John Sninsky Passes Into Eternal Life

John Sninsky is the Chief Scientific Officer at CareDx and brings with him a comprehensive understanding of how to apply cutting-edge molecular methods to develop, apply and optimize research-grade biomarker assays into clinically accepted diagnostic tests that are reimbursed by insurance. With his expertise, John leads CareDx into its next chapter as Chief Scientific Officer.

He boasts an extensive background, from early stage biotech startups to international pharmaceutical organizations and CLIA/IVD product settings. Additionally, he was instrumental in pioneering companion diagnostics for HIV treatment – something which continues to be his passion today.

Early Life and Education

Early childhood years are an incredibly important period in a child’s development. According to UNESCO, these years represent remarkable brain growth and provide children with valuable educational opportunities.

As children develop, they are constantly taking in information from their environment and honing social skills. Therefore, teachers must provide learning experiences which encourage this process.

Early on in childhood, children form relationships with their parents or primary caregivers that will shape who they become as individuals and shape the foundations for later educational success. These early relationships help children build a sense of self and form an attachment to their caregivers that has lasting effects on how well a student performs later on in school.

The federal government administers several programs that offer assistance to low-income families with children. Head Start, established in 1965, offers free access to early childhood education (ECE) services for young children.

Professional Career

Sninsky is an accomplished scientist and physician, having had a storied career in both fields. A self-described “translational medicine specialist,” he has held senior management roles at numerous companies from large CLIA service providers to in vitro diagnostic kit manufacturers.

He has also been an active researcher and member of the scientific community. His most noteworthy achievement has been founding Roche Genetics, a multidisciplinary program that will make an impact in personalized medicine. Other notable milestones include setting up high-throughput genotyping and expression facilities, statistical genetics, biomarker development, computational biology and future diagnostic technologies – while still finding time to scuba dive, cycle and play golf with his beloved wife of 25 years!

Achievements and Honors

John Sninsky is a molecular biologist who earned his Ph.D. in biology from Purdue University. After doing postdoctoral work at Stanford University School of Medicine, he then served as professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Sninsky has conducted research related to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) applications in virology, leading to the development of clinical PCR assays for HIV. Furthermore, he serves on Roche Genetics – an initiative which unites Roche’s pharmaceutical and diagnostic divisions’ genetic and genomic efforts in order to rapidly transform information from the Human Genome Project into novel medicines and diagnostic tests tailored for individual treatment.

He currently holds the title of Chief Scientific Officer for CareDx, a molecular diagnostics company. In this role, he is accountable for setting the company’s scientific direction going forward.

Personal Life

On Sunday evening, February 11, 2017 John Sninsky entered Eternal Life at the age of 70 while in the care of The Gardens at Wyoming Valley. As Vice President of Schuylkill Transportation System (STS) and an inspiring visionary, he worked to make public transit in this region more efficient, secure, and affordable for all its riders.

He was an acclaimed scientist who applied polymerase chain reaction technology to virology, developing assays for measuring viral load in HIV patients and performing genome-wide genetic association studies for multiple common, complex diseases. Additionally, his generous donations of money to worthy causes both locally and abroad marked his legacy. Survived by his beloved wife Marietta Berlew Sninsky of Fort Myers; children Jon A. Sninsky of Cape Coral, FL; Jennifer Sninsky with Tom Flannery of Wilkes-Barre; Jason Sninsky of Wikes-Barre; Christopher Sninsky of Hanover Township; along with numerous grandchildren, great-granddaughters, nieces, nephews, and friends; there will be no memorial services held for him at this time.