Healthcare Professionals

Leadership

Ron Rocca, President & CEO, Exagen Diagnostics, Inc.

Ron Rocca comes to Exagen Diagnostics with 26 years of experience building strong market presence and generating record profitability in highly competitive markets in both diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. His specialties include executional strategy, new business development and sales management/training, and he has a proven history of successfully exceeding corporate goals. Before joining Exagen, Mr. Rocca served as General Manager at Prometheus Labs. With Prometheus since 2005, he was responsible for leading the GI sales organization, strategic planning and implementing tactical projects designed to maximize GI brand sales. Prior to Prometheus, Mr. Rocca was the General Manager of Marketing, Sales, Sales Operations, Managed Markets and Contracting at Alpharma Inc. While at Alpharma, Mr. Rocca was responsible for leading 250 sales personnel and overseeing sales analytics, sales training and managed care. Prior to Alpharma, Mr. Rocca was with Elan Pharmaceuticals where he held several senior sales and marketing management positions. Earlier experience includes working for Eisai Inc. and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

Mr. Rocca has worked in several specialty areas including Gastroenterology, Neurology, Oncology, Palliative Medicine and Emergency Care and holds his B.A. in Marketing and Personnel Management from Towson State University. Mr. Rocca lives in Carlsbad, California with this wife and two children. He is involved with the San Diego Blood Bank and the Crohn's Colitis Foundation.

Dr. Thierry Dervieux, SVP, Research & Development

Dr. Thierry Dervieux has nearly 20 years experience with the development of cutting edge drug monitoring and molecular diagnostic assays in partnership with academia and diagnostic industry. Prior to joining Exagen, Dr Dervieux was Vice President of Research and Development with Cypress Bioscience where he developed Exagen's current portfolio in the rheumatology space. He was also Principal Scientist and director of research at Prometheus Laboratories prior to joining Proprius Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Cypress Bioscience in 2008). Dr Dervieux is board certified by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry and holds certificate of qualification as medical laboratory director in the categories of clinical chemistry, drug monitoring, genetic testing, diagnostic immunology and molecular oncology. Dr Dervieux has authored over 50 publications, abstracts and book chapters, and is the inventor on multiple patents and patent applications in the field of personalized medicine and companion diagnostics. Dr Dervieux holds PharmD and PhD degrees from Claude Bernard University (Lyon, France), a degree in biostatistics from the University of Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris, France), and trained at St Jude Children's Research Hospital (Memphis, TN).

Wendy Swedick, CFO

Ms. Swedick has over 20 years of experience providing leadership in both corporate and entrepreneurial organizations. She was part of the senior management team of a $3 billion telecommunications company and the CFO for a successful entrepreneurial start-up. She has also taken the lead in several product development efforts. Ms. Swedick is currently a senior mentor for the New Directions Institute and is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and the Leadership New Mexico program.

John Alsobrook II, PhD, VP Translational Discovery

Dr. Alsobrook has more than 25 years of industry and academic experience. While at Exagen, he previously served as Director of Discovery, VP of Biomarker Validation, and COO. Prior to joining Exagen in 2005, Dr. Alsobrook was a consultant for biotech and pharmaceutical clients including Genaissance Pharmaceuticals, Amersham Health, and G.E. Healthcare. He was CuraGen Corporation's genetics supervisor for drug discovery and also senior research scientist for pharmacogenomics.

From 1996-2000, Alsobrook was associate faculty scientist at Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center, where he investigated inherited psychiatric disorders. He holds separate B.S. degrees in biochemistry and physics from California State University Los Angeles, and both an M. Phil. and a Ph.D. from Yale University's Department of Genetics.

Dennis Takasugi, VP Marketing & Business Development

Dennis comes to Exagen with almost 30 years of experience as a pharmaceutical executive with broad commercial experience involving big pharma, small emerging biotechnology and specialty diagnostic companies. He spent 6 years with Prometheus's gastroenterology division in Business Development and prior to that held the position of Senior Director of Marketing supporting promotion and managed care at Santarus, Inc. Dennis spent the first 15 years of his career with Eli Lilly and Company and holds a BS in Pharmacy from Idaho State University where he graduated with honors.

Lisa Davis, PhD, VP Product Development

Dr. Davis has 18 years of experience conducting and managing genetic research. She served as Associate Director for Molecular Genetics at Applied Genetics Laboratory, where she managed DNA probe R&D. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow and research associate at the Roswell Park Memorial Institute. Dr. Davis holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of North Carolina.