Scaling new heights in neurologic insights
We’re harnessing technological breakthroughs to transform how brain and spinal cord cancers are detected
As a team of neurosurgeons, scientists, and entrepreneurs, we founded Belay Diagnostics to help those diagnosed with brain or spinal cord tumors find the right path forward. Given the obstacles traditional methods of detecting brain or spinal cord malignancies present to both patients and their care teams, we see our proprietary molecular testing technology as a way to bridge the gap between today’s standards and a more clinically convenient future.
While there are options available to diagnose a malignant brain or spinal cord tumor, each presents potentially undesirable limitations in sensitivity, specificity, expense, and possible risks involved. By identifying and analyzing DNA in cerebrospinal fluid, our technology could lead the way to an economical, minimally invasive, and highly accurate alternative.
18K
If just 20% of primary brain tumors were diagnosed through molecular testing, more than 18,000 patients could avoid needing a risky, invasive brain biopsy.1
Our Team
Chetan Bettegowda, MD, PhD
Co-founder, Board Member, Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Bettegowda has been practicing as a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University since 2005, where he is an endowed professor of neurosurgery and oncology. He is an internationally recognized leader in brain cancer genetics and liquid biopsies. His work has helped define the molecular landscape of numerous nervous system cancers and he has been a pioneer in applying these discoveries for diagnostic benefit. He has published extensively in his respective field and leads the research setting the foundation for our molecular testing platform.
Brian Coe
Co-founder, CEO, Serial Entrepreneur
Brian Coe, MBA, co-founded two healthcare companies and successfully led them through commercialization prior to co-founding Belay Diagnostics with Dr. Bettegowda. He sold his first company, Litholink Corporation, to LabCorp in 2006, and then led Talis Biomedical through several funding rounds totaling $500M prior to taking the company public in early 2021. Brian also teaches as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Alejandro De los Reyes
Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Alex De los Reyes has 20 years of sales leadership experience in the life sciences industry, including 14 years at LabCorp and two years at Talis Biomedical, where he was recruited to build out the commercial sales organization from the ground up. Alex has successfully led sales organizations with a national footprint from inception through pre-commercial deployment (including remote recruitment and training during the pandemic). He is very passionate about finding exceptional talent and assembling world-class sales organizations that deliver exceptional results.
Manu Bettegowda
Co-founder, Board Member, Managing Partner
Manu Bettegowda has been at Olympus Partners since 1998 and became a partner in 2004 before being promoted to managing partner in 2021. He has been involved in investing in numerous companies in a variety of fields, including Symmetry Medical, Pregis Corp., and Tank Holdings.
Jonathan Dudley, MD
Co-founder, Assistant Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Jon Dudley is a molecular pathologist and runs an independent research lab at Johns Hopkins University, where he is an assistant professor of Pathology and Oncology. He is the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the Association for Molecular Pathology and the Benjamin Castleman Award from the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, and his research focuses on molecular diagnostic assay development.
Chris Douville, PhD
Co-founder, Assistant Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University
Chris Douville is an assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University within the Division of Quantitative Sciences. His research group uses computational models to design, interpret, and improve molecular diagnostics for earlier detection of cancer and monitoring of minimal residual disease. His work has resulted in several bioinformatics software packages, and he is an active member of the AI-X colloquium.
Yuxuan Wang, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Oncology
Yuxuan Wang is a physician-scientist interested in developing novel technologies to improve patient care. She received her combined M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She did her Ph.D. work under the mentorship of Drs. Bert Vogelstein and Ken Kinzler on earlier cancer detection. She then completed her Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She developed several diagnostic approaches that are being commercialized for cancer detection, including the MethylSaferSeqS technology.
Honey Reddi, PhD, FACMG
Senior Vice President, Medical Director
Dr. Reddi, a highly accomplished professional, previously served as a Professor and Chief of the Division of Clinical Genomics at the Medical College of Wisconsin before joining Belay Diagnostics as SVP and Medical Director. With a background in biotechnology and specialized training in Clinical Molecular Genetics, she led a translational research program on thyroid cancer at the Mayo Clinic. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Dr. Reddi received the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Educator award and the 2018 “Women of Innovation Award” for her leadership in bioscience and technology.
Kyle Hernandez, PhD
Director of Bioinformatics
Kyle Hernandez leads the bioinformatics and data platform team at Belay Diagnostics, bringing a diverse background in evolutionary biology, statistical genetics, and large-scale bioinformatics. Prior to joining Belay, Kyle led cross-functional teams at the University of Chicago building biomedical data science platforms and was co-chair of a Blood Profiling Atlas in Cancer (BLOODPAC) working group focusing on increasing the quality and consistency of cfDNA analysis through inter-laboratory testing. Kyle received his Ph.D. from Purdue University and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin where he utilized statistical genetics and next-generation sequencing to explore gene-environment interactions.
Kara Scheer, MBA
Senior Director of Business Operations
Kara Scheer, MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, has over ten years of healthcare experience. She started her career at Epic Software Systems in 2012, and, in 2017, she founded Salus Consulting, where she provided strategy and tailored guidance to clients comprising some of the leading healthcare organizations in the US. She has advised digital health and biotech startups in technology development, business model strategy, process improvement, financial modeling, and strategic execution. She is passionate about bringing innovation to market, improving the world through technology, and helping mission-based organizations succeed.
Kala Schilter, PhD
Data Analysis and Reporting Manager
Kala Schilter, has 10 years of genetics experience across translational research, clinical diagnostics and precision medicine. Kala has been involved in the development and launch of multiple clinical assays, experienced in interpreting and classifying genetic variants, and has a keen interest in clear communication of genetic results through comprehensive reporting. Kala’s passion has been consistent throughout her career with a focus on helping individuals understand the genetic answers to their medical concerns.
Ariel Jimenez
Principal Data Engineer
Ariel Jimenez has over 20 years of experience with middleware in his previous work experience in clinical diagnostics at Sysmex America. He had various roles ranging from implementation manager to cloud application architect, which culminated in winning Sysmex Corporation’s global Group CEO Award in 2020. He then moved to a data architect role with a healthcare consulting company helping to create technological roadmaps for data integration, interoperability, and security within HIEs, Medicaid Enterprise Systems, and state agencies. At Belay, Ariel will help the Bioinformatics team build and optimize data infrastructure and pipelines.
Sam Nie, PhD
Lead Clinical Bioinformatician
Highly motivated cancer biologist with rich experience in the clinical and research application of genomics, pharmacogenomics and high throughput molecular technologies for integrated cancer genomic diagnosis. A proven team leader with great success in designing experiments/protocols and coordinating lab projects. Passionate about molecular diagnosis and personalized medicine.
Amany Abdel-Motaleb, MS, MB (ASCP)CM
Molecular Lab Supervisor
Amany Abdel-Motaleb, MS Biotechnology, has been conducting research and working in the clinical setting for over 10 years in various fields of biology. She started with researching age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at her Alma mater Northern Illinois University. She earned her Masters of Biotechnology at the American University of Cairo, where she focused her research on analyzing long noncoding RNA in colorectal cancer while working in an IVF lab in Cairo. Upon graduating, she was the lead scientist of an Egyptian-German collaboration to develop an assay utilizing nanotechnology to detect pathogens in commonly exported produce of Egypt. Amany gained a wide range of clinical experience while working at Sema4 leading several molecular assays and is excited to bring her expertise to Belay Diagnostics’ lab team.
Chetan Bettegowda, MD, PhD
Co-founder, Board Member, Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Bettegowda has been practicing as a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University since 2005, where he is an endowed professor of neurosurgery and oncology. He is an internationally recognized leader in brain cancer genetics and liquid biopsies. His work has helped define the molecular landscape of numerous nervous system cancers and he has been a pioneer in applying these discoveries for diagnostic benefit. He has published extensively in his respective field and leads the research setting the foundation for our molecular testing platform.
Brian Coe
Co-founder, CEO, Serial Entrepreneur
Brian Coe, MBA, co-founded two healthcare companies and successfully led them through commercialization prior to co-founding Belay Diagnostics with Dr. Bettegowda. He sold his first company, Litholink Corporation, to LabCorp in 2006, and then led Talis Biomedical through several funding rounds totaling $500M prior to taking the company public in early 2021. Brian also teaches as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.
Alejandro De los Reyes
Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Alex De los Reyes has 20 years of sales leadership experience in the life sciences industry, including 14 years at LabCorp and two years at Talis Biomedical, where he was recruited to build out the commercial sales organization from the ground up. Alex has successfully led sales organizations with a national footprint from inception through pre-commercial deployment (including remote recruitment and training during the pandemic). He is very passionate about finding exceptional talent and assembling world-class sales organizations that deliver exceptional results.
Manu Bettegowda
Co-founder, Board Member, Managing Partner
Manu Bettegowda has been at Olympus Partners since 1998 and became a partner in 2004 before being promoted to managing partner in 2021. He has been involved in investing in numerous companies in a variety of fields, including Symmetry Medical, Pregis Corp., and Tank Holdings.
Jonathan Dudley, MD
Co-founder, Assistant Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Jon Dudley is a molecular pathologist and runs an independent research lab at Johns Hopkins University, where he is an assistant professor of Pathology and Oncology. He is the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the Association for Molecular Pathology and the Benjamin Castleman Award from the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, and his research focuses on molecular diagnostic assay development.
Chris Douville, PhD
Co-founder, Assistant Professor of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University
Chris Douville is an assistant professor in the Department of Oncology at Johns Hopkins University within the Division of Quantitative Sciences. His research group uses computational models to design, interpret, and improve molecular diagnostics for earlier detection of cancer and monitoring of minimal residual disease. His work has resulted in several bioinformatics software packages, and he is an active member of the AI-X colloquium.
Yuxuan Wang, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Oncology
Yuxuan Wang is a physician-scientist interested in developing novel technologies to improve patient care. She received her combined M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She did her Ph.D. work under the mentorship of Drs. Bert Vogelstein and Ken Kinzler on earlier cancer detection. She then completed her Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She developed several diagnostic approaches that are being commercialized for cancer detection, including the MethylSaferSeqS technology.
Honey Reddi, PhD, FACMG
Senior Vice President, Medical Director
Dr. Reddi, a highly accomplished professional, previously served as a Professor and Chief of the Division of Clinical Genomics at the Medical College of Wisconsin before joining Belay Diagnostics as SVP and Medical Director. With a background in biotechnology and specialized training in Clinical Molecular Genetics, she led a translational research program on thyroid cancer at the Mayo Clinic. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Dr. Reddi received the 2023 Outstanding Graduate Educator award and the 2018 “Women of Innovation Award” for her leadership in bioscience and technology.
Kyle Hernandez, PhD
Director of Bioinformatics
Kyle Hernandez leads the bioinformatics and data platform team at Belay Diagnostics, bringing a diverse background in evolutionary biology, statistical genetics, and large-scale bioinformatics. Prior to joining Belay, Kyle led cross-functional teams at the University of Chicago building biomedical data science platforms and was co-chair of a Blood Profiling Atlas in Cancer (BLOODPAC) working group focusing on increasing the quality and consistency of cfDNA analysis through inter-laboratory testing. Kyle received his Ph.D. from Purdue University and was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin where he utilized statistical genetics and next-generation sequencing to explore gene-environment interactions.
Kara Scheer, MBA
Senior Director of Business Operations
Kara Scheer, MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, has over ten years of healthcare experience. She started her career at Epic Software Systems in 2012, and, in 2017, she founded Salus Consulting, where she provided strategy and tailored guidance to clients comprising some of the leading healthcare organizations in the US. She has advised digital health and biotech startups in technology development, business model strategy, process improvement, financial modeling, and strategic execution. She is passionate about bringing innovation to market, improving the world through technology, and helping mission-based organizations succeed.
Kala Schilter, PhD
Data Analysis and Reporting Manager
Kala Schilter, has 10 years of genetics experience across translational research, clinical diagnostics and precision medicine. Kala has been involved in the development and launch of multiple clinical assays, experienced in interpreting and classifying genetic variants, and has a keen interest in clear communication of genetic results through comprehensive reporting. Kala’s passion has been consistent throughout her career with a focus on helping individuals understand the genetic answers to their medical concerns.
Ariel Jimenez
Principal Data Engineer
Ariel Jimenez has over 20 years of experience with middleware in his previous work experience in clinical diagnostics at Sysmex America. He had various roles ranging from implementation manager to cloud application architect, which culminated in winning Sysmex Corporation’s global Group CEO Award in 2020. He then moved to a data architect role with a healthcare consulting company helping to create technological roadmaps for data integration, interoperability, and security within HIEs, Medicaid Enterprise Systems, and state agencies. At Belay, Ariel will help the Bioinformatics team build and optimize data infrastructure and pipelines.
Sam Nie, PhD
Lead Clinical Bioinformatician
Highly motivated cancer biologist with rich experience in the clinical and research application of genomics, pharmacogenomics and high throughput molecular technologies for integrated cancer genomic diagnosis. A proven team leader with great success in designing experiments/protocols and coordinating lab projects. Passionate about molecular diagnosis and personalized medicine.
Amany Abdel-Motaleb, MS, MB (ASCP)CM
Molecular Lab Supervisor
Amany Abdel-Motaleb, MS Biotechnology, has been conducting research and working in the clinical setting for over 10 years in various fields of biology. She started with researching age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at her Alma mater Northern Illinois University. She earned her Masters of Biotechnology at the American University of Cairo, where she focused her research on analyzing long noncoding RNA in colorectal cancer while working in an IVF lab in Cairo. Upon graduating, she was the lead scientist of an Egyptian-German collaboration to develop an assay utilizing nanotechnology to detect pathogens in commonly exported produce of Egypt. Amany gained a wide range of clinical experience while working at Sema4 leading several molecular assays and is excited to bring her expertise to Belay Diagnostics’ lab team.
Participation by Chris Douville, PhD, Jonathan Dudley, MD, and Chetan Bettegowda, MD, PhD, does not constitute or imply endorsement by the Johns Hopkins University or the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System.