Aperiomics, a biotechnology company that saves lives by harnessing the power of next-generation sequencing to identify any known pathogen (bacteria, virus, fungi or parasite) in a single test, today announced that Alvin (Yuan) Chen, PhD, has been named the company’s chief technology officer.

Dr. Chen has more than 10 years of experience in next-generation sequencing and is an expert in genomics, genetics and bioinformatics. Dr. Chen joined Aperiomics in 2015 and served as PI of the ongoing NSF SBIR Phase II grant. He successfully developed the company’s primary platform, Xplore-NGS™, which uses DNA sequencing technology to identify all microbes in a single test. He also leads the development of the company’s information management systems.

“Alvin is among the best innovators in the world of next-generation sequencing and we’re very pleased that he is leading our technology efforts,” said company CEO Dr. Crystal Icenhour. “He has made a strong mark on our company and the customers we serve, constantly improving the way we help clinicians and patients identify the causes of infectious diseases.”

Dr. Chen has provided leadership in a number of scientific research projects, and has produced more than 15 publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals, such as PLoS Genetics, Genome Research, MBio, Nature Communications and Molecular Ecology. He is a passionate programmer with more than 25 years of experience, leading and participating in multiple software development projects. He is proficient in many different programming languages and hardware and system architecture.

Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. from the Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2012 and then joined the Division of Infectious Diseases at Duke University Medical Center as a Postdoc Fellow from 2012-2015. He is an amateur photographer, sports enthusiast and avid outdoorsman.

About Aperiomics

periomics is the only company identifying every bacteria, DNA virus, fungi or parasite in one test. Clinicians and patients call on Aperiomics to identify infectious diseases that other tests cannot identify. The only company of its kind and scope in the world, Aperiomics identifies every known pathogen (bacteria, virus, fungi or parasite) in a single test through next-generation sequencing of the DNA or RNA in any sample (patient, environmental, etc.). The complete genetic fingerprint of that sample is then compared to the Aperiomics Microbial Database™- the most comprehensive database of microorganisms, including the world’s largest collection of pathogens. This breakthrough is only possible through Aperiomics and can be used to identify unknown/chronic infections, limit the use of antibiotics and solve difficult medical cases. Patients and their families often contact Aperiomics directly after hearing about their successes in helping others. Aperiomics was named Life Sciences Innovators of the year in 2016 and as a finalist in the 2017 Greater Washington Innovation Awards. For more information, visit www.aperiomics.com or call (703) 229-0406.