SEATTLE–Geospiza today announced that Dr. Leroy Hood, President and Co-founder of the Institute for Systems Biology, was elected to Geospiza’s Board of Directors.

“I am delighted to be joining the board of Geospiza, whose products are being used by my team at the Institute for Systems Biology. The next generation genetic sequencing instruments will transform the face of medicine as they enable sequencing of individual genomes which, in turn, will enable personalized medicine,” said Dr. Hood. “These instruments will generate enormous amounts of data. The Geospiza system manages this data, the associated work flow and analysis. This puts Geospiza in a favorable position to develop the industry standard software for this important area of science and medicine.”

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Hood join our Board,” said Todd Smith, Ph.D., CEO and Chairman of Geospiza. “He has helped create some of the most important companies in the Life Sciences field. His strategic insights have already helped shape our thinking about this exciting new field. We have released the only ‘out of the box’ solution for three of the four next gen sequencers, and our customers tell us we have the best solution for their needs. We are confident with Lee’s strategic insights and guidance; Geospiza’s market leadership position will be further enhanced.”

A pioneer of systems medicine and the systems approach to disease, Dr. Hood has been recognized for his contributions to biotechnology with the prestigious 2004 Biotechnology Heritage Award, the 2003 Association for Molecular Pathology Award for Excellence in Molecular Diagnostics, and the Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy and Employment. Dr. Hood is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering. Indeed, Dr. Hood is one of 7 (of more than 6000) scientists elected to all three academies (NAS, NAE and IOM).

Dr. Hood’s professional career began at Caltech where he and his colleagues pioneered four instruments, which comprise the technological foundation for contemporary molecular biology. Dr. Hood moved to the University of Washington in 1992 as founder and Chairman of the cross-disciplinary Department of Molecular Biotechnology. He co-founded the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, Washington in 2000 to pioneer systems approaches to biology and medicine. In 2007, he was elected to the Inventors Hall of Fame (for the automated DNA sequencer). Dr. Hood has also played a role in founding more than 14 biotechnology companies, including Amgen and Applied Biosystems.

Geospiza has redefined the genetic analysis software market with the only solution to help customers manage genetic analysis from sample to results™. Designed by biologists, Geospiza’s products are configured to reflect best practices and to work out-of-the-box, so that researchers can focus on their discoveries. Used by researchers, laboratories and core facilities in universities, government, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical companies, Geospiza’s software systems have established an international reputation for usability and performance since 1997. You can find more information on Geospiza and its products at www.geospiza.com.