February 17, 2021
Tara Maddala has been hired as Vice President of Clinical Development and Allison Ryan as Vice President of Data Science.
They each will be responsible for establishing critical new functions within the company as it works to develop and commercialize Delfi Diagnostics cancer screening blood tests.
“From our first conversations, it was obvious that Tara and Allison are both committed to putting science first, and care about radically improving outcomes for anyone who could be affected by cancer,” said Delfi’s Chief Operating Officer Jenn Buechel. “It is also clear that they are inspiring leaders with a deep commitment to serving their teams and organizations. We are excited to welcome them to Delfi.”
Tara Maddala previously served as Vice President of Biostatistics and Data Management at Grail Inc, where she co-established the Clinical Development team and led the design of Grail’s foundational clinical trials. Tara received a PhD in Biostatistics from The University of Texas.
Allison Ryan joins Delfi from Natera, where she was previously Vice President of Data Science. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley.
“Delfi is uniquely positioned to deliver early cancer detection tests with not only leading performance but also broad accessibility for patients everywhere,” Tara Maddala said. “I am excited to join this team and am committed to developing a clinical trials program that generates the evidence needed to bring these tests to patients.”
“Not only is Delfi’s leadership team dedicated to making an impact on cancer through its tests, they are also building a company for long-term success and creating a great environment for people to work in,” said Allison Ryan.
“Tara and Allison exemplify exactly the type of leaders who we want at Delfi: incredibly talented individuals with track records of success who also happen to be great people and put their teams first,” said Delfi CEO Victor Velculescu, MD, PhD. “We know this is a rare combination, but we are committed to making sure the people we hire meet these criteria.”
Delfi’s technology leverages advances in machine learning and recent discoveries in the genome-wide fragmentation profiles of cell free DNA to create a novel approach to detecting evidence of a tumor from a blood sample, while also pinpointing the tumor’s location in the body. Delfi is applying this platform technology to develop a range of products designed to detect specific cancers, such as lung cancer, in at-risk individuals and to identify any of multiple cancers in any individual.
