Artificial intelligence (AI) methods for cancer diagnosis are one example of new technologies targeted at improving women’s health that have grown quickly in recent years. For example, AI approaches have increased the accuracy of breast cancer diagnosis while lowering radiologists’ burden.
Data-driven solutions to long-standing issues can be found by incorporating AI into life sciences R & D processes. Artificial intelligence helps the sector attain higher efficiency by boosting innovation through technology-assisted practices. Furthermore, due to the requirement for large data processing and effective service delivery, AI-enabled solutions are at the forefront of the industry’s digital transformation.
Elizabeth Cormier-May, CEO of Mammogen, Inc., is a life science and diagnostic industry veteran whose personal and professional aim is to unleash genuine precision medicine by concentrating on the convergence of AI, diagnostics, clinical research, and life sciences.
Her job as CEO of Mammogen is to produce value for the company’s patients, communities, shareholders, and partners all at the same time. This necessitates a variety of roles and responsibilities, but she believes it boils down to three things: a desire and ability to reorganize traditional pieces of success to create more efficient models, a high level of transparency (in all aspects) with herself, her employees, patients, Board of Directors, investors, and community, and a willingness to truly listen to those she surrounds herself with. These 3 responsibilities are chief among what she considers to be the soul of her and Mammogen’s success. She says, “These are the same 3 things that guide me in my role at IVBH as well.”
Mammogen, Inc.
Within the IV BioHoldings (IVBH) ecosystem, Mammogen is one of three companies. IVBH designs, develops, and produces best-in-class bio-platform firms that transform disease detection, diagnosis, and treatment. IVBH’s innovative and distributed-company platform is distinguished by speed, efficiency, and risk management, made possible by sophisticated data science, exponential technologies, powerful collaborations, and over 60 years of combined multi-disciplinary knowledge. While Elizabeth is the CEO of Mammogen, she is also the SVP and CCO of IV BioHoldings, with her partner, Martin Keiser, III.
Mammogen’s goal is to enhance the early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of illnesses that affect women. Elizabeth states, “We are starting with our genTRUTM suite of breast diagnostics. The two early detection tests within this flagship program are based on 26 mRNA biomarkers.” The company’s innovative multi-gene expression signatures translate into non-invasive and painless diagnostics poised to bring regular, accurate screening to women who are underserved by current guidelines. The genTRUTM suite of products has been validated in both blood and saliva and offers best-in-class performance. The focus of 2022 for Mammogen is to continue the clinical development of genTRUTM and speed towards commercialization so that early breast cancer detection is a reality for the 96 million women who would be immediately appropriate for these tests.
The first of the two non-invasive diagnostics is genTRUTM-EDT (early detection test), a simple blood test designed to diagnose women who are not currently eligible for imaging, mainly women under the age of 40 and those 55+ who are not candidates for yearly mammography. The second test, genTRUTM -PID (post imaging diagnostic), is a test designed to rule the correct women out of invasive breast biopsies when such procedures would be unnecessary. The technique has the potential to minimize false negatives and boost early screening among women, as well as reduce false positives and increase the safe monitoring of worrisome nodules. In the end, the objective is to provide every woman, regardless of age, background, financial status, or genetics, with the opportunity to receive an early and safe diagnosis, potentially saving millions of lives. Elizabeth says, “Nothing we do at Mammogen is traditional; everything is, by design, inventive.”
Elizabeth said that IVBH and Mammogen will continue to innovate on everything from fund-raising to product development in order to integrate unprecedented efficiency into providing best-in-class goods that create a new paradigm of patient care.
Stirred by the Sense of Novelty
Elizabeth grew up dreaming of being a doctor, specifically a pediatric oncologist. Even as a youngster, cancer seemed cruel and unjust, and she couldn’t conceive of a better way to help than to battle it on the front lines. As her schooling proceeded, she recognized that it was the underlying science, particularly organic chemistry and system biology, that she was most interested in. As a result, following graduation, she worked for Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research as a medicinal chemist in early discovery cancer. She adored the research, but she felt a million miles away from the patients, and this is where she truly wanted to make a difference, so she switched to the commercial side of the industry.
According to Elizabeth, the life science and technology business offers a continual feeling of novelty and learning, which keeps her engaged and devoted. She can never get too comfortable before being flipped on her head, and the constant problem-solving that this profession necessitates is thrilling to her. Above all, she regards every tiny contribution to local and global societies as a special privilege and honor. She has spent two decades in the healthcare industry, creating new products, markets, and companies, all with the purpose of improving patient care.
A View on Success and Failure
Elizabeth admits that, like any good CEO and entrepreneur, she has failed at virtually everything at some point. She feels it’s the most important part of success to “learn from those failures and translate them into something far more powerful.” Her biggest failure, however, was thinking (and actually believing) that she needed to, or even could, handle everything on her own. She says, “I’ve come to learn that surrounding myself with people far smarter than I am, and then acknowledging those people for their contributions, is so much more impactful than trying to handle and execute on everything by myself.” She further adds, “That mindset is neither sustainable nor scalable, and will always lead to ultimate failure. Accepting, incorporating, and celebrating the talents of others is central to success.”
For Elizabeth, success means creating a self-funding ecosystem that simultaneously empowers physicians with best-in-class products, patients with data-driven tools that unlock self- and healthcare learning and passive revenue, and partners who help to decentralize care so that anyone can access and afford care without the delays and hurdles that plague the current system.
Focusing on Innovation
Elizabeth does not believe that the revolutions will be limited to technology. She believes that individuals who can rearrange the parts of old methods to develop far more efficient, patient-centric approaches to invent and commercialize will make the greatest contributions and have the most effect.
She wishes to broaden the scope of clinical care, specifically to include diagnostics. She says, “Until we begin to shape the execution of patient care to incorporate mind, body, and soul, we will continue to make only incremental improvements in people’s lives.” She further adds that this is why a major part of the work the team does at Mammogen is outside of clinical development. It is centered on creating our End-To-Never-EndTM community, where it addresses not only the biological drivers and diagnosis of disease, but also provides non-clinical tools and spaces to discuss the variety of issues that accompany a disease like breast cancer.
Lead with your voice
Elizabeth’s advice for the next generation of female tech leaders is to find your voice early and use it often. She suggests speaking up when you know your idea is better than whatever else is being tossed around the room, saying NO to people or situations that are not in the best interest of yourself or your company, and ALWAYS trusting your gut. She says, “Listen to that little voice when she is imploring you to do so. My biggest mistakes only happened when I wavered from one of these things.“
A Leader’s Perspective
How important is it to have a mentor to grow as a leader?
I believe it is imperative to have a mentor. I don’t think, however, that this person has to be in your industry. In my mind, a mentor is someone who offers you a non-judgmental but constructively-critical ear, an honest, but challenging mindset, and a safe place to celebrate the successes while also mourning the losses.
What sort of characteristics in employees contribute to the organization’s success?
I think that the best teams are constructed of people who believe that their collective cause is bigger than themselves or any individual within the team. In my experience, this breeds creative thinking, unparalleled innovation, deep commitment, and a unified sense of purpose.
What is the best way to build a great team?
Building a great team starts with an unbridled passion for the mission. You won’t be able to attract the same caliber of team members if you don’t have that. From there, a great team happens when you incorporate different skill sets, different types of people, different personalities, different mindsets, and different voices. As long as all of those people share the same commitment to the collective mission, success is all but ensured!
What does “performance culture” mean to you?
Performance culture defines a workplace that is results driven. I think being results driven is an absolute necessity to any success, but I think that the definition of results is far broader than financial runways, stock prices, EBITDA, or ROI figures. While these are all undoubtedly important, in my mind, “results” should also be defined by the host of things that unarguably fuel those things listed above: employee happiness and commitment, innovation wins or discoveries (even if they don’t lead to immediate IP or productization), novel efficiency creation in business or science, portfolio expansion beyond core competencies, and out-of-the box thinking and implementation. All of these things may not be immediately or obviously value-adding, but in my experience, a workplace that inspires all of these “intangibles” creates a team of motivated, passionate, and committed people who stop at nothing to achieve the more traditional performance culture.
Website- www.mammogen.bio
