Newswise — LA JOLLA, Calif. – November 30, 2017 – The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) today announced the appointment of Amalio Telenti, M.D., Ph.D. as Professor in the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology. Telenti will also serve as Chief Data Scientist at the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), providing leadership in developing and implementing large-scale analyses of medical, sensor, and genomic data.

Telenti is a leading data scientist and genomic researcher whose research foci include human genomics, as well as infectious disease research. He has an extensive background in directing scientific research and operations that spans academia and private sectors over three decades and multiple countries.

“Dr. Telenti is an important addition to TSRI’s world-class faculty roster,” said Peter Schultz, Ph.D., TSRI’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “He brings with him a wealth of experience in heading up genomics research and large-scale data analysis. We’re delighted to have him contribute his expertise towards the ground-breaking research being conducted at TSRI.” 

Prior to joining TSRI, Telenti served as Chief Scientific Officer at Human Longevity, Inc. He also held faculty appointments at the University of Lausanne and University of Bern in Switzerland. As a clinician with over 25 years of experience, Telenti led the outpatient clinic at the University Hospital in Lausanne, specializing in infectious diseases and microbiology.

“Rapid technological innovation is enabling researchers to generate and delve deep into human data at an unprecedented scale,” said Telenti. “Translating this data into meaningful knowledge promises to transform medical care, diagnostics and drug development. I look forward to working alongside the exceptional scientists at TSRI to accelerate the usability of experimental data that is generated at the Institute."

STSI’s director, and TRSI’s Executive Vice President, Eric Topol, M.D., also welcomed Telenti. “We’re very excited to have Amalio join our team. His expertise in leading impactful big data biomedical projects will be invaluable to our efforts of a data-driven approach to individualizing medicine.”

About The Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs more than 2,500 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists—including two Nobel laureates and 20 members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering or Medicine—work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. In October 2016, TSRI announced a strategic affiliation with the California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), representing a renewed commitment to the discovery and development of new medicines to address unmet medical needs. For more information, see www.scripps.edu.

About the Scripps Translational Science Institute

The Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) of The Scripps Research Institute focuses on individualized medicine, using the tools of digital medicine and genomics to better understand each person and render more effective healthcare. In 2016, STSI was awarded a grant for over $200M by the National Institutes of Health’s Precision Medicine Initiative to lead the All of Us Research Program’s Participant Center. STSI is further supported, since 2008, by the flagship NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award to promote human health and train future leaders in biomedicine. For more information, visit www.stsiweb.org.