Tom Callis, PhD

Leading the science team at a company reimagining proactive healthcare. Building precision longevity medicine programs and analyzing comprehensive data from 5,000+ deeply phenotyped members to identify what actually extends healthspan and lifespan. Developed our in-house genomics program spanning hereditary disease risk to health optimization traits. Leading analysis of diverse datasets—full body MRIs, coronary CT angiography, extensive biomarker panels, epigenetics, microbiome data, and patient-generated health data. Leveraging AI to transform unstructured data into structured insights and working across commercial, medical, and engineering teams to translate findings into clinical programs. The mission: detect and treat disease earlier, extend healthy years of life, and democratize access to proactive precision healthcare.

Joined a healthcare technology startup building the Precision Health Cloud—a platform that aggregates electronic health records, multi-omics data, and patient-generated data to support precision medicine at scale. Served as scientific liaison between clinical customers (including the IU Health) and the engineering team, identifying pain points and translating clinical needs into product features. The company was acquired by Fountain Life in December 2023, which opened up the opportunity to apply this technology to proactive health and longevity medicine.

March 2016 – September 2022 Joined when Invitae was ~300 people with a mission to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine. Left at 3,000+ (RIF'd with 1,000 others before LabCorp acquisition). Worked across medical affairs, clinical marketing, and field roles—moving wherever the biggest problems were. Medical Science Liaison – Rare Disease (March 2020 – July 2022) Supported clinicians and 20-member sales team across Eastern US. Delivered 150+ medical education presentations across multiple specialties and served as scientific ambassador at 15+ medical conferences. Clinical Marketing Lead (September 2019 – February 2020) Guided marketing strategy for cardiology, neurology, and rare disease genetic testing. Developed and executed multi-channel campaigns including webinars, white papers, and email sequences. Collaborated with patient advocacy groups on co-marketing partnerships. Director of Publications & Collaborations (June 2017 – August 2019) Developed publication strategy aligned with commercial objectives. Led cross-functional review of research proposals. Implemented ticketing system that improved Medical Affairs efficiency. Drove evidence generation through academic collaborations, resulting in publications in JAMA Cardiology and other top journals. Head of Cardiology (March 2016 – May 2017) Led team to commercialize cardiology testing. Planned and executed integrated marketing campaigns for product launches. Achieved 139% growth in cardiology test volume, surpassing forecasts. Developed some of the first sponsored genetic testing programs in the industry for TTR amyloidosis and cardiac conditions, providing testing at no charge to patients. The early-to-mid Invitae years were special—brilliant people gathered around a shared mission, maintaining innovation even as we scaled rapidly.

January 2011 – March 2016 This is where I learned that genetic testing could directly save lives—by making diagnoses that unlocked targeted therapies and identifying at-risk family members before they had cardiac events. Led Clinical Genetics/Medical Affairs and Product Development teams, moving tests from research concepts to clinical reality. Director of Clinical Genetics (April 2012 – March 2016) Led teams that identified, developed, and launched 20+ complex inherited disease panels and pharmacogenomic tests in a CLIA-certified lab. Developed CPT coding and pricing strategy for 100+ diagnostic tests, critical for efficient claims processing. Coordinated with Managed Care/Reimbursement teams to create 50+ test-specific letters of medical necessity and appeal templates. Delivered hundreds of clinical and scientific presentations to healthcare providers and payers across US and Canada. Collaborated with external thought leaders to promote product lines via conference abstracts and peer-reviewed publications. Acted as marketing director for cardiology product line (~$12M annual revenue) for two years. Built the commercial, scientific, and reimbursement infrastructure to make genetic testing viable as a business. Clinical Genetics Liaison (January 2011 – April 2012) Field-based medical science liaison supporting sales team in US and Canada. Launched internal training program for customer-facing teams. Applied for and obtained 50+ AMA Molecular Pathology CPT codes plus 1 MAAA code. Led project to standardize variant classification and reporting across two CLIA labs after PGxHealth merger. Reviewed technical content of intellectual property portfolio and supported patent prosecution.

First industry role out of my PhD. Developed pharmacogenetic and cardiac genetic tests, supported sales and marketing teams, delivered 50+ Grand Rounds and educational presentations, identified and engaged key opinion leaders, and partnered with Managed Care team to drive in-network contracting. Founded the FAMILION® Scientific Advisory Board with world-renowned inherited arrhythmia experts to increase awareness and utilization of cardiac genetic testing. Led development of a relational database for DNA variant classifications that facilitated menu expansion from a handful of tests in 2008 to hundreds of tests analyzing thousands of genes by 2010. This role taught me that the science is only half the battle—you also need to build the education, reimbursement, and clinical workflows to make testing accessible and actionable.

Investigated roles of transcription factors and microRNAs in cardiac gene expression during heart development and disease. Developed and characterized genetically engineered mouse models using molecular, biochemical, histological, and physiological approaches. Research resulted in 15 publications including papers in Nature Genetics, PNAS, and J Clin Invest on microRNA regulation of cardiac hypertrophy and muscle development. Also: organized the UNC Vascular Biology Forum (200+ attendees, secured NC Biotech Center sponsorship), elected student president, served on graduate studies committee with faculty, taught in UNC's Translational Medicine course with outstanding student evaluations. Funded by American Heart Association Pre-doctoral Fellowship.

Researched and defended undergraduate honors thesis on Drosophila leg morphogenesis (model for epithelial morphogenesis and wound healing). Won two competitive financial awards for exemplary undergraduate research.