Illumina Welcomes Alex Aravanis as Chief Technology Officer and Appoints Mostafa Ronaghi to Lead Entrepreneurial Development

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Dr. Alex Aravanis (Photo: Business Wire)

Dr. Aravanis brings almost 20 years of experience in leading research and development efforts, spanning basic research and technology development through late stage clinical development, and is returning to Illumina from GRAIL, Inc. which he co-founded, and serves as the Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development. At GRAIL, he led the teams developing its multi-cancer early detection test by combining high-intensity sequencing approaches of unprecedented breadth and depth, and the latest tools of data science and data engineering, including powerful approaches from machine learning, such as neural networks. He and the GRAIL team created one of the largest clinical study programs ever in genomic medicine to support development of its products.

Prior to GRAIL, Dr. Aravanis served in R&D for Illumina and developed multiple technologies, including clinical assays and bioinformatic pipelines for the analysis of RNA and DNA from fixed tissues, whole exome analysis, massively parallel single cell transcriptomics and liquid biopsy using cell-free nucleic acids.

“I am humbled and excited to rejoin the Illumina team, especially at a time when unlocking the power of the genome has never been more important,” said Dr. Aravanis. “I look forward to building on Illumina’s existing portfolio of leading products and expansive technology roadmap to further accelerate the impact of sequencing and transform human health through advancements in life science research and clinical applications.”

Ronaghi has driven many key research breakthroughs in sequencing technology since joining Illumina in 2008 with the acquisition of Avantome, Inc., which he co-founded. He has tirelessly championed the startup community by co-founding GRAIL and launching Illumina Accelerator in 2014. In his new role, Ronaghi will be connecting with the entrepreneurial community and early-stage companies around the world to accelerate breakthrough applications in genomics.

“We are thrilled to welcome Alex back to Illumina, now as our Chief Technology Officer, to ensure that Illumina will continue to deliver cutting edge technology to support the ever-broader adoption and impact of genomics,” said Francis deSouza, Illumina’s Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to his unique background and experience in sequencing technology, engineering, and clinical applications, Alex knows Illumina well and is the right leader to build on Mostafa’s achievements and ensure our culture of innovation is protected as Illumina continues to grow.”

Dr. Aravanis holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, and Physics Minor from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, and an M.D. from Stanford University.

About Illumina

Illumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as the global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture and other emerging segments. To learn more, visit www.illumina.com and follow @illumina.

Use of forward-looking statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are based on our expectations as of the date of this release and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements are (i) our ability to develop and commercialize new products, services and applications, to further develop our current portfolio of instruments, consumables, and services, and to expand the markets for our technology platforms; (ii) our ability to manufacture robust instrumentation and consumables; (iii) our ability to successfully identify and integrate acquired technologies, products or businesses; (iv) the future conduct and growth of the business and the markets in which we operate; and (v) challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, and launching new products and services, together with other factors detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. We undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to update these forward-looking statements, to review or confirm analysts’ expectations, or to provide interim reports or updates on the progress of the current quarter.

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