ClearNote Health Announces Leadership Transition
Current President and COO Kevin Keegan appointed to CEO; current CEO Dave Mullarkey to continue serving as company board member and advisor
SAN DIEGO — July 9, 2026 — ClearNote Health, a company dedicated to improving early detection for some of the deadliest cancers, today announced a leadership transition. Kevin Keegan, currently president and chief operating officer, has been appointed chief executive officer, effective July 31, 2026.
Current CEO Dave Mullarkey has decided to transition out of his role after four and a half years of dedicated service. He will remain actively involved as an advisor to the company and continue as a member of the board of directors.
“Dave Mullarkey has been the driving force in taking ClearNote Health from an early-stage startup to the leader it is today in early testing for high-mortality cancers,” said Mattias Westman, founding investor and chair of the board of directors. “On behalf of the board and the entire company, I want to thank Dave for his exceptional leadership, vision, and many contributions over the years. We respect his decision and wish him all the best. We are grateful that he will continue to have a role with the company as we enter this next phase of commercial growth.”
In the past year, ClearNote Health has achieved a number of important milestones, including its successful $52 million series D financing, new leadership team appointments, and release of the enhanced version of its early detection test for pancreatic cancer. The company is now focused on continued commercial expansion, clinical study execution, product development, and increased global access to ClearNote Health’s portfolio of Avantect® early cancer detection tests and the Virtuoso™ epigenomic drug development platform.
“Leading ClearNote Health has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, and I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished in driving early cancer detection to ultimately save lives. This company is in a very strong position today,” said Mr. Mullarkey. “Kevin has played a pivotal leadership role and we have worked closely together for months. With his deep understanding of the business, proven track record in clinical diagnostics for oncology, and unwavering commitment to improving patient care, Kevin is uniquely qualified to build on our momentum and accelerate adoption of our industry-leading Avantect early cancer detection tests and Virtuoso drug development platform.”
Mr. Keegan brings nearly 30 years of experience in the clinical diagnostics industry, spanning operational, commercial, and general management roles. Prior to joining ClearNote Health, he built and ran large business units at BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Illumina, Hologic, and Alere. At Illumina, he led the oncology business unit and served as general manager, leading the launch of one of the world’s most widely used tumor profiling tests. Mr. Keegan earned a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from San Jose State University and an MBA from the University of California, Irvine.
“I am honored to be appointed CEO and grateful for the board’s confidence,” said Mr. Keegan. “ClearNote Health has a world-class team and a proven technology platform with a unique value proposition. I look forward to building on the strong foundation our team has created, expanding the global reach of our innovative cancer tests, and delivering even greater impact for patients worldwide.”
ClearNote Health’s board of directors and management team are committed to ensuring a seamless leadership transition. The company does not anticipate any changes to its strategic priorities, operations, or customer commitments as a result of this announcement.
About ClearNote Health
ClearNote Health is a privately held company dedicated to improving early detection and monitoring for some of the deadliest forms of cancer. Developed by scientists in the Stephen Quake laboratory at Stanford University, the company’s patented Virtuoso™ epigenomics platform builds on the latest advances in artificial intelligence and bioinformatics to measure active biological differences between cancer and healthy cells in a blood sample. The highly sensitive, noninvasive Avantect® pancreatic and ovarian tests may identify cancers in high-risk patient populations earlier than conventional approaches, when patients may be more likely to benefit from treatment. The company’s multi-cancer detection test was recently selected as one of two blood-based technologies for the National Cancer Institute’s Vanguard Study. ClearNote Health’s headquarters and CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited, and New York State Department of Health-approved laboratory are located in San Diego. For more information, visit www.clearnotehealth.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.
ClearNote Health, the ClearNote Health logo, and Avantect are registered trademarks of ClearNote Health.
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