Guest Title - Dr. Lesley Northrop, Founder, LDGI and Host, Diagnostic Guru Podcast

Wait! I recognize her. Isn’t she the host, not the guest? Normally, yes, but not today. On an all new episode (and Season!) of Diagnostic Guru, we take a step back to fully introduce you to our host, Dr. Lesley Northrop.

In the current economic environment, it’s tough being an entrepreneur in biotech and no one knows that better than Lesley. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Laboratory Diagnostics & Genomics Innovation, LLC and the Founder and Host of the podcast, Diagnostic Guru. Voted as a Top 100 Innovator in 2025 by Redwood Media Group, Dr. Northrop is an expert at helping companies take their diagnostic products from ideation to implementation, leveraging her clinical and scientific expertise as well as her business acumen to drive commercial success.

On the show today, Lesley gives her perspective on how the biotech industry has changed over the last 10 years, what scares her most about the current state of affairs, and what advice she would give anyone looking to invest. Oh, and she shares her own good, bad, and ugly. You won’t want to miss that!

Well, that’s a wrap! Season 2 of Diagnostic Guru has come to a close, and there’s SO. MUCH. TO. TALK. ABOUT!

On today’s bonus episode of Diagnostic Guru, Host, Lesley Northrop, and Producer, Jess Greenwood, hop on with each other to talk through their favorite moments of Season 2, what surprised them from each guest, and where the show is going for Season 3. If you’ve been listening week by week, consider this the final exam cram, where we put all the pieces together and start to see the big Diagnostic Guru picture.

Guest Title - Stephanie Espy, Writer and Executive Director, STEM Gems Book

Astronaut? Doctor? Engineer? These are the generalized career paths we often hear about when programs are pushing young girls to consider a STEM path, but what about a Social Robotics Engineer or an Atmospheric Scientist? Real jobs held by real women. That is one of the goals of our guest today, to highlight the full range of roles that are available to women through the STEM path and to represent all of the many different women who fill those roles.

Stephanie Espy is the originator and writer of the STEM Gems book. A Chemical Engineer herself, and graduate of MIT, UC Berkeley, and Emory University, Stephanie’s approach with this book is to share the inspiring and diverse stories of 44 women in STEM, the challenges these women faced, their tremendous accomplishments, and actionable steps that girls and young women can take to set themselves up for success. She believes that STEM isn’t a special brain, and it doesn’t come from a life of privilege. STEM is simply an exposure to what is possible and an internal belief that anyone can be a STEM Gem.

Stephanie Espy is the Founder and CEO of MathSP as well as Founder, Writer, and Executive Director of STEM Gem. Through her work, she aims to empower the next generation of STEM leaders. Her for-profit company, MathSP, transforms the lives of its students by unlocking their potential, imparting a methodology that centralizes problem solving and critical thinking. STEM Gems is a nonprofit organization committed to excellence in STEM education by building a stronger, more inclusive STEM pipeline where girls and young women of all backgrounds are empowered to explore, pursue, and excel in STEM. Core programs include the STEM Gems Club, STEM Gems Summit: Women Empowering Girls, and the STEM Gems Summer Camp.

To find out more, visit www.MathSP.com and www.STEMGemsBook.com

Guest Title - Megan Scherer, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Worth the Wait

COVID turned the world upside down for all of us, but not all of us decided during COVID to turn our personal experience into a business. But that’s exactly what Megan Scherer and her husband, Mike, did when they leveraged their experience of infertility following Mike’s testicular cancer into the basis of a new non-profit organization, Worth the Wait.

Megan Scherer is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Worth the Wait. Megan advocates for patients and oncofertility nationally as a speaker and patient advocate. She enjoys the personal relationships she forms with young patients Worth the Wait assists and loves providing hope and inspiring others with her story as a caregiver, infertility patient, and mom to son Elliott. Before co-founding Worth the Wait in 2021, Megan held marketing communication leadership roles in the health insurance industry.

On today’s episode, Megan shares what it was like to move from the corporate world to her own non-profit and some critical advice she learned along the way. She also talks about the “ugly” of working with her husband, a new venture for both of them.

Guest Title - Barbara Zehentner, COO, Molecular Testing Labs

When you start your career with a “No” in the 4th grade, what do you do with that? If you’re Barbara Zehentner, you turn all of the No’s in to one big fat “Yes” and bet on yourself.

Dr. Barbara Zehentner is the COO of Molecular Testing Labs, with over 25 years experience in molecular diagnostics and clinical laboratory management. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and an MBA, and is a certified high-complexity clinical laboratory director. Her leadership experience includes roles at Roche, GSK, HematoLogics and Adaptive Biotechnologies, and she’s come a long way from that dairy farm in Germany.

On today’s episode, Barbara shares why it's so important for us to take gender out of science and math, to pay attention to the little things we say and do that communicate to our next generation of women that they can’t or shouldn’t. Barbara also takes us through her own journey of “No’s” and how she broke through that to become the scientist and leader she is today.

Guest Title - Desiree Hollemon, Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Aerin Medical

What lessons would you share with your 25-year old self? How do you pick a company? What are your non-starters? When do you let go? These are all the lessons our guest this week appreciates being able to share with her own daughters and her younger colleagues.

A self-declared “innovation addict”, Desiree Hollemon is a seasoned Clinical Affairs leader with over 20 years of experience developing novel medical devices, diagnostics and therapeutics. She started her career as a critical care nurse and sees herself as always working at the intersection of the product and the patient. Desiree is currently the VP of Clinical Affairs for Aerin Medical.

On today’s episode, Desiree shares how she made the leap from clinical care to clinical research and why she values the wisdom she’s gained and the position she’s in to share it. She talks about the price women pay during their career when they are denied direct feedback, and why the companies she chooses to work for have to have the sweet spot of innovative science and transparent people and nothing less.

Guest Title - Susan Tousi, CEO, DELFI Diagnostics

What advice does a woman whose professional pedigree includes leadership roles at three of the most dominant companies in their respective markets? “Enjoy the journey. Don’t rush.”

Susan Tousi started her career in engineering with Hewlett-Packard. As a technologist, she worked her way up into management positions there and at Eastman Kodak before making the leap to the life sciences. In her decade-long tenure at Illumina, Inc. Susan spearheaded the engineering and launch of several of Illumina’s most impactful and well-recognized products, and served as Chief Commercial Officer before joining DELFI Diagnostics as their CEO in 2024.

On today’s episode, Susan shares what it was like rising through the ranks at her first two companies and how she grew by building relationships and establishing a community. She shares how she made the transition to life sciences, even taking a step back on her career journey in order to learn the technology and lexicon so she could be more adept at the business. Susan’s optimism and insatiable desire for betterment are the cornerstone of her career…and her approach to life.

Guest Title - Dina Greene, PhD, DABCC, Founder, Evergreene Labs

Dina Greene navigates difficult spaces by being relatable. It’s what’s allowed her to become a pioneer in her work in gender inclusive laboratory medicine.

She’s also a powerhouse in the clinical laboratory medicine space, having published over 140 scientific papers. Her clinical research studies explore the application and effects of laboratory diagnostics, with an emphasis on how social demographics impact clinical outcomes. In line with her clinical focus, Dr Greene is passionate about designing operational strategies for more inclusive laboratory medicine.

On today’s episode, Dina shares how she got involved in her work with the LGBTQ+ community, and why she is constantly asking herself, “What is my privilege here?” any time she encounters oppression. Dina’s passion is obvious, but so is her authenticity and her genuine likeability. This is the kind of DG you want to have in your corner.