Denver, Colorado, May 30, 2024: AOA Dx is excited to announce the appointment of Abigail McElhinny, PhD, as the new Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Dr. McElhinny brings a wealth of experience from Thrive, an Exact Sciences Company, where she served as Head of Research & Development. Prior to working with Thrive, Dr. McElhinny was the Senior Vice President of Research, Development and Operations at PGDx, now a part of LabCorp. Her career also includes leadership roles at Ventana Medical Systems, a part of Roche Diagnostics
Dr. McElhinny is a renowned leader in the field of oncology diagnostics, known for her expertise in integrating science, technology, and team management to develop and launch complex diagnostic assay systems. Her two decades of experience span across R&D from early research phases to regulatory submission, product approval, and commercialization.
Dr. McElhinny has led the global launch of immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based assays for patient selection in targeted therapies, next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels for tumor profiling and liquid biopsies, and multi-omic assays with machine learning (ML) for early cancer detection from blood samples.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. McElhinny to AOA Dx,” said Oriana Papin-Zoghbi, CEO & Co-Founder of AOA Dx. “Her track record and leadership in oncology diagnostics will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and advance our GlycoLocate™ platform. Dr. McElhinny’s ability to lead diverse, cross-functional teams through complex development processes will be critical to our mission of improving cancer diagnostics and patient outcomes.”
In her role as CSO at AOA Dx, Dr. McElhinny will manage the entire R&D team and strategically develop, expand, and execute AOA’s overarching strategy for the GlycoLocate™ platform. She will oversee program management and provide technical direction for all product offerings, to assist with progression from research to clinical diagnostics.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been amazed at the power of biomarkers to move the oncology field forward. From developing diagnostics for cancer patients to ensure they are getting the best treatment options, to utilizing new technology for biomarker detection to push the boundaries of early detection of cancer, I’ve been honored to oversee great teams with amazing missions. I am so excited to now be at AOA Dx, where a world-class team is focused on proving the clinical power of a novel class of biomarkers, tumor-based gangliosides, and I look forward to this unprecedented opportunity for AOA and for cancer patients.” said Dr. McElhinny, CSO at AOA Dx.