DR JOANNE MASON

R&D Director, Yourgene Health

Dr Joanne Mason is Director of R&D at Yourgene Health, leading the development of the next generation molecular diagnostics particularly in the area of reproductive health and personalised medicine.
Joanne has been a champion of modernising diagnostics with the use of genomic technologies having previously held positions as VP Biodiscovery with Cambridge Epigenetix where she led the development of clinical epigenomic technologies particularly in the area of early cancer diagnostics, the Director of Sequencing and Sample Acquisition for Genomics England, where she managed the delivery of samples and whole genome sequencing for the 100,000 Genomes Project.
She has previously acted as an advisor on the DOH Rare Disease Policy board, MHRA Genomics for Diagnosis forum and UK NEQAS – Genomics England steering committee, Genomics England sequencing advisory board and BIA genomics advisory committee.
Joanne previously worked for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where she set up and managed a NGS Core facility leading translational research, offering disease-specific diagnostic panels and introducing whole genome sequencing into the diagnostic setting. Prior to joining Oxford, Joanne managed an NGS Core facility in Malaysia and led the Comparative Genomics group at Public Health England studying novel and dangerous pathogens.
Dr Mason holds a PhD from Cambridge in Molecular and Cellular Biology.