Baltimore Money Moves: University of Maryland appoints new director to lead genome research

Baltimore saw many changes in its leadership in the last month, from within the government, to public universities and local companies. 

It’s back to school season, and there’s a recently-appointed leader at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Also, there’s a new accelerator and multiple senior leadership appointments across companies. 

Continue reading to get the details about the latest power moves in the region. 

Medical school appoints new director to lead genome research 

Elana J. Fertig, known for developing predictive medicine using computational methods in cancer research, is now the director of the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS). 

Currently, Fertig is a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University. She’s also the co-director of the technology-focused cancer research program, the Convergence Institute and the associate director of quantitative sciences at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at the university. 

“Dr. Fertig’s expertise, in using computational methods to blend mathematical modeling and artificial intelligence, will be an invaluable asset to IGS as faculty continue to revolutionize genomic science and apply technologies to basic science and clinical research,” said Dean Mark T. Gladwin. 

Roadway intelligence firm taps new head of strategic growth

Rekor Systems, a Columbia, Maryland-based engineering company primarily working in transportation solutions, hired Rish Malhotra as the new executive vice president of global strategic growth.

The firm is the fastest growing public company in the region, the Baltimore Business Journal reported, and grew its revenue by 75% between 2022 and 2023.

Malhotra has more than 20 years of experience in the transportation and tech sector. Previously, he was the president and CEO of the traffic management engineering firm International Road Dynamics in Canada. 

He will be tasked with establishing partnerships and expanding the customer base. 

“Rish’s proven track record in driving technological innovation aligns perfectly with our vision for the future as we harness the transformative potential of AI and machine learning across the transportation management and urban mobility sectors,” said President and CEO David Desharnais.

More leadership moves

• The technology and science-focused coworking spaces Connect Labs by Wexford, announced a new director for its Baltimore location. Mark VanderZyl is set to lead the space and it’s scheduled to open in November at 4MLK within the University of Maryland BioPark. 
• Techstars announced a new accelerator for artificial intelligence-focused healthcare startups. 
• Delfi Diagnostics, a firm developing blood-based tests in an effort to improve cancer detection, hired Thomas Russo as its new chief financial officer. 
• The cannabis agency director in Maryland will step down in December, the Baltimore Banner reported. 
• The gastrointestinal health-focused biotechnology firm Previse had its clinical study results of its product Esopredict published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. It’s a DNA test for identifying patients with the precancerous condition Barrett’s esophagus.  

The Baltimore chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization announced its new board of directors.