Sequenom, Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM) today announced that it has named Allan T. Bombard, M.D., to the newly created position of Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Bombard will oversee Sequenom’s clinical and medical affairs, including clinical strategy, operations and clinical advocacy.

“Allan has played an instrumental role in the development of our noninvasive prenatal diagnostic division, including serving as the principal investigator in a screening study to clinically assess the Company’s noninvasive prenatal diagnostic technology for the detection of Down syndrome from a maternal blood sample,” said Harry Stylli, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Sequenom. “We are very pleased to have his leadership and experience on a full-time basis, and we welcome him aboard.”

“I am delighted to join Sequenom and contribute to the development of this groundbreaking technology that will revolutionize prenatal screening,” said Dr. Bombard. “Our efforts will lead to a dramatic reduction in the need for invasive procedures, improve detection rates over currently available screening models and help to alleviate the anxiety among pregnant women that results from invasive procedures. The potential to greatly impact prenatal care makes it very rewarding to be a part of the Sequenom leadership team.”

Before joining Sequenom, Dr. Bombard was the Chief Executive Officer of Lenetix Medical Laboratory of Mineola, New York. Prior to joining Lenetix, he was Chief Medical Officer of Sharp Mary Birch Hospital in San Diego, the largest women’s hospital in the western United States. Before joining Sharp Healthcare, he was Senior Vice President, Chair and Residency Program Director, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York. Dr. Bombard came to Lutheran Medical Center from Aetna, Inc., where he served as the Western U.S. Medical Director for Women’s Health. Prior to Aetna, he served as Director, Reproductive Genetics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology & Women’s Health at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, and he continues to hold a Clinical Professorship at Einstein.

Dr. Bombard received his B.A. degree from Colgate University, his Doctor of Medicine degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and completed an M.B.A. at the University of San Diego. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, and his fellowship in Clinical Genetics at Northwestern University in Chicago. Dr. Bombard is board certified in both Ob/Gyn and Clinical Genetics.

Dr. Bombard retired from the USAF Reserves in 2002 with the rank of Colonel, and served in Operation Desert Storm. He is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics, a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, and a life member of the American College of Physician Executives. He has lectured extensively on a variety of women’s health issues including genetic counseling, prenatal screening and diagnosis, the business of medicine, and BRCA screening. His articles have appeared in peer-reviewed medical journals such as the Lancet and the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.