Sir Richard Sykes appointed Chairman Elect of genetic testing innovator DnaNudge

World-renowned industry leader to lead board as DnaNudge targets major acceleration in global roll-out of transformative rapid genetic testing solutions

London, United Kingdom, December 15th 2021 – Consumer genetics testing and medical diagnostics innovator DnaNudge is today pleased to announce that Sir Richard Sykes FRS FMedSci HonFREng has joined its board as Chairman Elect, effective immediately. This key board appointment comes as the company targets a major acceleration in the roll-out of its transformative rapid genetic testing solutions to meet international market demand.

Sir Richard Sykes – the new chair of the UK government’s Vaccine Taskforce and current Chancellor of Brunel University – brings to DnaNudge an unparalleled level of experience in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, having held leadership positions in internationally recognised commercial pharmaceutical and medical organisations, including Chairman and CEO of GlaxoWellcome, and chairman of GlaxoSmithKline, the Royal Institution of Great Britain, King Edward VII’s Hospital, the UK Stem Cell Foundation, and Singapore Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Council. Sir Richard is a former Rector of Imperial College London and received his Knighthood from Her Majesty The Queen’s 1994 New Year’s Honours list for services to the pharmaceutical industry.

Sir Richard Sykes joins DnaNudge at a pivotal time, with the company’s ground-breaking rapid genetic testing solutions – including the first ever sample-to-result RT-PCR COVID-19 test – in high demand in healthcare settings around the world and as private consumer services. DnaNudge’s portable, clinical-grade point-of-care testing platform delivers accurate results in just over an hour, without the need for a laboratory or any manual sample pre-processing. Capable of a high level of multiplexing – with 72 testing wells available on each testing cartridge – DnaNudge’s sample-to-result testing platform offers the ability to test simultaneously for all known SARS-CoV-2 virus variants, FluA, FluB, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), plus markers indicating genetic risk for key health conditions, all on the same test cartridge.

The board, led by Sir Richard Sykes, will oversee a dramatic ramp-up in the global footprint of DnaNudge’s on-the-spot consumer DNA testing services – including the world’s first service to use consumers’ own DNA plus lifestyle factors to nudge people towards healthier and more personalised food choices while shopping. The DnaNudge Nutrition service analyses and maps users’ genetic profiles to key nutrition-related health traits such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol, empowering customers to be guided by their DNA, plus lifestyle factors, towards healthier eating. The company is now extending its services into personalised skincare shopping, which it intends to roll-out across all major international territories.

Commenting on his new role, Sir Richard Sykes said: “I am delighted to be joining the board of this exceptional company, as it extends the applications of its outstanding technology innovations to the global market. DnaNudge has built a world-class technology platform through its award-winning innovation and vision, making the opportunity for DnaNudge’s genetic testing services – both in the consumer arena and in the medical diagnostics sector – very exciting.  I am very much looking forward to joining the growing DnaNudge team as they take advantage of their very strong market potential in next-generation rapid genetic testing.”

Regius (Royal) Professor Chris Toumazou FRS, FREng, FMedSci, CEO and co-founder of DnaNudge and founder of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London commented: “We are absolutely thrilled that Sir Richard Sykes is joining our board as Chairman Elect, bringing his vast industry experience to our business at the optimal time. Sir Richard is not only one of this country’s most respected industry leaders, but he has huge international expertise and sector knowledge, having been the driving force of successful global organisations both in the public and private sector. The breadth and depth of his expertise will be invaluable to DnaNudge as we look to simultaneously roll-out our unique service offerings across multiple sectors and geographies. Sir Richard will undoubtedly play a fundamental role in helping to shape and steer the next exciting phase of our journey.”

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About DnaNudge (http://www.dnanudge.com)

DnaNudge is the developer of the world’s first service to use consumers’ own DNA plus lifestyle factors to nudge people towards healthier choices while shopping. The DnaNudge Nutrition service analyses and maps users’ genetic profile to key nutrition-related health traits such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol, enabling customers to be guided by their DNA towards healthier eating. The service has been developed by world-renowned biomedical engineer Regius Professor Chris Toumazou FRS and published geneticist Dr Maria Karvela.

This ground-breaking DNA testing service created to address an epidemic – obesity and Type 2 diabetes – has been successfully adapted for the fight against a pandemic, with the development of the rapid, lab-free CovidNudge RT-PCR test. CovidNudge can accurately detect COVID-19 and other viruses in just over an hour, without the need for a laboratory, and is in use in healthcare settings around the world.

About Sir Richard Sykes
Sir Richard Sykes is Chairman of the UK Stem Cell Foundation, the Royal Institution of Great Britain and King Edward VII’s Hospital, and on the board of US immunotherapy company PDS Biotechnology Corp. He was Vice-Chairman of Lonza Group, Senior Non-Executive Director of Eurasian National Resources Corp and was also a Senior Independent Director of Rio Tinto plc. Sir Richard was previously Chairman and CEO of GlaxoWellcome and Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline. He was appointed Chancellor of Brunel in 2013.

Internationally, Sir Richard is Chairman of the International Advisory Board, A*Star Biomedical Research Council, Singapore. He was awarded Honorary Citizenship of Singapore in 2004 for his contribution to the development of the country’s biomedical sciences industry. Sir Richard holds a number of degrees and awards from Institutions both in the UK and overseas. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences, and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry, Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Royal College of Pathologists and the Royal College of Physicians.

Sir Richard is also President of the R&D Society, a position he has held since 2002. He is a Fellow of Imperial College London, the Imperial College School of Medicine and King’s College London, Honorary Fellow of the Universities of Wales and Central Lancashire and holds Honorary degrees from a number of institutions, including Brunel. Sir Richard received his Knighthood in the 1994 New Year’s Honours list for services to the pharmaceutical industry.

PRESS CONTACTS for DnaNudge:
Nicky Denovan / Becky Attwood
Email: nicky[at]evokedset[dot]com
Phone: +44 (0) 118 328 2782