Dr. Leroy Hood Joins BGI Scientific Advisory Board

SEATTLE, March 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BGI announced that Dr. Leroy Hood, a world renowned scientist and genomics pioneer, has joined the company's Scientific Advisory Board.

BGI, a leading genomics company headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with offices and labs around the world, is engaged in scientific research, genomic sequencing, precision medicine, agriculture, bioinformatics and related technologies with a vision to use genomics to benefit humanity.

Dr. Hood, a pioneer in the systems approach to biology and medicine, is president and co-founder of the Institute for Systems Biology and senior vice president and chief scientific officer of Providence St. Joseph Health, based in Seattle.

As a member of BGI's Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Hood will devote efforts to provide professional advice based on his rich experience and insights in the field.

"BGI has enormous ambitions with a broad scope and expertise in many kinds of genomes, from humans to animals, plants and microbes," Dr. Hood said in a statement. "I think they are absolutely right to push sequencing technology to its limit. I am interested in learning about BGI's approaches to human health, and in finding our common interests to advance medicine."

Dr. Yiwu He, BGI's Global Head of Research & Development, said, "Dr. Hood is a world class leader in genomic sequencing and precision medicine. His vision and wisdom will add huge value to BGI's efforts to solve healthcare problems with cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions."

Dr. Hood was involved in the development of five instruments critical for contemporary biology—namely, automated DNA sequencers, DNA synthesizers, protein sequencers, peptide synthesizers, and an ink jet printer for constructing DNA arrays. These instruments opened the door to high-throughput biological data and the era of big data in biology and medicine.

In addition to his ground-breaking research, Dr. Hood has published 750 papers, received 36 patents, 17 honorary degrees and more than 100 awards and honors. He is one of only 15 individuals elected to all three National Academies—the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

SOURCE BGI

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