Rover Diagnostics was founded in 2018 by serial tech entrepreneur Mark Fasciano and Biomedical Engineering Professor Sam Sia, in collaboration with Columbia University. Based in New York City, Rover's primary mission is to bring the latest molecular diagnostics capabilities to the point-of-care at an affordable price. ​​Our multidisciplinary team is composed of highly qualified young talent and industry experts with decades of experience in diagnostic medical device development.
Sam Sia
CO-FOUNDER AND CHEIF SCIENCE ADVISOR
Sam is one of the top experts in point-of-care diagnostics in the US. He has developed technologies for point-of-care blood tests, wearable sensors, and implantable devices, both in an academic and industry setting. He co-developed a point-of-care blood test for prostate cancer which is being commercialized and has garnered FDA approval. Sam's research has received coverage from Nature, Science. JAMA, Washington Post, Science News, Popular Science, Chemical and Engineering News and has been featured on the BBC, NPR, and Voice of America. MIT Technology Review named him as one of the world's top young innovators in 2010, and he is an inducted fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Sam is the founder of Harlem Biospace, a biotech incubator facility in New York City. He also co-directs the entrepreneurship initiative for Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Sam has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from Harvard University.
Mark Fasciano
CO-FOUNDER AND CEO
Mark has decades of experience building and running successful biotech and software companies. Prior to Rover, he served as co-founder and CEO of Clarapath, a robotic microtomy company that automates the most labor-intensive step of histology, the sectioning of anatomic pathology samples. Clarapath is now part of Northwell Health. Mark also co-founded FatWire software, an enterprise content management platform, and served as its CEO for over ten years. FatWire was acquired by Oracle for $163M. After FatWire, Mark helped fund and launch a variety of tech companies, including Clearpath Robotics and Touch Bistro. Mark won a regional E & Y Entrepreneur of the Year award (2000) and served on the NYS Regional Economic Development Council. He currently serves on the board of the Young Presidents' Organization Big Apple Gold chapter. Mark earned his BA from Cornell and his PhD in Computer Science/AI from the University of Chicago.
Martha Najib
CHIEF STRATEGY AND COMMERCIAL OFFICER
Martha Big Apple Gold chapter. Mark earne
Mike Turnlund
VP, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Mike has a long, broad background in systems development. Most recently, he has been consulting in the medical device industry for early-stage point-of-care device development and connectivity solution startups. He led engineering at Cepheid during their high growth phase prior to acquisition by Danaher. Under his leadership at Cepheid, his teams developed new point-of-care devices, streamlined consumables capacity growth, greatly improved manufacturing yields, and introduced several new software diagnostics platforms.
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Earlier in his career, Mike led device, systems, software, and business development teams for CA, Cisco, and AMD. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in quantitative economic theory and econometrics from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Angie Riley
R & D SCIENTIST
Angela comes to Rover as an R&D Scientist with over a decade of diagnostic laboratory experience in hematology, toxicology, and infectious diseases. Her skills include laboratory sample analysis, instrument calibration, and proficiency testing. She is also accomplished in improving workflow efficiency, sample processing, and method development. Angela received her B.Sc. in Animal Science from Tarleton State University.
Simon Kang
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Simon has extensive experience in robotics, mechatronics systems, and mechanical design. He is a key engineer for Rover Lightspeed, playing a pivotal role in the integrated systems effort at Rover. Prior to joining Rover, Simon worked as a Mechanical Engineer and Data Analytics Lead at Hyundai Motor Group and as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Creative Machines Lab at Columbia, focusing on modular robotics research. Simon received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea, and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Robotics and Control from Columbia University.
Liviu is a highly analytical and results driven Controller with a decade of experience driving financial performance and convey the accounting information into actionable strategies. Proven expertise in financial management, financial reporting, tax compliance, and cost analysis working with small business and large corporate accounting departments. Skilled in strategic planning, budgeting, and cost control. Strong leadership abilities with a focus on collaboration and real time business reporting needs. Holds a professional accounting qualification CPA New York State and an MBA – accounting concentration focused on leveraging technology for accounting tasks automation.
Liviu Vlaiconi
CONTROLLER
Brian Caplan
VP ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT
Brian has dedicated his career to the development of real-time PCR assays, technologies, and instruments. While at Idaho Technology, Brian began IT BioChem and he grew it to become the US oligonucleotide supplier for Roche LightCycler real-time PCR primers and fluorescent hybridization probes.
Brian is an inventor of several real-time PCR technologies: including dual-color quantitative PCR with hybridization probes, mutation detecting SimpleProbes™, and the ultra-rapid thermal cycling chemistries, consumables, and diagnostic instruments of XCR™. In 2016, Brian received the Healthcare Heros (Utah Business Journal) award for developing XCR technology. Brian earned his BA from Wabash College, and his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Lauren has a variety of biochemical research experience, from chemical analysis of aldehyde formation in vape liquids to fluorescent probe development for neuron imaging. At Rover, Lauren is a Laboratory Technician and R&D Scientist involved in assay testing and optimization. Lauren received her B.Sc. in Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics from Yale University.
Lauren Delgado
LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Rebeca works closely with the engineering team to develop both the cartridge and automated mechanical system of Rover’s Lightspeed device. She has a background in the design and manufacturing of medical products, from nano-scale diagnostic devices based on the combination of magnetic nanostructures and biosensors, to surgical and larger scale devices such as neurovascular, structural heart, and peripheral catheters. These experiences have given her a strong foundation in biochemical research and hands-on experience with manufacturing and prototyping techniques.
Rebeca has a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Basque Country (Bilbao, Spain). During her last year, she attended the Polytechnic University of Milan, reinforcing her knowledge of design of mechanical systems. Her educational background is complemented with previous experiences in circular economy, continuous improvement, and sustainable materials, with a focus on highlighting environmental regulations and carbon footprint management.
Rebeca Seoane
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
Sabin Zarrandikoetxea
R&D ENGINEER, ENGINEERING MANAGER
Sabin is one of the original developers of the Rover Lightspeed. He worked as a Research Assistant in Professor Sia's lab during graduate school, while the early research on Rover's revolutionary product was being carried out. After graduation, he joined Rover Diagnostics as a full-time R&D Engineer, focusing on the design, testing and optimization of our medical device. With a background in Electrical Engineering and experience in product development for the Automotive Industry, he has been a fundamental contributor to the growth of the company and its products. He now leads the engineering efforts, both internally and externally. Sabin received a B.Eng. in Industrial Electronics and Automation from the University of the Basque Country, where he competed in Formula SAE for two years, and an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University.
Krystin Frederick
LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Krystin has garnered experience working in an Immuno-Nanomedicine Laboratory where her focus was on the effects of free radical scavengers in the presence of chemotherapy drugs. She also worked in a diagnostics laboratory with an emphasis on the detection of Covid-19. Collaborating with fellow scientists and engineers, she applies her knowledge to research, development, and optimization of assays at Rover Diagnostics as an R&D Laboratory Technician. Krystin received her B.Eng. in Biomedical Engineering from the City College of New York.
Neil Geoghagen
LABORATORY MANAGER
Neil has interrogated various therapeutic and diagnostic indices ranging from Genomics/Bioinformatics to Cardiovascular Diseases, Immunology and Oncology. He has extensive experience in both major pharmaceutical and startup companies. For his next challenge, Neil serves as the Laboratory Manager at Rover Diagnostics. In this role, he interacts with the chemistry and engineering teams to manage both day to day operations and help deliver on Rover Diagnostics’s pipeline and objectives through assay design and program management. Neil holds advanced degrees in Biochemical Pharmacology, Immunology and Toxicology, and Logic.
We work closely with our sister company Rover Labs, which provides us with clinical samples, allowing us to seamlessly continue informing our research and refining our product. Additionaly, Rover Labs gives us a unique advantage by providing a direct insight into the diagnostics services market and teaching us how to best serve our customers.