Our Leadership
Amanda L. Elms - Founder | Chief Executive Officer
Amanda has over 20 years’ experience in the molecular diagnostics industry specifically in the commercialization of novel tests and technologies. As the founder of Four Elms, LLC, an executive consulting firm, she worked with start-ups to large, publicly-traded companies in product development and commercial strategy. As the Vice President of Commercial Operations of TessArae, LLC, she developed the commercial business strategy for a reproductive medicine assay and executed it with other members of the executive management team. She has experience with the successful launch of several products in the biotechnology space and was an integral member of the commercialization team at Signature Genomic Laboratories (SGL). Amanda has the knowledge and successful track record of launching products and applications that represent a paradigm shift in molecular diagnostics. Most recently, Amanda was chosen as a Southwest Region Finalist for the 2020 EY Entrepreneur of the Year based on the success the team at Metis Genetics has achieved. Amanda obtained a Bachelor of Science in Genetics from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&M University.
William Craigen, PhD MD - Medical Director
Dr. Craigen received his undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas at Austin before entering Medical School and Graduate School at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, Texas. He received his PhD in Biochemistry under the mentorship of C. Thomas Caskey in 1987 and MD in 1988. Dr. Craigen completed a residency in Pediatrics and a fellowship in Clinical and Biochemical Genetics at BCM, joining the faculty in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics where he is currently a tenured Professor. He has published more than 250 peer-reviewed research and clinical papers, along with multiple book chapters. His research focus has been on developing models of human genetic disorders, while he has been involved with training graduate students and post-doctoral and clinical fellows. His clinical practice involves the care of children and adults with inborn errors of metabolism and the management of children with Neurofibromatosis. Dr. Craigen remains active in the ClinGen consortium as the co-chair of the Metabolism Work Group, along with the Undiagnosed Disease Network (UDN), an NIH consortium tasked with identifying novel disease genes.
Bassem A. Bejjani, MD - Chief Strategy Officer
Dr. Bejjani is a Medical Geneticist with past certifications in Pediatrics, Molecular Diagnostics, Cytogenetics, and Medical Genetics. He has practiced all of his medical specialties in academic and private settings for almost 30 years and published more than 90 peer-reviewed papers in the genetics and genomic fields. Bassem’s corporate experience includes the founding of two successful companies: Signature Genomics Laboratories (SGL) and Molecular Controls. He served as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Board Director of SGL. As a practicing geneticist, faculty in academia, and as CMO in the industry, he has founded and led a genetics fellowship-training program at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, helped design and teach the first genetics curriculum at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, and supervised and worked closely with clinical geneticists and genetic counselors. Bassem currently serves on the boards of The Henry Art Gallery, The Western States Art Federation, and Caravan, an interfaith art organization, dedicated to peace building through the arts between the creeds and cultures of the East and West. Bassem brings critical expertise in both the understanding of the acute need for high-quality, affordable genetic counseling services and the building of commercial organizations. Bassem received a MD from the American University of Beirut.
Rick Bollar - Chief Financial Officer
Rick is a senior executive finance, strategy and operations leader known for his service-focused, ethical approach to problem solving, revenue growth and cost control. His core background is finance, and Rick has been CFO of a $200 million Global Logistics company, Interim CFO for a $50 million Nasdaq-traded Technology company and served in Controller / Finance Director roles for an Outsourced Services company growing at 17-25% per year for more than a decade. Rick is experienced in process design and reengineering and he has successfully used these skills to rapidly reposition mature enterprises, integrate acquired companies, as well as guide startups through their initial growth phase. With a deep technology background, Rick has deployed ERP and Business Intelligence, SaaS Point of Sale and Enterprise Service Bus systems. He has also managed developer teams working in Agile environments and he has developed and deployed Big Data, mobile commerce, card payment systems and other distributed hardware and software systems. Rick received a Master of Business Administration, Health Sector Management, from Duke University, Fuqua School of Business as well as a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Major in Finance, Summa Cum Laude from Strayer University. He is a Certified Management Accountant and a Registered Broker/Dealer in Texas.
Brittney Goetsch, MS CGC - Director, Clinical Services
Brittney is a Certified Genetic counselor with over 10 years of clinical experience. After serving as the pioneering genetic counselor at hospital-based maternal-fetal medicine practice, Brittney spent eight years as an oncology genetic counselor for a community-based oncology clinic. There she led the creation and standardization of genetic counseling documentation, served on laboratory advisory boards, and was the genetic counseling lead for the breast cancer steering committee, high-risk breast cancer program, and the hereditary colon cancer registry. Brittney also brings experience as a genetic counseling intern supervisor and mentor for numerous genetic counselors as they transitioned to clinical practice. She comes to Metis with a passion for expanding access to genetic counseling throughout the nation, with purposeful consideration of equitable access to accurate and timely information. At Metis, she serves as a Director of Clinical Services, which gives her the opportunity to serve and mentor fellow genetic counselors, while creating workflows and pipelines that maximize the effectiveness of access to genetic information. Brittney received a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Steve Byerly - Director, Engineering
Steve is a Software Engineer with over 15 years of experience developing web-based solutions for businesses across the medical, financial, energy, and technology sectors. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Gonzaga University, Steve worked as a clinical laboratory technician at Signature Genomic Laboratories, where he learned to write software as part of automating internal workflows, and later helped develop Genoglyphix™, the company's proprietary tool for visualizing and interpreting genetic test results. He has since worked with multiple Fortune 500 companies, leading the design and development of e-commerce platforms, consumer-facing web portals, internal management systems, automation pipelines, and event-driven messaging services. Steve joins Metis with hopes that his first-hand clinical experience can help shape the future of genetic counseling.
Maranda Lunning - Operations Manager
Maranda is an Operations Manager with over 7 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, and optimizing patient care processes within various healthcare organizations. She believes in the power of data-driven decision-making and regularly leverages analytics to identify areas for improvement and to implement evidence-based solutions that drive positive change. Maranda is dedicated to
ensuring that Metis Genetics remains at the forefront of healthcare innovation, staying ahead of industry trends and technological advancements.
Trusted Advisors
Brice Tebbs - Information Technology
Brice is a Computer Scientist and professional Software Developer with over 30 years’ experience focused on building technology tools with sophisticated user interfaces to assist field experts in accomplishing their work. With significant software accomplishments in various fields ranging from biotechnology to video games, Brice has proven capabilities to lead the development of Metis Genetics’ telegenetic technology. Brice developed Genoglyphix™, the software used at Signature Genomics Laboratories for visualizing and interpreting genetic test results. He led teams in the Echo and Kindle organizations at Amazon focused on building and refining the backend processes to enhance the end-user’s experience. He has multiple approved patents on software applications including 2D-3D rendering technologies, web-based genetics analysis and an interactive genome browser. Brice has a unique skill set that includes the expertise of software development for genetic interpretation, visualization and seamless patient processes. He is currently at Google with responsibility for managing a team working on Google Maps Street View. Brice received a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
L. Thomas Richards, MD - Finance and Corporate Strategy
Dr. Richards has more than 25 years of professional experience in the industries of healthcare and finance. He consults to life sciences investors in venture capital and private equity, as well as to portfolio firms themselves. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of WittKieffer, a leading talent consulting firm in Healthcare, Education and Life Sciences. Additionally, he is a Senior Advisor to several life sciences companies, including: One BioMed,; Nanomix, and Metis Genetics. He recently acted as the Interim CEO of One BioMed, and prior to that, he led an emerging molecular diagnostics company as the CEO of TessArae, which designed genetic tests for the reproductive health and infectious disease markets. Dr. Richards became a life sciences executive after practicing as an academic physician on the clinical faculty of Stanford University and UCSF, where he was most recently an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine. Before attending medical school, Dr. Richards began his career as an investment banker in the mergers and acquisitions groups of several firms in New York, including Lazard Frѐres, UBS and SG Cowen. He has broad transactional experience in finance, having executed buy and sell-side M&A assignments, public and private capital raises and leveraged buyouts. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School, his BA in English from Yale University, and an MPhil in English from the University of Sydney as a Rotary Fellow. He is Board-Certified in Emergency Medicine.
Alberto L. Rosa, MD, PhD - Neurogenetics
Dr. Rosa is a Medical Geneticist and Molecular Biologist with expertise in general Clinical Genetics, Neurogenetics and Molecular Diagnostics. He obtained his academic degrees in both Medicine and Chemistry, completing his two PhD degrees in the respective disciplines (e.g. Clinical Genetics and Molecular Biology). Dr. Rosa developed his clinical and medical research activities in both France and the US, being Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine (TX), Research Professor at Washington State University (WA) and Co-Director of the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory of the Sacred Heart Medical Center (WA). Dr. Rosa’s corporate experience includes the founding of GENBIOMOL, a successful molecular diagnostic laboratory, and serving as Chief Medical Officer and Board Director. He was recognized by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as an International Researcher (1997-2002) and has received numerous awards both for teaching and for research. Dr. Rosa has published about 50 peer-reviewed articles on topics related to clinical genetics and molecular biology and is currently Chairman of the Department of Clinical Genetics and Director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory of Sanatorio Allende (Argentina). He is also an advisor of the Latin America’s Teletons, health care organizations devoted to patients with rare diseases, neuromuscular disorders and inherited diseases. His medical consulting expertise included patients from all around the world, including the US, Europe, Mexico as well as Central and South America. Dr. Rosa contributes to Metis his international expertise in genetics as well as his knowledge on the richness of the wide cultural identities among Spanish patients.
Stephanie M. Ware, MD PhD - Cardiogenetics
Dr. Ware is a Professor of Pediatrics and Medical and Molecular Genetics, Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs in Medical and Molecular Genetics, and Program Leader in Cardiovascular Genetics, Herman B. Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Ware graduated Summa cum laude with highest honors in Zoology from Butler University. She earned her MD and PhD degrees at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine where she was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She completed her pediatric residency and clinical genetics fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ware’s research interests include the genetic and developmental basis of disorders of cardiac structure and function. Her research laboratory has made significant contributions in the areas of congenital heart defects and cardiomyopathy. Dr. Ware is a member of the American Heart Association, the American Society for Human Genetics, the Society for Pediatric Research, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and is Faculty of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. She has received a number of scholarly awards for her research. Dr. Ware has a longstanding track record of independent funding from the NIH and multiple foundations for basic and translational research. In addition, she participates in multi-site initiatives including serving as PI of the Genetic Coordinating Center for the NHLBI funded study to identify genotype-phenotype correlations in pediatric cardiomyopathy and serving as PI for the Cytogenomics of Cardiovascular Malformations Consortium. The long term goals of the clinical, translational, and basic research approaches are to identify causes and potential management of disorders of cardiac structure and function. Clinically, she evaluates and manages patients with genetic disorders and has specific expertise in cardiomyopathy and syndromes with cardiovascular disease. She was recruited to IUSM in March, 2014 to initiate a cardiovascular genetics program that would encompass clinical cardiovascular genetics services and basic and translational cardiovascular genetics research.