Assessment of an Online Tool to Simulate the Effect of Pooled Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Detection in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Populations.

I am active in translational research involving gastrointestinal/hepatobiliary pathology [specifically transplant related pathology (GVHD and rejection) and carcinogenesis of the pancreas] and bone and soft tissue malignancies [imaging techniques for intraoperative margin assessment].

Thomas N. Denny, MSc, M.Phil, is the Chief Operating Officer of the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI), Associate Dean for Duke Research and Discovery @RTP, and a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. He is also an Affiliate Member of the Duke Global Health Institute. Previously, he served on the Health Sector Advisory Council of the Duke University Fuquay School of Business. Prior to joining Duke, he was an Associate Professor of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine and Pediatrics, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and Assistant Dean for Research in Health Policy at the New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey. He has served on numerous committees for the NIH over the last two decades and currently is the principal investigator of an NIH portfolio in excess of 65 million dollars. Mr. Denny was a 2002-2003 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM). As a fellow, he served on the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with legislation/policy responsibilities in global AIDS, bioterrorism, clinical trials/human subject protection and vaccine related-issues.

As the Chief Operating Officer of the DHVI, Mr. Denny has senior oversight of the DHVI research portfolio and the units/teams that support the DHVI mission. He has extensive international experience and previously was a consultant to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) project to oversee the development of an HIV and Public Health Center of Excellence laboratory network in Guyana. In September 2004, the IOM appointed him as a consultant to their Board on Global Health Committee studying the options for overseas placement of U.S. health professionals and the development of an assessment plan for activities related to the 2003 PEPFAR legislative act. In the 1980s, Mr. Denny helped establish a small laboratory in the Republic of Kalmykia (former Soviet Union) to improve the care of children with HIV/AIDS and served as a Board Member of the Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund Foundation. In 2005, Mr. Denny was named a consulting medical/scientific officer to the WHO Global AIDS Program in Geneva. He has also served as program reviewers for the governments of the Netherlands and South Africa as well as an advisor to several U.S. biotech companies. He currently serves as the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board for Grid Biosciences.

Mr. Denny has authored and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and serves on the editorial board of Communications in Cytometry and Journal of Clinical Virology. He holds an M.Sc in Molecular and Biomedical Immunology from the University of East London and a degree in Medical Law (M.Phil) from the Institute of Law and Ethics in Medicine, School of Law, University of Glasgow. In 1991, he completed a course of study in Strategic Management at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. In 1993, he completed the Program for Advanced Training in Biomedical Research Management at Harvard School of Public Health. In December 2005, he was inducted as a Fellow into the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest medical society in the US.

While living in New Jersey, Mr. Denny was active in his community, gaining additional experience from two publicly elected positions. In 2000, Mr. Denny was selected by the New Jersey League of Municipalities to Chair the New Jersey Community Mental Health Citizens’ Advisory Board and Mental Health Planning Council as a gubernatorial appointment.

Dr. Datto is an AP/CP/MGP board certified pathologist who specializes in molecular pathology. He is the Associate Vice President for Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories, the Vice Chair for Clinical Pathology and Medical Director for Duke University Health System Clinical Laboratories.  

In these roles, he is responsible for maintaining the standards of the College of American Pathologists and CLIA/CMS within all Clinical Laboratories at Duke.  Specifically, Dr. Datto oversees clinical testing and reporting, develops quality management systems and proficiency testing programs, provides consultation with ordering physicians, ensures educational programs, develops strategic plans that are in line with the needs of our patient population, physicians and health system leadership, coordinates research and development, ensures adequate and appropriately trained personnel, and provides profession interpretation for molecular diagnostic testing including the wide range of PCR, quantitative PCR, sequencing and FISH based tests for inherited genetic diseases, hematologic malignancies, solid tumors and infectious diseases.

Dr. Datto also serves as the chair of the Accreditation Committee (AC) for the College of American Pathologists (CAP).  The CAP is the largest accreditor of hospital based laboratories in the US and serves as a ‘deemed entity’ by the Center for Medicare Services. In his role of chair of the AC, Dr. Datto oversees the committee that makes clinical accreditation decisions for approximately 7,000 clinical domestic and international laboratories.

Finally, Dr. Datto has an active academic program developing data system to aggregate, normalize and utilize high complexity and high volume laboratory data.  Dr. Datto and his team have developed the Molecular Registry of Tumors (Mr.T); a software solution that supports clinical trials matching, engagement with the AACR GENIE Project and the Molecular Tumor Board for Duke University Health System.  The ultimate goal of this work is to ensure that the vast amount of laboratory data generated on our Duke patients can be put to use, driving better patient care, research and education.