Through the Licensed Technologies Group, Luminex business partners develop and commercialize their own assays based on our xMAP® Technology, often with our support. That’s the focus for Ruud Jorna, Key Account Manager for the Licensed Technologies Group partners in Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa. He earned degrees in life science and technology from Leiden University and Delft University of Technology, and joined Luminex in 2013 after completing his Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology at Erasmus Medical Centre.
Q: What are your responsibilities at Luminex?
A: I work with business partners that develop their assays on our instrument. I support their salespeople by trying to understand who their customers are and how our platform applies to their needs. I also help people who are interested in setting up new assays and becoming our partners.
Q: What did you first do at Luminex?
A: I started out as a field applications specialist for our diagnostic team. I visited hospitals and worked with them on diagnostic assays for respiratory, gastroenteritis, or other applications. I trained new customers and supported existing customers as well.
Q: What got you interested in the company?
A: It was really the versatility of the platform, and all the different kinds of applications. It’s quite interesting that it’s based around one multiplexing technology, but you can use it for a lot of different scientific needs. One day, the technology is being used to measure cytokines, and the next day, it’s used to test gut microbiomes. I enjoy having this constant change.
Q: Was this career path what you had in mind during your Ph.D.?
A: I was a typical Ph.D. student, planning an academic career. But about halfway through, I just started noticing, I was the person in the lab who could always help connect people or help answer questions. I work best by being a little bit involved in a lot of projects, which is not the ideal fit for running a lab, but is a much better fit for a company.
Q: If you weren’t a key account manager at Luminex, where would you be?
A: I could imagine starting my own business one day, that’s something I’m interested in. Maybe a consultancy focused on business development work.
Q: If you could solve any clinical or genetic challenge, what would it be?
A: It would be very interesting to have a solution to infectious disease diagnostics that could shorten turnaround time for results to a couple of minutes. That would let physicians really adjust antibiotic treatments from the start and be a big improvement over the current state.
Q: What is something about you that no one at Luminex knows?
A: I still play football, or what Americans call soccer. I’ve played for almost 30 years, and I enjoy being a member of a team and playing as much as I can.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?
A: Since I travel a lot for work, the weekends are my time to hang out with my wife and our 1-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. We like going to parks or amusement parks.
