Dietrich Stephan
Encyclopedia
Dr. Dietrich Stephan, Ph.D. (born August 25, 1969) is an American human geneticist and co-founder of Navigenics
, a personal genetics company. He is also the President and CEO of the Ignite Institute for Individualized Health.
, Pennsylvania
. He received his B.S. in Biology/Biochemistry from Carnegie Mellon University
in 1991. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in Human Molecular Genetics in 1996 from the University of Pittsburgh
. Stephan completed a fellowship in 1999 at the National Human Genome Research Institute.
, George Washington University
, Arizona State University
, University of Arizona
, the National Human Genome Research Institute of the NIH and the Children’s National Medical Center.
During his time at the NIH, Stephan researched and published extensive information on the genetic components of common cancers such as prostate cancer and breast cancer.
In 2003, Stephan was an early recruit to the Translational Genomics Research Institute
(TGen) in Phoenix, Arizona as a Senior Investigator and founding Chairman of the Department of Neurogenomics. He later served as the Deputy Director of Discovery Research at TGen, where he oversaw the research program. During his time at TGen, Stephan and his colleagues were some of the first to use the Affymetrix
gene chip platform to identify genetic links for a number of neurological disorders including autism, ALS, Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and Alzheimer’s disease.
Stephan has published more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific articles in the primary literature and he served as the Chairman of the NIH Neuroscience Microarray Consortium for seven years. He sits on the Board of Directors of Sage BioNetworks as well as the Personalized Medicine Coalition.
. Navigenics is a personal genetic testing company that offers genetic scans and analysis to individuals to help them determine their individual risk for a variety of common health conditions. Navigenics’ extensive genetic counseling program focuses on the potential health benefits that can be gained from being aware of personal genetic information.
In January 2007, Stephan founded Amnestix with Dr. Matthew Huentelman. Amnestix is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as age-related memory impairment, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Amnestix was acquired by SYGNIS in June, 2009.
Stephan has recently co-founded Aueon, Inc. with Vern Norviel which is a biopharmaceutical company focused on providing early cancer diagnostic tests to appropriately select the most effective chemotherapeutic agents to maximize long-term survival. The company is based in Menlo Park, CA.
Most recently, Stephan has founded a large personalized medicine institute in the National Capital region that has the goal of reducing preventable suffering from common human diseases such as cancers, cardiac disease, pediatric diseases such as autism, metabolic diseases such as diabetes and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The institute is meant to be the tactical solution to effect true health care reform by changing the medical paradigm from reactive and generalized to proactive and personalized. The institute’s goal is also to be a commercialization engine for the region.
Navigenics
Navigenics, Inc. is a privately held personal genomics company, based in Foster City, California, that uses genetic testing to help people determine their individual risk for dozens of health conditions....
, a personal genetics company. He is also the President and CEO of the Ignite Institute for Individualized Health.
Early life
Dietrich Stephan was born in PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He received his B.S. in Biology/Biochemistry from Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
in 1991. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in Human Molecular Genetics in 1996 from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. Stephan completed a fellowship in 1999 at the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Academic career
Stephan’s career spans research and academia to entrepreneurship. He has held faculty positions at Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, the National Human Genome Research Institute of the NIH and the Children’s National Medical Center.
During his time at the NIH, Stephan researched and published extensive information on the genetic components of common cancers such as prostate cancer and breast cancer.
In 2003, Stephan was an early recruit to the Translational Genomics Research Institute
Translational Genomics Research Institute
The Translational Genomics Research Institute , is a non-profit genomics research institute established in 2002 by Jeffrey Trent, the founding Scientific Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute , in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.TGen seeks to employ genetic discoveries to improve...
(TGen) in Phoenix, Arizona as a Senior Investigator and founding Chairman of the Department of Neurogenomics. He later served as the Deputy Director of Discovery Research at TGen, where he oversaw the research program. During his time at TGen, Stephan and his colleagues were some of the first to use the Affymetrix
Affymetrix
Affymetrix is a company that manufactures DNA microarrays; it is based in Santa Clara, California, United States. The company was founded by Dr. Stephen Fodor in 1992. It began as a unit in Affymax N.V...
gene chip platform to identify genetic links for a number of neurological disorders including autism, ALS, Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and Alzheimer’s disease.
Stephan has published more than 140 peer-reviewed scientific articles in the primary literature and he served as the Chairman of the NIH Neuroscience Microarray Consortium for seven years. He sits on the Board of Directors of Sage BioNetworks as well as the Personalized Medicine Coalition.
Entrepreneur
Stephan began his career as an entrepreneur in November 2006 when he co-founded Navigenics with noted oncologist Dr. David AgusDavid Agus
David Agus, is an American physician and a co-founder of Navigenics, a personal genetic testing company, and Oncology.com, the largest online cancer resource and virtual community and Applied Proteomics...
. Navigenics is a personal genetic testing company that offers genetic scans and analysis to individuals to help them determine their individual risk for a variety of common health conditions. Navigenics’ extensive genetic counseling program focuses on the potential health benefits that can be gained from being aware of personal genetic information.
In January 2007, Stephan founded Amnestix with Dr. Matthew Huentelman. Amnestix is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as age-related memory impairment, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Amnestix was acquired by SYGNIS in June, 2009.
Stephan has recently co-founded Aueon, Inc. with Vern Norviel which is a biopharmaceutical company focused on providing early cancer diagnostic tests to appropriately select the most effective chemotherapeutic agents to maximize long-term survival. The company is based in Menlo Park, CA.
Most recently, Stephan has founded a large personalized medicine institute in the National Capital region that has the goal of reducing preventable suffering from common human diseases such as cancers, cardiac disease, pediatric diseases such as autism, metabolic diseases such as diabetes and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The institute is meant to be the tactical solution to effect true health care reform by changing the medical paradigm from reactive and generalized to proactive and personalized. The institute’s goal is also to be a commercialization engine for the region.