December 5, 2018 Comments (0) Views: 7068 Genomics, Innovation, Tip Sheet

Women Working Wonders at Illumina

Three amazing women doing amazing things at the San Diego genome sequencing company

Get to know three amazing women who’ve helped make the 20-year-old San Diego genome sequencing pioneer a powerhouse.

Big Win

A shared Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to board member Frances Arnold for her work using evolution to improve enzymes for specific purposes. The California Institute of Technology engineering professor is one of just 49 women—compared to 844 men—to earn a Nobel Prize.

Business Booster

Amanda Cashin cofounded the Illumina Accelerator in San Francisco in 2014. The accelerator focuses on genomics startups, a charge Cashin is suited for, given her doctorate in chemical biology from the California Institute of Technology.

Great Catch

Ashley Van Zeeland, former chief technology officer of Human Longevity, made the move to the company in August. “I am thrilled to be joining Illumina as we approach a major tipping point in creating a future where precision health care is a reality,” she says.