About Us

Parthen is named after Saint Parthenios, the patron saint of patients with cancer.

We are a virtual health resource driven by oncology experts. We believe that offering access to expertise will reduce stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue throughout your cancer journey.  We work as your advocate.

Our combination of personalized support and digital health applications are built to empower patients, their care givers, and their primary clinical care team. Under the direction and vision of founder Dr. Brian Leyland-Jones, Parthen, through its team of oncology, genetic, and clinical specialist advisors, intends to level the playing field of precision oncology by putting the patient first. Our goal is to enable the patient to have the best information available to navigate their personal cancer journey.

“At this date, we are not limited by the science; we are limited by our ability to make good use of this information and treatments we already have.” 

Vincent T. DeVita, MD, former Director of the NCI, and Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, and author of The Death of Cancer

Executive Team

Baiju Parikh

Baiju Parikh

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

Baiju Parikh is a visionary leader and passionate advocate for precision medicine, dedicated to transforming healthcare through innovative solutions. With over 25 years of commercial and product experience, he brings together expertise in molecular diagnostics, genomics, data aggregation, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to improve and scale human expertise.

Throughout his career, Baiju has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, driving transformative change in the healthcare industry. With a strong focus on optimizing product-to-market fit and improving processes, he has spearheaded innovative initiatives that bridge the gap between technology and healthcare, ultimately benefiting patients and healthcare providers.

Brian Leyland-Jones, MB BS, BSc (1st Class Hons) SMH (Imperial), LRCP, MRCS, PhD, FACP, FRCPC

Co-founder, Chief Medical Officer and Chairman of the Board

Dr. Leyland-Jones, an esteemed figure in the field of oncology, holds an impressive academic background with biochemistry, medical, and doctoral degrees from the University of London. His extensive training encompassed residencies at prestigious London hospitals, including St. Mary’s, Hammersmith, Brompton, St. Bartholomew’s, and the London Hospital. Complementing his expertise, he completed a clinical pharmacology fellowship at Cornell University and a medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

With a remarkable career spanning decades, Dr. Leyland-Jones has made significant contributions to advancing cancer research and treatment. His tenure as the former Chief of Developmental Therapeutics at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) showcased his leadership in driving progress in the field.

During his time at the NCI, Dr. Leyland-Jones played a pivotal role in coordinating the international development of Paclitaxel, an innovative cancer medication. His contributions to the development of Herceptin and other therapies at McGill University further solidified his impact.

His research accomplishments are extensive, with over 246 peer-reviewed articles and book contributions, 25 books and book chapters, 427 abstracts, and an impressive 15,500 citations. Dr. Leyland-Jones’s innovative mindset is evident through his 35 patents in cancer therapeutics.

As a director at three major cancer centers, Dr. Leyland-Jones has left an indelible mark on the field. Notably, he served as the Founding Chair of Oncology and Director of the McGill University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Director of the Winship Cancer Center, and Associate Vice President of Health Science at Emory University. Additionally, he held the role of Vice President of the Molecular and Experimental Genomics Medicine Program at the Avera Cancer Institute.

Engaging globally, Dr. Leyland-Jones actively contributes to various national and international boards. He serves as the Chief Medical Officer for the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) and as a Scientific Advisory Board Member for the Asian Foundation for Cancer Research (AFCR).

Driven by his mission to democratize cancer care, Dr. Leyland-Jones has founded Parthen and the Parthen Institute for Transformative Oncology (PITO), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting cancer patients worldwide in their fight against the disease. His unwavering commitment to improving patient outcomes continues to shape the future of cancer care.

Christine Wilson, PhD

Christine Wilson, PhD, ANP-BC, FNP-BC

Senior Vice President, Operations

Dr. Wilson is a nurse practitioner who is certified in both adult and family nursing by the American Nurses Association.  She received her Bachelor’s degree from Salem State University and her Maters and Doctoral degrees from Boston College.

Dr. Wilson is an experienced clinician and healthcare leader with over 40 years of caring for patients and educating nurses and physicians. The last two decades she has focused on hematology, immunology and solid tumors.  She has been certified by the Oncology Nursing Society in Chemotherapy.

Her passion is in helping people understand complex medical conditions and treatments in user friendly language and conversation. Her goal is to empower people dealing with various diagnoses.

Thane G. Natarajan, PhD

Lead Clinical Genomics Scientist

Thane G. Natarajan is a Clinical Genomics Scientist. She received her Doctoral degree in Biomedical Genetics and Cytogenetics from University of Madras, India. She completed her post-doctoral training focused on cancer biomarkers at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC.

Dr. Natarajan has a deep expertise in cancer genomics and genetic disorders. After her postdoctoral training, her work was focused on interpreting sequencing data generated from tumor samples. Over the span of more than a decade, she meticulously reviewed and evaluated tumor mutations and germline variants generated for ~8000 cancer patients.

As a clinical genomics scientist, she interpreted and classified somatic alterations of cancer patients with solid tumors and heme malignancies including rare cancer types, and provided accurate clinical reports to guide oncologists in making informed treatment decisions. Dr. Natarajan’s contributions also encompassed germline variant analysis and classification for individuals diagnosed with potential genetic disorders. Notably, she also played a pivotal role in managing the development of cutting-edge cancer genome Dx products.

Dr. Natarajan is deeply passionate about helping and educating cancer patients. Recognizing the transformative impact of providing patients with essential information regarding their disease and its genetic basis, she envisions a seamless transition towards a patient-centric approach in the healthcare system. Dr. Natarajan’s commitment to advancing the understanding and treatment of genetic diseases reflects her unwavering dedication to the betterment of healthcare outcomes.

Board of Directors

Al Yung

W.K. Alfred Yung, MD

Advisory Board

W.K. Alfred Yung, M.D, earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and attended medical school at the University of Chicago. He conducted his internship and residency training at the University of California, San Diego, his chief residency at Cornell University and his fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Yung decided to make medical research the focus of his career because he was frustrated by the lack of treatment options for brain cancer patients, and he was recruited to help build the neuro-oncology department at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he has worked for 35 years.

His many roles at MD Anderson have included deputy chair of Neuro-Oncology and medical director of the Neuro and Supportive Care Center. In 2001, he was co-director of the Brain Tumor Center, which he helped expand. He led the department of Neuro- Oncology  for 16 years, as ad interim chair from 1999-2002 and as chair from 2003-2015.

In addition to his fellowship with NFCR, Dr. Yung’s work has been advanced by 30 years of continuous funding by the National Cancer Institute. He has been co-chair of the NCI Brain Malignancy Steering Committee since 2011 and is the Special Advisor to the CEO of the National Brain Tumor Society. Dr. Yung was also named to the Blue Ribbon Panel of experts advising the Nation Cancer Moonshot Initiative, which is led by former Vice President Joe Biden.

Dr. Yung is also on the Executive Committee of GBM AGILE, which is a revolutionary global collaboration to test and develop new brain cancer treatments that NFCR has taken a leading role on.

Throughout his career, Dr. Yung has been published in more than 300 peer-reviewed journals and he served as editor-in-chief of Neuro-Oncology from 2007-2014.

In 1999, Dr. Yung was diagnosed with bladder cancer and underwent chemotherapy for five months, followed by an extensive surgery to remove the cancer cells. He is now in complete pathological remission and says, “I chose to continue with my passion that I had before my cancer diagnosis and, in fact, hurry things along a bit more, recognizing I don’t know how much time I’m given. So, I treasure every moment of time and keep moving forward with energy and gratitude.”

Supporting You Through the Cancer Journey 


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