David Duggan, Ph.D.

David Duggan, Ph.D., is a renowned scientist, market and technical analyst, and strategist in early-stage commercialization. With over 30 years of scientific expertise, he also brings 20 years of experience advising equity management firms on leading genomics and personalized medicine companies, and 13 years of experience fostering the growth of early-stage ventures. Academically, Dr. Duggan serves as an Associate Professor of Early Detection and Prevention Division; Technical Advisor, Office of the Chief Operations Officer; and Consultant, TGen Health Ventures. Additionally, he is an Associate Professor, Division of Population Science, City of Hope, and a Program Member, Cancer Control and Population Sciences Research Program, City of Hope. He has held roles such as Head of Population Genetics Laboratory, TGen, and Director, High-Throughput Genotyping Center, TGen.

Dr. Duggan is dedicated to conducting collaborative research, forming industry partnerships, and exploring early-stage commercialization opportunities that emphasize translating scientific discoveries into practical applications. His work spans family- and population-based research studies, clinical implementation studies, and the evaluation of the utility, cost-benefit and practical use of both existing and emerging technologies. Dr. Duggan’s primary focus is on understanding the genetic underpinnings of complex diseases, particularly breast, colon, and prostate cancers, while advancing personalized medicine approaches to identify individuals at higher risk for cancer and other complex conditions. His research laboratory has generated genetic and genomic data for over 300,000 family- and population-based samples.

Currently, Dr. Duggan’s research and commercialization efforts are focused on the clinical validition and application of risk stratification and early detection technologies including polygenic risk scores. These scores, which estimate an individual’s likelihood of developing certain diseases based on their genomic information, can be used to assess personal disease risk, analyze population-level risk, select samples for further investigation, and match patients with drugs most likely to benefit them. Dr. Duggan has authored nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles, many of which have appeared in prestigious scientific journals. He has also co-authored six invited reviews, written four book chapters, and co-edited a book on Oncogenomics. Dr. Duggan serves on the advisory committee of a National Institutes of Health funded consortium, which has been continuously funded for 27 years, and has been an invited grant reviewer for national and international grant funding organizations. He has also been an invited participant to the scientific advisory committees for two industry  leading genomic technology companies.

As a technology and applications expert in genomics and personalized medicine, Dr. Duggan has provided market analysis and consulting services to numerous equity management firms. His insights have supported companies in the genomics and personalized medicine sector, many of which achieved consistent year-over-year revenue growth of 25-30% during his collaboration with analysts. Recognized for his expertise, he earned a top 5% ranking among consultants at a prominent New York-based firm. Dr. Duggan delivered comprehensive market overviews – covering historical trends, current performance, and 1-, 3-, and 5-year forecasts – along with detailed technical analyses. His work included educating clients, reviewing and comparing products and services, and conducting in-depth company assessments. He has been a trusted advisor for several of the leading companies in the genomics and personalized medicine industry.

Dr. Duggan works closely with the executive and health ventures teams to integrate innovative genomic-based tools into clinical practice. In this capacity, he provides scientific expertise, evaluates staffing needs, develops and oversees logistical planning, and explores strategic partnerships as required. His efforts focus on advancing technologies that (1) pinpoint individuals with a high lifetime risk of certain diseases, (2) facilitate early disease detection - when survival rates are highest, and (3) deliver educational initiatives, such as continuing medical education seminars. These initiatives are often tailored for healthcare partners, including healthcare systems and networks, where novel clinical-genomic insights are shared with physicians, genetic counselors, healthcare professionals, and patients. The ultimate aim is to improve health outcomes by seamlessly incorporating genomic research into routine clinical care.

Dr. Duggan received his Ph.D. in human genetics from the University of Pittsburgh and obtained his post-doctoral training in genomics at the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD).