Session Abstract – PMWC 2025 Silicon Valley
Speaker Profile
Biography
Tod Klingler, PhD, is a visionary leader in genomics and personalized healthcare with deep expertise in machine learning, molecular diagnostics, and big data analytics. With a proven track record of founding and scaling successful start-ups, he has developed cutting-edge solutions that advance precision medicine. His leadership has driven innovations in genomics testing, personalized health programs, and data-driven healthcare platforms. As an experienced product strategist, Tod excels at integrating advanced medical technologies to enhance disease prevention, precise diagnostics, and treatment optimization, making a significant impact on healthcare outcomes worldwide.
Talk
Leveraging Genomics and AI to Personalize Drug Therapy
This talk will describe how GeneLeap's innovative platform combines generative AI structure prediction advancements combined with an individual's genetics to optimize drug therapies. By predicting drug response, side effects and metabolic interactions, this technology promises to provide tailored treatment recommendation and mitigate therapeutic odysseys.
Pharmacogenomics Showcase:
GeneLeap
GeneLeap is developing a generative AI-based platform to optimize drug therapies for individuals with depression. The platform will generate treatment recommendations using an individual's genetic makeup with the goal of improving treatment outcomes by reducing the trial-and-error process often encountered in psychiatric care.
Speaker Profile
Biography
Deepak Voora, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, a staff cardiologist at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Executive Director for the VA's National Pharmacogenomics Program. His research focusses on the discovery and translation of pharmacogenomic biomarkers to improve health outcomes for some of the most commonly used medications used worldwide. As Director of the VA's National Pharmacogenomics Program, he is leading the VAs clinical implementation of panel-based, pharmacogenomic testing enterprise-wide.
Speaker Profile
Biography
Over 20 years of experience in clinical pharmacy, academia, and management.Served as the Chief Clinical Pharmacist at Maccabi Healthcare Services, Israels second-largest HMO, leading pivotal and impactful projects that empowered clinicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals to improve the safety and quality of drug treatment across the organization. Additionally, spearheaded numerous national initiatives in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Health, with a focus on managing drug-related problems, enhancing healthcare quality measures, and advancing patient care
Talk
Practical Precision Medication: PGx-Enhanced Solution for Clinicians
Healthcare is shifting toward personalized patient care. Pharmacogenomics-a key tool in this shift- helps tailor treatments by incorporating genetic information, which alongside all other patientsdrugs parameters provides the physician with a comprehensive view to optimize drug choices, overcoming usability challenges that pave the way for faster adoption of precision medicine.
Pharmacogenomics Showcase:
Seegnal eHealth
Seegnal® is a patient-tailored, PGx-enhanced, decision-support tool integrated into the electronic medical record that operates in real-time at the point of care. Designed to address drug-related problems (DRPs) comprehensively, it analyses multiple DRP domains—including pharmacogenetics—enabling clinicians to detect, prioritize, and resolve DRPs intuitively and efficiently.
Speaker Profile
Biography
Glenn Sawyer has worked in the biotech space for 30 years spanning a diverse array of roles, from RD bench scientist, to Field Applications Scientist, Sales, Marketing and Leadership. At Agena Bioscience, he is currently the commercial team lead for the rapid development, launch and implementation of products serving the Pharmacogenomics (PGx), hereditary genetics and infectious disease markets.
Talk
Guideline-Driven PGx Testing: A Targeted Approach
Design, performance and implementation of targeted panel design containing AMP Tier 1 and Tier 2 consensus recommendations for standardization of alleles for clinical pharmacogenomic genotyping assays. Attendees will gain insights into these evidence-based guidelines and the implementation of standardized PGx testing within the laboratory.
Pharmacogenomics Showcase:
Agena Biosystems
Agena Bioscience® makes clinical genomics accessible to high-complexity clinical labs, enabling and simplifying genetic test deployment. Our foundational platform, the MassARRAY® System, is a highly sensitive, cost-effective genetic testing system used globally in diverse fields such as pharmacogenetics, hereditary genetics, infectious disease, and cancer profiling.
Speaker Profile
Biography
Jeremy Woods is a clinical geneticist trained at UCLA and is currently the director of Medical Genetics and Metabolism and Precision Medicine at Valley Children's Healthcare. He holds an appointment at Stanford University and is committed to translational science with a special interest in point of care germline genotyping in humans.
Talk
Lab-on-Chip Technology for Point of Care Clinical Pharmacogenomics
We are utilizing the Kelliop RapidSeq126 lab-on-chip PCR system with melting curve analysis to develop first in class point of care pharmacogenomic testing. The technology can detect up to 144 variants and provide results in under an hour.
Pharmacogenomics Showcase:
Valley Children's
Valley Children's Healthcare is a major children's healthcare system in California that collaborates with industry sponsors such as Kelliop to develop point of care genetic testing technology.
Speaker Profile
Biography
Pharmacogenomic testing provides important information to doctors and their patients in selecting the best drugs to maximize therapeutic efficacy and minimize toxicities. Dr. Wu has conducted clinical trials within the area of pharmacogenomics. Results of these studies are used by the in vitro diagnostics industry to develop new laboratory tests and to gain regulatory approval for their use within clinical laboratories. Once the value of these tests are known, and assays cleared by the FDA, Dr. Wu is responsible for implementing these tests into routine medical practice at UCSF. In order to justify the cost of providing these services, an economic analysis is necessary. The education of the medical staff is key for successful implementation and is the most difficult part of a successful program.
Talk
Social Media to Promote Novel Medical Technologies
The education of medical providers is essential in the successful implementation of novel technologies into medical practice. PMWC provides the content and networking between researchers, innovators, and physicians. Missing, however, is a systematic approach towards educating the general public. Social media can reach a lay audience through story telling.
Pharmacogenomics Showcase:
UCSF
University of California at San Francisco and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital