend lives, cell by cell, person by person.

LEADERSHIP

Lloyd Sanders

President and Chief Executive Officer

Lloyd Sanders joined Epic Sciences as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2019 with more than 20 years of diagnostics and pharmaceutical industry experience, most of it focused on oncology. Prior to joining Epic, he served as president of the oncology segment of Myriad Genetics, overseeing the oncology, urology and dermatology commercial organizations. While at Myriad, he was responsible for the sales, marketing, medical, customer service and laboratory operations for numerous market-leading commercial products, including molecular diagnostics for risk assessment, diagnosis/screening, prognosis and selection of therapies for breast, prostate, colorectal and other cancers.

Previously, Mr. Sanders served as chief operating officer at Dey Pharma, a division of Mylan, overseeing sales, marketing and medical affairs, including the EpiPen® flagship brand. Prior to Dey Pharma, he held several leadership positions including responsibility for the commercial growth of a number of oncology products at Sanofi-Synthelabo, subsequently Sanofi-Aventis, where he led the successful restructuring and integration of two companies’ sales forces after the merger. Mr. Sanders started his pharmaceutical career and participated in oncology product launches at Pharmacia (now Pfizer).

Mr. Sanders earned a Bachelor’s business degree with an emphasis in marketing from Memphis State University.

Charles Kennedy

Chief Commercial Officer

Dr. Charles Kennedy has a proven track record as a visionary healthcare leader and has been recognized as an expert in health information technology. Currently, Dr. Kennedy is managing partner at Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, leading their efforts to identify companies with innovations in healthcare services, technology, and devices which can enable providers and health plans to optimize value-based health care strategies. Prior to joining Blue Ox, Dr. Kennedy held multiple executive positions with Aetna, including Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Integration and Chief Population Officer, where he led and implemented population health management programs. Additionally, Dr. Kennedy has served in several executive leadership positions with WellPoint Inc., CareAssured.com, and Blue Shield of California. Dr. Kennedy’s vast experience and leadership have earned him multiple board appointments and he currently serves as a Ventures Advisory Group Board member with Rethink Health and as an Insurance Industry representative with Health Information Technology Policy Committee. Dr. Kennedy completed his Bachelor of Science in Genetics at the University of California at Berkeley. He holds an MD in Internal Medicine from the University of California at Los Angeles and his MBA in Corporate Strategy and Health Care Economics from Stanford University.

Joel Smith, JD, MBA

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, EVP Corporate Development

Joel Smith serves as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Executive Vice President, Corporate Development at Epic Sciences.

A veteran legal professional with more than 20 years of experience in the life sciences and biopharmaceutical industries, Mr. Smith brings a breadth of knowledge in strategic corporate development, complex commercial transactions, licensing, securities law, corporate governance and regulatory compliance. Smith has served as a senior executive and general counsel for a number of biotechnology and life sciences companies, including BioQ, Triad Therapeutics, and Sientra, Inc. At Sientra, Smith was responsible for all of its legal affairs including corporate compliance, commercialization policies, and intellectual property. He was a primary contributor to its premarket application for FDA approval of its implants and in the preparation of the prospectus used in its initial public offering on Nasdaq.

Most recently, Smith was the managing counsel of Qualcomm Life, the medical device subsidiary of Qualcomm where he and his team supported global sales and business development teams.

Smith earned his Juris Doctorate, cum laude, and a Master of Business Administration, with highest distinction, from the University of Michigan, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Economics. He is a member of the State Bar of California.

Richard Wenstrup, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Richard J. Wenstrup, MD joins Epic Sciences as Chief Medical Officer, bringing more than 25 years of clinical leadership experience managing life science companies before joining industry from academia.

Dr. Wenstrup was previously chief medical officer for Oxford Immunotec, Inc., where he oversaw research and development, product development, regulatory, medical and clinical affairs. From 2006-2017, he served as chief medical officer for Myriad Genetics, where he built and led the clinical and medical affairs team to support a multi-fold increase in revenue during his tenure. Dr. Wenstrup was actively involved in the company’s product development, M&A and in-licensing activities.‍

Prior to joining industry, Dr. Wenstrup served as a tenured professor of pediatrics in human genetics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and as a tenured professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Cincinnati, where he earned his medical degree. He was internationally recognized as a leader in inherited disorders of the musculoskeletal system and was principal investigator on multiple research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the FDA Orphan Products Grant Program. As an entrepreneur, Dr. Wenstrup was the founding director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and co-founder of Assurex Health, Inc., now a subsidiary of Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Martin Blankfard, Ph.D.

VP, Strategic Initiatives

Martin Blankfard joined Epic Sciences as the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives in 2019.  Martin has over 30 years of platform development experience in both veterinary and IVD clinical diagnostics across startup, mid-size, and large companies.  He has in-depth knowledge in multiple immunoassay diagnostic platforms including ELISA, IHC, Electro-Chemi and Chemiluminescent, lateral flow, flow cytometry, Luminex, and many forms of cell-based technologies.  During his 30-year tenure Martin has led R&D, product management, business development, and operations.  Martin holds a B.S. Degree in Food Science and a Master of Science Degree in Physiology from the University of Maryland.

Amara Siva, Ph.D.

VP, Lab Operations

Amara Siva, Ph.D. joined Epic Sciences as the Vice President of Lab Operations in 2021.  Dr. Siva has over 20 years of molecular diagnostic development experience, including assay development from concept stage to clinical validation, and the launch and scaling of molecular and immunologic diagnostic tests into commercial clinical laboratories as well as implementation into global clinical trials. Prior to joining Epic Sciences, Dr. Siva served in leadership roles in CLIA laboratory operations management, clinical trials, and research at companies including Pathnostics, Millennium Health, Genoptix/Novartis, Gen-Probe, and Alexion. Dr. Siva received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from UC San Diego and Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from UCLA. She is an ASQ-certified Six Sigma Green Belt, holds a Clinical Genetic Molecular Biologist Scientist license in the State of California, and is certified as a High-complexity Clinical Laboratory Director by the American Board of Bioanalysis.

IN MEMORY

Jason Christiansen, Ph.D.

Chief Technology Officer

In memory of Jason Christiansen, Ph.D., who served as the Chief Technology Officer of Epic Sciences. Jason was an instrumental leader in the launch of DefineMBC, a novel liquid biopsy test to improve care for patients battling metastatic breast cancer. For more than 20 years he dedicated his career to research & development work that advanced healthcare and personalized medicine. We honor his commitment to improving the lives of patients and we will continue the work of advancing care for patients with cancer.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

greg lucier

Chairman

Gregory T. Lucier is a 30+ year veteran of the healthcare industry. He currently heads Corza Health, Inc., a mergers and acquisition healthcare company focused on life science and medical technology. Mr. Lucier most recently served as Chairman and CEO of NuVasive, a global technology leader in minimally invasive spine and orthopedic surgery that grew revenue from approximately $775 million to more than $1 billion in just over three years as CEO.

Lucier serves on several public and private company boards, including Catalent, Dentsply Sirona, Berkley Lights, Maravai LifeSciences, and Epic Sciences. He previously served as a director of Life Technologies, CareFusion until its sale to Becton Dickinson, Invuity until its sale to Stryker, and of NuVasive.

From 2003-2014, he was Chairman and CEO of Life Technologies, a global life sciences company acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific for $15.4 billion. During his 11-year tenure, he led the company from a small start-up known as Invitrogen in 2003 and directed the acquisition and merger of Invitrogen with Applied Biosystems in 2008 into the renamed Life Technologies. By 2008, he had transformed the organization into a global, world-leading biotechnology firm with 50,000 products, 10,000 employees and nearly $4 billion in sales in more than 180 countries.

Mr. Lucier was responsible for fostering a culture of excellence at Life Technologies, and applied his many years of strategic management experience to help champion an era of personalized medicine. His early career included roles as a corporate officer of General Electric Company and as an executive at GE Medical Systems.

James E Rothman, Ph.D

Yale University

Professor Rothman is the Sterling Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell Biology at Yale University School of Medicine. He also serves as the Chair of Arsenal Capital’s Healthcare Advisory Board. Prior to joining the faculty at Yale in 2008, he served as Chief Scientist of General Electric Healthcare and its predecessor, Amersham. Dr. Rothman also served at various times as an advisor to top research management at Genentech, Merck & Co., J&J, GlaxoSmithKline, and Eli Lilly.

He previously has been a professor at Stanford, Princeton, and Columbia Universities and at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where he served as Vice-Chairman of the Sloan-Kettering Institute. In 2013 Dr. Rothman was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and in 2002 he received the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award.

Andrew ElBardissi, MD

Deerfield Management

Dr. Andrew ElBardissi is an investor on the Private Transaction team at Deerfield Management. Prior to joining Deerfield, Dr. ElBardissi held roles as an early stage life-sciences investor and as an Investment Banker at J.P. Morgan’s Healthcare practice. Dr. ElBardissi holds an MD from the Mayo Clinic, an MPH in Quantitative Methods from Harvard University, an MBA from Harvard Business School. He received residency training in General Surgery at Harvard Medical School’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Stanford University. Dr. ElBardissi has been independently funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), has over 30 publications in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, and has presented his research at numerous medical and surgical conferences.

Dr. ElBardissi’s board memberships include Acutus, Farapulse, SentreHeart, Sollis Therapeutics, vWave, Conventus, Neochord, and Incarda Therapeutics.

Kim Kamdar, PhD

Domain Associates

Kim Kamdar joined Domain Associates in 2005 and became a partner in 2011. With a background in small molecule drug discovery, Dr. Kamdar has been involved in cutting-edge therapeutic start-ups, using her expertise to identify companies with promising molecular and companion diagnostics that support personalized medicine.

Her present board memberships include Ariosa Diagnostics, Epic Sciences, Lithera, Obalon Therapeutics, ROX Medical, Sera Prognostics, Sonexa Therapeutics, Syndax Pharmaceuticals and Tragara Pharmaceuticals. She was also involved with Corthera until its sale to Novartis in February 2010 and BiPar Sciences until its acquisition by Sanofi-Aventis in April 2009.

Prior to Domain, Dr. Kamdar was a Kauffman Fellow with MPM Capital and a research director at Novartis, where she built and led a research team that focused on the biology, genetics and genomics of model organisms to uncover small molecules that modulated signaling pathway networks. Dr. Kamdar is a founder of Aryzun Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company utilizing protein interaction mapping for small molecule discovery with an initial focus on anti-infectives and oncology.

Dr. Kamdar has authored ten papers and received seven patents. She completed her BA at Northwestern University and her PhD in biochemistry and genetics at Emory University. Dr. Kamdar serves as an advisory board member of Eric Topol’s NIH-supported Clinical and Translational Science Award for Scripps Medicine and the Evolvence India Life Sciences Fund, a private equity fund providing growth capital to Indian pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She is also a board member of San Diego’s CONNECT Foundation and the Hastings Center.

Charles Kennedy, MD

Blue Ox Healthcare Partners

Dr. Charles Kennedy has a proven track record as a visionary healthcare leader and has been recognized as an expert in health information technology. Currently, Dr. Kennedy is managing partner at Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, leading their efforts to identify companies with innovations in healthcare services, technology, and devices which can enable providers and health plans to optimize value-based health care strategies.

Prior to joining Blue Ox, Dr. Kennedy held multiple executive positions with Aetna, including Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Integration and Chief Population Officer, where he led and implemented population health management programs. Additionally, Dr. Kennedy has served in several executive leadership positions with WellPoint Inc., CareAssured.com, and Blue Shield of California.

Dr. Kennedy’s vast experience and leadership have earned him multiple board appointments and he currently serves as a Ventures Advisory Group Board member with Rethink Health and as an Insurance Industry representative with Health Information Technology Policy Committee.

Dr. Kennedy completed his Bachelor of Science in Genetics at the University of California at Berkeley. He holds an MD in Internal Medicine from the University of California at Los Angeles and his MBA in Corporate Strategy and Health Care Economics from Stanford University.

Richard Eglen, Ph.D

Arsenal Healthcare

Dr. Eglen is a Senior Advisor for the Arsenal Healthcare team. Previously, he was a Vice President and General Manager of the Life Science division at Corning Inc. and has also served as President of Bio-discovery at PerkinElmer Inc. Dr. Eglen has also held executive positions at DiscoveRx, LJL BioSystems, Roche Bioscience, Syntex, and Smith and Nephew. He was educated in the UK at Nottingham Trent University (Ph.D.) and the University of Sheffield (BSc).

Lloyd Sanders

Epic Sciences

Lloyd Sanders joined Epic Sciences as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2019 with more than 20 years of diagnostics and pharmaceutical industry experience, most of it focused on oncology. Prior to joining Epic, he served as president of the oncology segment of Myriad Genetics, overseeing the oncology, urology and dermatology commercial organizations. While at Myriad, he was responsible for the sales, marketing, medical, customer service and laboratory operations for numerous market-leading commercial products, including molecular diagnostics for risk assessment, diagnosis/screening, prognosis and selection of therapies for breast, prostate, colorectal and other cancers.

Previously, Mr. Sanders served as chief operating officer at Dey Pharma, a division of Mylan, overseeing sales, marketing and medical affairs, including the EpiPen® flagship brand. Prior to Dey Pharma, he held several leadership positions including responsibility for the commercial growth of a number of oncology products at Sanofi-Synthelabo, subsequently Sanofi-Aventis, where he led the successful restructuring and integration of two companies’ sales forces after the merger. Mr. Sanders started his pharmaceutical career and participated in oncology product launches at Pharmacia (now Pfizer).

Mr. Sanders earned a Bachelor’s business degree with an emphasis in marketing from Memphis State University.