Potsdam College Foundation Announces Newest Board Member, Dr. Lesley E. Northrop ’96
Dr. Lesley E. Northrup ’96 of New York City has been named to the Potsdam College Foundation Board of Trustees.
The Potsdam College Foundation Board of Trustees is proud to welcome a distinguished alumna, Dr. Lesley E. Northrop ’96 of New York City, as its newest member. As a member of the Foundation Board of Trustees, Dr. Northrop will help guide philanthropic efforts that enhance academic opportunities, student success initiatives and the long-term growth of SUNY Potsdam.
She brings decades of leadership and service to the new role. Dr. Northrop is the founder and managing partner of Laboratory Diagnostics & Genomics Innovation, and the host of the podcast, “Diagnostic Guru.” Voted as a Top 100 Innovator in 2025, by the Top 100 Magazine by Redwood Media Group, 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.
As chief diagnostic officer at Everly Health, she oversaw the diagnostic complexities of their product platform for at-home testing general wellness, heart health, sexual health and hormonal testing. Northrop also served as the SVP of product innovation, and led the scientific integrity, regulatory quality and technology development for miR Scientific‘s oncology testing platform. Most notably, Northrop was the chief scientific officer at Aspira Women’s Health. where she was responsible for the totality of the company’s innovation pipeline, overseeing research and development, clinical research and validation, and product launches for tests designed to detect ovarian cancer and endometriosis.
Northrop is a sought-after advisor in the biotechnology and financial investment industries for her experience fostering innovative ecosystems within startup environments, as well as her ability to balance the cost of building cutting-edge products with investor and shareholder needs.
After completing her Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry at SUNY Potsdam, Northrop went on to graduate studies at Boston University, where she earned a master’s and then a Ph.D. in neuroendocrinology and reproduction. Northrop completed her ABMGG fellowship in clinical molecular genetics at Columbia University Medical Center. While a post-doctoral fellow at RMA-NJ Fertility Center, she was one of the lead scientists developing the first comprehensive Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis technology to more accurately represent an embryo’s ploidy status (all 24 chromosomes) and detect single-gene variants for rare autosomal recessive conditions. Her work has been featured in multiple peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and at several prestigious scientific meetings.
Northrop believes in mentoring the next generation of young women scientists, which was part of the inspiration for her to start the “Diagnostic Guru” podcast. This interview series normalizes the good, the bad and the ugly of women’s careers in science, with the goal of helping young scientists find their voice earlier in the careers, and learn that it’s OK to lead with kindness.
About the Potsdam College Foundation:
Established in 1968, the Potsdam College Foundation is a non-profit corporation dedicated to stewarding the continued growth of private giving in support of SUNY Potsdam. Its mission is to secure and manage private financial support and other gifts that build a sustainable future for SUNY Potsdam. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu/giving/pcf.
About SUNY Potsdam:
Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America’s first 50 colleges—and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.