Pathway Genomics Corp., a San Diego-based clinical laboratory that offers genetic testing services, announced Thursday that former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich has joined the company’s strategic advisory board.
A former candidate for President in 2012, Gingrich has spent more than four decades as a leader in American public life. During his time in Congress, he helped save Medicare from bankruptcy, shepherded Food and Drug Administration reform to help the seriously ill and initiated a new focus on scientific research, prevention and wellness.
“Pathway Genomics and I share the goal of making the extraordinary breakthroughs in health and personalized medicine available to all,” Gingrich said. “Pathway is leading the curve by making genetic testing and risk assessment for serious medical conditions more affordable, more accessible and more understandable for everyone.”
As speaker, Gingrich was well known as an advocate for science, helping to double the budget for the National Institutes of Health. After leaving Congress, he founded the Center for Health Transformation in 2003 to foster a modern health system with better outcomes at lower cost. In his presidential campaign in 2011-2012, Gingrich was the only candidate of either party to aggressively advocate FDA reform, champion basic scientific research, and discuss the importance of using genetic testing to inform decisions about patient health.
“We are honored that Mr. Gingrich has joined our strategic advisory board to provide us with valuable insights and input that will help us improve accessibility to vital personalized health care tools,” said Jim Plante, Pathway Genomics’ founder and CEO.