About Us
PathogenDx is a biotechnology innovator based in Tucson, Arizona, developing diagnostic solutions to address viral, bacterial and fungal infection or contamination. We’ve reinvented DNA-based testing to identify pathogens faster and easier, driving greater safety and business optimization in fields ranging from healthcare to agriculture to dairy farming. We deliver solutions needed to save money and lives—with ultra-rapid results—driving us all towards the future of safe.
Executive Team
Milan Patel
Co-Founder and CEO
Mr. Patel leads the strategic vision, financial health and global growth of PathogenDx, a Scottsdale, AZ based company which provides disruptive DNA-based pathogen testing technology and solutions for the botanical, food and agricultural industries.
Previously, Mr. Patel spent over 25 years working with large public, small private and entrepreneurial companies in numerous fields from the life sciences, to biotechnology, to government services and the automotive industry. Milan served as COO/CFO of GMSbiotech.
He also was CFO of 2020 Company, LLC, a leading premier professional services firm that delivered business and technology solutions to the government, in the areas of health, education and science.
Mr. Patel also worked at Intel Corporation in Sales & Marketing, Finance and Manufacturing. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, business strategy and planning, infrastructure and organizational development, and controls, compliance and audit.
Previously, Mr. Patel spent over 25 years working with large public, small private and entrepreneurial companies in numerous fields from the life sciences, to biotechnology, to government services and the automotive industry. Milan served as COO/CFO of GMSbiotech. He also was CFO of 2020
Michael Hogan Ph.D.
Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer
Dr. Michael Hogan’s expertise is in the area of physical chemistry, biosample processing and genetic testing. He is leading multiple programs in technology development at PDx, with special emphasis on building its proprietary DNA microarray technology into the food safety and agricultural markets.
Dr. Hogan has 30 years of experience in translational science, with special emphasis on the application of physical biochemistry to commerce.
Hogan has invented, developed & commercialized multiple technologies for medical devices, therapeutics, in vitro diagnostics, genomic testing and biological sample preservation and has been awarded more than 50 patents and has more than 90 peer reviewed publications in those several areas. His team’s work in the area of biological sample stabilization was awarded a Frost & Sullivan Award in 2014.
Dr. Hogan obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology from Dartmouth in 1973; his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics from Yale in 1978; and as a post-doc in 1979, was awarded a Damon Runyon Cancer Fellowship at Stanford, where he worked in the Stanford Magnetic Resonance Laboratory.
In academia, Hogan first served as Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton (1979-1988) and then Professor of Biotechnology & Molecular Physiology at Baylor College of Medicine (1989-2001) where he also served as the Founding Director of the Graduate Program in Biotechnology.
Five companies have been formed from his technology over the past 20 years, all in the area of DNA biotechnology, therapeutics and diagnostics. For each, he served as a Founder and CSO, having worked closely with the equity funding community and directly with multiple academic and commercial partners and customers.
Eric Lachance
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer
Eric Lachance has 25+ years leading programs and companies. Recently, Eric served as COO for Metris LLC, a startup, and as a leadership/contracts consultant for multiple organizations serving both corporations and Federal and Local governments. Eric served in the US Army for 20 years, culminating in managing advanced research and development programs in US Special Operations Command. Eric has extensive experience in organizational structure, contracts, negotiations, business strategy, business development, and supply chain management. Eric has an MBA from Fuqua School of Business, Duke University and MS in Structural Engineering and Construction Engineering from Stanford University.
Ralph Martel, Ph.D.
Vice President, Research & Development
A versatile biotechnology scientist, team builder and senior executive with 25 years experience in product and business development, Martel most recently served as chief technology officer of Meru Biotechnologies, Inc., where he led the commercial launch of an in-licensed technology for measuring molecular binding reactions by compensated backscattering interferometry.
He has a proven track record in the research, development, scale-up and commercialization of user-friendly IVD assays and automation tools that integrate reagents, consumables, hardware and software to address market needs in vitro diagnostics. He brings extensive experience from SomaLogic, Roche Ventana Systems, HTG Molecular and Affymetrix. Martel thrives at coordinating goal-oriented multidisciplinary teams and driving external collaborations to bring about innovation.
Carol Dugas
Global Director of Sales
Carol Dugas has over 30 years’ experience in the Life Science and Laboratory Markets, with a focus on Quality Control Microbiology. She brings to PathogenDx her experience in Environmental Monitoring, Microbial Limit and Sterility Testing for major Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, Hospitals, Universities, Food, Cannabis and Contract Manufacturing companies. She has expertise in cGMP and ISO facilities; along with USP, FDA, USDA and AOAC regulations.
Previously, Carol held the position of NA Senior Sales Director, BioMonitoring with MilliporeSigma. Carol holds both a BS and MS degree in Physiology/Pre-Med from California State University, Fullerton.
Shien McCullough
Controller
A Certified Public Accountant, Shien has 21+ years in public accounting, internal audit, corporate accounting and treasury. Her industry experience includes Oil & Gas, Utilities, Education, Healthcare and Manufacturing. She has managed finance and accounting teams of organizations with revenues up to $200M both in the for profit and not for profit sectors.
In these roles, she had overall responsibility for the organization’s financial reporting, planning and budgeting, fixed assets, external audits and system of internal controls.
Shien is passionate about process improvement and accounting automation.
Shien has a BSc (Hons.) from the National University of Singapore and MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, AZ.
BENJAMIN AARON ADLER, PH.D., J.D.,
IP COUNSEL
Dr. Benjamin Adler has advised companies in biotechnology/molecular medicine and medical devices for over 30 years. Previously, in addition to being the managing attorney at ADLER & ASSOCIATES, an intellectual property law firm, Dr. Adler has served as General Counsel to Rocky Mountain Biosystems, Biofusionary, Inc., VectorLogics, Inc., Tomowave Laboratories, Inc., GMS Biotech, Inc. as well as others.
Dr. Adler holds a Ph.D. in molecular pharmacology from the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and was graduated from Boston University School of Law.
