SEASON3, EPISODE 8 - Jon Wetzel - Accelerating Research with Computer Assisted Pathology

We know that there are certain tasks pathologists are often not very good at or may prefer not to do, such as counting cells or estimating tumor volume. Why not free them up from these tasks and allow them to focus on other areas where they can add more value? As technology accelerates and drug discovery quickens, there are more and more studies being conducted and fewer pathologists available to participate. What if we could automate some of these processes to alleviate the burden on pathologists? At the heart of clinical research, particularly in oncology, is the patient specimen, usually in the form of a paraffin block. What if we could reimagine the way we unlock the precious DNA and RNA from the paraffin block? What if researchers could view digital images of HD sections and select ones that meet their precise needs for a study before the blocks even arrive in their lab, getting exactly what they want and saving months of effort? Jon Wetzel, COO of Trimetis, is a researcher at heart, with over 24 years of experience in the life sciences and 20 years of management in startup biotech companies. He has created several companies, most recently co-founding FoundationBio, which is now part of TriMetis. Jon has served in academia and senior roles in the industry with the University of Michigan, UCLA, Genelogic, Rosetta Inpharmatics, Asterand, and AdeptBio. Jon holds several certifications from the University of Michigan for Lean and Six Sigma and is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. We discuss computer-assisted pathology and the suite of software tools that Jon and the team at TriMetis have been developing to accelerate progress in the biospecimen and tissue-based research field.