Barbara Handelin, PhD
Co-CEO
Dr. Handelin is cofounder of a nonprofit think tank, The 90 – 10 Institute. The name arises from a disturbing statistic: we only have medicines to address 10% of human diseases. The Institute’s mission is to seed a new public benefit biotech/pharmaceutical industry. They are rethinking how the industry can produce far more products that deliver maximum health at costs that are accessible to all patients and fit in a sustainable healthcare economy.
Previously, she was the cofounder and CEO of Audacity Therapeutics, a public benefit (B Corp) pharmaceutical company and BioPontis Alliance for Rare Diseases, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing new therapies forward for rare genetic diseases. She is a veteran entrepreneur and molecular medical geneticist who has pioneered the responsible application of genetics and molecular innovation to medicine over a 35 year career.
In 1987 Dr. Handelin established one of the first commercial DNA testing laboratories at Integrated Genetics (later Genzyme Genetics). After co-founding a gene therapy company in 1995 (Genovo), Dr. Handelin began her own consulting services to venture capital investors, start ups, biomedical universities, biotechnology, diagnostics, genomics, pharmacogenomics and bioinformatics companies. She also founded a biosimulation company, Kenna Technologies, where she has served as CEO until its acquisition by DNA Print Genomics in October 2005. In 2010 she co-founded BioPontis Alliance, a novel Fund designed to bridge the gap between academic science and the product pipelines of the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries. Dr. Handelin served 3 years on the board of RedPath Integrated Pathology, Inc. and on advisory boards of several genomics companies (e.g. EXACT Sciences). She served 10 years as a board member of the IRB education nonprofit organization Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R), as well as on a variety of federal committees and advisory panels on ethics in genetic testing, including the Secretary’s Advisory Panel on Genetics, Health and Society. Dr. Handelin took her Ph.D. at the Oregon Health Sciences University with thesis work completed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has authored journal publications in human genetics, bioethics for industry and genetics education. Dr. Handelin holds a Non-Profit Management Certificate from the University of Delaware.
