Priestly Penda, MSc., MLS

Priestly Penda serves as Chief Scientific Officer at Doc Lab® and SoftCell Laboratories, where he leads scientific strategy, research and development, laboratory operations, and regulatory initiatives across a broad portfolio of high-complexity molecular diagnostics. He holds a Master of Science in Microbiology and Cell Science from the University of Florida, with a concentration in Medical Microbiology and Biochemistry. Earlier in his career he served as a Medical Laboratory Scientist with Intermountain Health, where high-volume hospital laboratory work grounded his science in the daily realities of patient care.

Since joining the organization in 2020, Priestly has directed the development, validation, and implementation of high-complexity laboratory-developed tests spanning real-time PCR, next-generation sequencing, pharmacogenomics, infectious disease, and oncology — and serves as the company's authority on compliance and quality management systems across every location. He also oversees all clinical trials and regulatory submissions, including to the FDA, along with the scientific and data integrity behind every testing program the company runs. For Priestly, scientific accuracy is paramount: it's what allows physicians and patients to trust every result that leaves our labs and the labs we partner with.