Co-founders of Signature Genomics recognized with Inland Northwest Catalyst Award

Signature Genomics, which performs diagnostic genetic testing of chromosome abnormalities in individuals with unexplained mental retardation and/or birth defects, today announced company co-founders Dr. Lisa G. Shaffer, Ph.D., and Dr. Bassem A. Bejjani, M.D. have received the 2009 Inland Northwest Catalyst Award for Innovators of the Year.

Greater Spokane Inc. and TechNet announced the award at the annual Inland Northwest Catalyst Awards during the LaunchPad INW Oktoberfest.

“I am honored to be recognized for our company’s innovative approach to the genetic diagnosis of developmental and physical disabilities,” said Dr. Shaffer, President and CEO of Signature.

Added Shaffer, who grew up in the Tri-Cities and attended Washington State University in Pullman, “Dr. Bejjani and I decided to bring our families to Spokane to start our company because Spokane has a business-friendly community and the local universities provide a young, college-educated workforce. In addition, Spokane is a wonderful place to raise a family.”

In 2003, Drs. Shaffer and Bejjani left academia and moved to Spokane to co-found Signature Genomics. Signature became the first laboratory to provide microarray-based diagnostic testing of individuals with developmental disabilities with its proprietary SignatureChip^® microarray. Signature now has over 120 employees and has made over 8,000 diagnoses after testing more than 40,000 patients since its inception. Signature’s microarrays are now offered for both pre- and postnatal identification of DNA alterations associated with genetic disease.

Dr. Shaffer recently received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2009 Award in the Life Sciences category in the Pacific Northwest, and Signature has been honored the last two years by Inc. magazine as one of the country’s fastest-growing private companies.