Bradford Wilson, PhD
Dr. Bradford Wilson is a molecular geneticist and Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of IndyGeneUS AI and the Chief Scientific Officer of MedAnswers. IndyGeneUS is a genomics company creating the world’s largest block-chain encrypted repository of indigenous and diasporic African clinical and genomic data for disease prevention and detection, drug discovery and development, clinical disease management, and precision health equity. As the CSO, Dr. Wilson is responsible for directing the research agenda and developing the company’s research capabilities, genomic products, and sequencing service offerings. He also leads efforts in establishing partnerships with academic and research institutions in developing collaborative genomics projects utilizing existing study cohort samples and data.
Dr. Wilson is a driven investigator dedicated to leveraging genomics towards the elimination of health disparities disproportionately affecting underrepresented and underserved populations in the areas of cancer, cardiometabolic & cardiovascular diseases, infectious and immune diseases, and mental and reproductive health.
Born in Brooklyn and raised in Jamaica Queens, Dr. Wilson’s family hails from Florence, SC and St. Thomas, Jamaica WI. Through his work with his mentor, Dr. Rick Kittles, founder of AfricanAncestry.com, he traced his maternal and paternal ancestry to the Mandinka tribe in Senegal and the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon respectively, connecting him to multiple populations across the African diaspora.
A geneticist by training, Dr. Wilson received his bachelor’s degree in Biology, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in Genetics and Human Genetics from Howard University. Dr. Wilson’s graduate research focused on prostate cancer and he has coauthored peer-reviewed manuscripts on breast and prostate cancer as well as pharmacogenomics policy and utilization in medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD).
As a biotech startup entrepreneur, Dr. Wilson developed a next-generation sequencing (NGS) -based, 775 amplicon gene expression assay for predisposition to mental health conditions including anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for a previous entity. He also directed the development of a direct-to-consumer genetic test assessing factors affecting fertility including nutrigenomics, the genetics of nutrient metabolism, wellness traits including insulin resistance, and variants associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
As an educator, he has instructed undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in biology and genetics at his alma mater, Howard University, and Johnson C. Smith University. Dr. Wilson will also lead company initiatives focused on education and training of skilled technicians and biomedical investigators in genetics, genomics, NGS technology, and other molecular techniques.