Genome BC has sourced the local life sciences community to recruit a new chief scientific officer (CSO) three months after its previous CSO headed to Ottawa to take on a lead role with a national genomics research organization.
Genome BC’s new CSO Brad Popovich was most recently president and CEO of Vancouver’s Sirius Genomics, which is developing DNA-based diagnostic tests for sepsis, a systemic blood infection. He left that position in late 2009 to make room for a new leader with more experience in the final stages of product commercialization.
Prior to joining Sirius in 2005, he was vice-president of operations at Vancouver’s Xenon Pharmaceuticals for about four years.
As CSO, Popovich will lead Genome BC’s research into genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics.
As Business in Vancouver reported in August, much of the organization’s first 10 years were focused on building genomics research capacity in the province and getting research projects off the ground. (See “Ten years on, Genome BC targets commercialization” – issue 1084; August 3-9.)
Having accomplished that, Genome BC, in its new five-year plan is turning much of its attention to producing useful and, in some cases, marketable technology and tools for industry.
Pierre Meulien had been Genome BC’s CSO for three-and-a-half years before he left in October to become president and CEO of Genome Canada. (See “Genome BC’s lead scientist named president of Ottawa-based research organization” – BIV Daily Edition – October 26.)
“When Pierre left [Genome BC], I must say, as a board member, I was deeply disappointed, given the things he helped the organization accomplish. At the same time, I immediately became excited about the opportunity because of my personal circumstance.” Popovich told BIV on Friday.
Since leaving Sirius in late 2009, Popovich has worked more closely with Genome BC, becoming vice-chair of its board.
Popovich’s career can essentially be divided into two sections: academic and private sector.
The first half of his career was with research organizations like the San Diego Children’s Hospital’s DNA Diagnostic Laboratory and the Oregon Health Sciences University’s Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory.
His last ten years have been spent largely in the private sector, with only peripheral academic roles.
“What I’ve realized is that there is a big chasm that exists between what’s going on in the academic setting – the discoveries being made – and ability to commercialize those discoveries,” he said.
“Genome BC holds a really unique vantage point in being able to help academia move discoveries into the marketplace.”
Genome BC is managing 96 research projects that have total budgets of $450 million.