Innovative Blood Test for EARLY CANCER DETECTION
Advanced testing with AI, RNA biomarkers, and cold-chain-free PCR tech.
Meet Our TEAM
Raushan Singh, PhD, CEO
Dinesh Patel, PhD, Business Advisor & Seed Investor
Dinesh Patel, PhD, Business Advisor & Seed Investor
- Raushan is the Founder and CEO of Light-Hope Dx, Inc. Prior to founding Light-Hope, Raushan worked as a Principal Scientist at Co-Diagnostics, Inc. He earned his PhD (Biochemistry) from North Dakota State University, Fargo(USA). He was an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow as at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (
- Raushan is the Founder and CEO of Light-Hope Dx, Inc. Prior to founding Light-Hope, Raushan worked as a Principal Scientist at Co-Diagnostics, Inc. He earned his PhD (Biochemistry) from North Dakota State University, Fargo(USA). He was an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow as at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (Worcester) where his interest in the RNA world was shaped by the pioneer RNA biologists, namely, Dr. Victor Ambros (Nobel Prize 2024) and Dr. Craig Mello (Nobel Prize 2006). He has published 14 research papers in prestigious journals (Cell Reports, eLife, Molecular Pharmaceutics, JBC, etc.). He has developed two anticancer drugs (TM-2-51, Coumarin-SAHA) which are now commercialized by multiple US biotech companies. He received a highly competitive research grant (served as the Principal Investigator) from the American Heart Association. He was an invited Early Career Reviewer in Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics for eLife, a prestigious journal. Raushan was born and raised under humble circumstances in India. He received his BS (Biotechnology, and Entrepreneurship Development) with distinction (class topper) from Patna University (India), and MS (Animal Biotechnology) from National Dairy Research Institute (India). He was a CSIR Junior Research Fellow at the University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi. He is a recipient of several prestigious scholarships in India during his academic career. Raushan is an avid hiker and a passionate cook. In his free time, he enjoys playing harmonium/piano and singing Indian classical music.
Dinesh Patel, PhD, Business Advisor & Seed Investor
Dinesh Patel, PhD, Business Advisor & Seed Investor
Dinesh Patel, PhD, Business Advisor & Seed Investor
- Dr. Dinesh C. Patel, Ph.D.is a distinguished life sciences entrepreneur, venture investor, philanthropist, and strategic advisor with more than 40 years of experience building and commercializing healthcare and biotechnology companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Michigan. Dr. Patel co‑founded TheraT
- Dr. Dinesh C. Patel, Ph.D.is a distinguished life sciences entrepreneur, venture investor, philanthropist, and strategic advisor with more than 40 years of experience building and commercializing healthcare and biotechnology companies. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Michigan. Dr. Patel co‑founded TheraTech, Inc.,where he served as President and CEO, leading the company through a successful initial public offering and its subsequent acquisition by Watson Pharmaceuticals (now Allergan) for $350 million. He is the founder of Patel Family Investments and a founding partner of vSpring Capital (now Signal Peak Ventures), an early‑stage venture capital firm that managed over $400 million in assets.As a business advisor to Light‑Hope Diagnostics, Dr. Patel provides strategic guidance in capital formation, partnerships, product commercialization, and FDA‑regulated development, drawing on his deep expertise in scaling life sciences innovations to global impact. His honors include the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology (Lifetime Achievement), the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and the BioUtah Willem J. Kolff Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kenneth Ward, MD, Clinical Advisor
Dinesh Patel, PhD, Business Advisor & Seed Investor
Chris Fillmore, PhD, Scientific Advisor
- Kenneth Ward, MD is internationally known in Genetics. Dr. Ward is Board-certified in four specialties including Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Medical Genetics, and Molecular Genetics. Dr. Ward has 40 years of experience in medical diagnostics and he has launched over a dozen “first-use-in-humans tests. Dr. Ward fo
- Kenneth Ward, MD is internationally known in Genetics. Dr. Ward is Board-certified in four specialties including Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Medical Genetics, and Molecular Genetics. Dr. Ward has 40 years of experience in medical diagnostics and he has launched over a dozen “first-use-in-humans tests. Dr. Ward founded and directed the University of Utah DNA Diagnostic Laboratory and the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at ARUP (a national clinical reference laboratory). Dr Ward previously served as a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Human Genetics at the University of Utah and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women’s Health at the University of Hawaii. Dr. Ward led the efforts to map a number of human disease genes; his research has also focused on pregnancy-related complications. Dr. Ward has published over one hundred peer-reviewed papers and dozens of additional book chapters and scientific articles. He is an inventor on over fifty issued or pending patents. Dr. Ward's lab developed the initial consumer DNA test for Ancestry.com. As Founder and CEO of Juneau Biosciences, he has developed a novel predictive DNA-based test for endometriosis. He co-founded and currently serves as the Laboratory Director of a CAP and CLIA accredited, high-complexity, molecular diagnostic laboratory at Slopes Bio. Inc.
Chris Fillmore, PhD, Scientific Advisor
Dinesh Patel, PhD, Business Advisor & Seed Investor
Chris Fillmore, PhD, Scientific Advisor
- Chris Fillmore, PhD, is the Director of the Biorepository & Molecular Pathology core at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. He is also Faculty in the Department of Pathology. Dr. Fillmore directs a CAP/CLIA biobank with >1M biospecimens collected from cancer patients, and used primarily to support oncology research at UofU. He
- Chris Fillmore, PhD, is the Director of the Biorepository & Molecular Pathology core at Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah. He is also Faculty in the Department of Pathology. Dr. Fillmore directs a CAP/CLIA biobank with >1M biospecimens collected from cancer patients, and used primarily to support oncology research at UofU. He also has over 20 years of experience in commercial molecular diagnostics, working with DARPA, Cepheid, and Roche to develop Mol Dx platforms and assays.
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Varun Shankar, PhD, AI/ML Advisor
Mike Hancock, PhD, Business Development Consultant
Varun Shankar, PhD, AI/ML Advisor
- Varun Shankar is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the Kahlert School of Computing (KSoC) at the University of Utah (from July 2023). His primary research focus is on the development of efficient, scalable, and provably-accurate machine learning models for scientific, engineering, and medical applications. This research lies at the
- Varun Shankar is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in the Kahlert School of Computing (KSoC) at the University of Utah (from July 2023). His primary research focus is on the development of efficient, scalable, and provably-accurate machine learning models for scientific, engineering, and medical applications. This research lies at the intersection of scientific machine learning, scientific computing, and high-performance computing. Prior to this, Dr. Shankar was an Assistant Professor Lecturer (non tenure-track) in KSoC from July 2018 to June 2023. Dr. Shankar also serves as an Associate Director for the Master of Software Development (MSD) program, an Associate Chair for the FinTech Center, and Director of the Scientific Computing track within KSoC. He received his PhD in 2014 and spent four years as a postdoctoral research in Math Biology at the University of Utah.
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Emily Hope, COO
Mike Hancock, PhD, Business Development Consultant
Varun Shankar, PhD, AI/ML Advisor
- Emily comes with 20 years of passion for financial organization in start-ups. She is a highly organized and motivated finance professional who is dedicated to creating financial organization and best practices for small businesses and start-ups. She has a propensity for leading by example, employee development, and team building. She is
- Emily comes with 20 years of passion for financial organization in start-ups. She is a highly organized and motivated finance professional who is dedicated to creating financial organization and best practices for small businesses and start-ups. She has a propensity for leading by example, employee development, and team building. She is known for building systems and structures that high-level professionals feel confident in building upon.
Mike Hancock, PhD, Business Development Consultant
Mike Hancock, PhD, Business Development Consultant
Mike Hancock, PhD, Business Development Consultant
- Michael Hancock, Ph.D., is a scientific executive and strategic architect with 20+ years of leadership experience across premier biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Medical College of Wisconsin and has a distinguished track record driving the full assay‑to‑commercialization lifecycle,
- Michael Hancock, Ph.D., is a scientific executive and strategic architect with 20+ years of leadership experience across premier biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations. He holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Medical College of Wisconsin and has a distinguished track record driving the full assay‑to‑commercialization lifecycle, bridging inventive assay design with scaled applications. As Chief Discovery Officer at Vala Sciences and former Director of In Vitro Pharmacology at Recursion, Dr. Hancock applies a growth and multiplier mindset to scale teams, optimize cross‑functional operations, and secure strategic partnerships. He serves as a business development and partnering consultant for Light‑Hope Diagnostics.
Jordan Toone, JD, Legal Advisor
Mike Hancock, PhD, Business Development Consultant
Mike Hancock, PhD, Business Development Consultant
- Jordan Toone is a partner at Rimon P.C., a full-service global law firm advising clients ranging from Global 100 corporations to early-stage startups in sophisticated legal matters. Jordan is an M&A and private equity attorney with experience advising companies, private equity and venture capital firms, family offices, strategic and finan
- Jordan Toone is a partner at Rimon P.C., a full-service global law firm advising clients ranging from Global 100 corporations to early-stage startups in sophisticated legal matters. Jordan is an M&A and private equity attorney with experience advising companies, private equity and venture capital firms, family offices, strategic and financial buyers, boards of directors, and other stakeholders in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, private offerings and related securities law matters, joint ventures, divestitures and carve-outs, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and general corporate and commercial matters in multiple industries, including technology and software, cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, retail, manufacturing, life sciences, real estate (all property types), construction and property management, and energy (including renewables). Jordan’s clients include domestic companies engaged in international business and foreign companies with operations in the United States. Jordan acts as outside general counsel to companies and investors from formation/entrance to exit.
Advancing Early Cancer Detection
Why Detect Cancer Early?
The importance of Early Cancer Diagnosis is underscored by the World Health Organisation as below.
"Early diagnosis of cancer focuses on detecting symptomatic patients as early as possible so they have the best chance for successful treatment. When cancer care is delayed or inaccessible there is a lower chance of survival, greater problems associated with treatment and higher costs of care. Early diagnosis improves cancer outcomes by providing care at the earliest possible stage and is therefore an important public health strategy in all settings."
Light-Hope Diagnostics, Inc. is at the forefront of developing affordable PCR-based IVD products for early diagnosis of human cancer utilizing non-coding RNAs as biomarkers in liquid biopsy.
Current Projects in Focus
We are currently performing the analytical/clinical validation of our first PCR-based IVD product for early detection of breast cancer and its subtypes (ER+/-, PR+/-, HER2+/- and triple negative). Mammogram often fails to accurately detect breast cancer in its early stages--especially in young women where it has been on rise with an alarming rate in recent years. Our tests rely on RNA biomarkers, which are a group of genetic markers present in liquid biopsy. The RNA-based early detection of cancer using liquid biopsy is a promising technology that has potential to revolutionize cancer diagnosis and screening, and save countless human lives.
Our forthcoming IVD products for early diagnosis of the following cancer are in the research and development phase.
- Liver Cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
Our long-term goal is to develop a Multi-cancer Early Detection (MCED) Test which can simultaneously detect at least five major forms of human cancer, namely, breast, ovarian, lung, pancreatic, and prostate.
Making Cancer Testing Accessible
The financial barrier, caused due to a high cost of currently available cancer diagnostic tests, limits the capacity for early diagnosis of cancer--especially in resource-poor settings. We overcome this barrier by providing an affordable PCR-based test (IVD product) that detects cancer early in symptomatic (early cancer diagnosis) as well as asymptomatic (cancer screening) individuals. Utilizing our 20+ years of experience in enzymology, DNA/RNA biochemistry, and protein science, we have developed a proprietary formulation of PCR reagents and a freeze-drying (lyophilization) method for their long-term stabilization at a higher ambient temperature. This feature virtually eliminates the cold chain requirement for our IVD products (even in tropical countries, e.g., India, Africa) and make them affordable and accessible to everyone everywhere.
Brightening Diagnostics Worldwide
Light-Hope Diagnostics, Inc.: Global Impact in Diagnostics
We are currently present in the USA and India. Our presence in India is important for the company growth globally with the following objectives.
1. To manufacture our IVD products at low cost.
2. To perform capital-efficient clinical validation and trial of our products in India.
3. To provide affordable methods for early cancer detection to millions of low-income Indian after the regulatory approval of our product by the CDSCO (the Indian FDA).
Reliable Formulation & Lyophilization Solutions
Understanding Lyophilization
Understanding Lyophilization
Understanding Lyophilization
Customer Stories
Understanding Lyophilization
Biologics & Vaccines
Biologics & Vaccines
Biologics & Vaccines
Custom formulations and freeze-drying protocols to stabilize sensitive biologics and vaccines, enabling safe transport and storage without refrigeration.
PCR Kits & Reagents
Lyophilized PCR master mixes and assay components retain full functionality at room temperature—ideal for field diagnostics and remote labs.
Enzymes & Antibodies
Preservation of enzymatic activity and antibody integrity through optimized formulations and lyophilization, supporting long shelf life and consistent performance.
Point-of-Care Kits
Cell Line Preservation
Complete diagnostic kits designed for ambient storage and rapid deployment in low-resource settings, humanitarian missions, and mobile clinics.
Cell Line Preservation
Cell Line Preservation
Specialized lyophilization services for human cells, hybridoma cells, and other mammalian cell lines—providing long‑term stability without the need for cold‑chain storage.
Hear From Our Clients
Hear From Our Clients
Are your customers raving about you on social media? Share their great stories to help turn potential customers into loyal ones.
Meet Our Business Advisors
Don Weil, MBA
Brinda Wiita, PhD, MBA
Jim Herrin, MBA
Don is an experienced entrepreneur and angel investor with a Harvard MBA. He has a background in manufacturing, investing, and city operations, bringing broad expertise to our team.
Jim Herrin, MBA
Brinda Wiita, PhD, MBA
Jim Herrin, MBA
Jim brings over 35 years of experience in business development, finance, and global trade, supporting entrepreneurs across Utah.
Brinda Wiita, PhD, MBA
Brinda Wiita, PhD, MBA
Brinda Wiita, PhD, MBA
Brinda is a pharmaceutical expert with over 35 years in drug development and innovation, currently mentoring startups and advancing microbiome therapies.