TIME Names GeneDx CEO Katherine Stueland to the 2026 TIME100 Health List of the World's Most Influential Leaders in Health
Recognition highlights growing global impact of rare disease diagnosis and the role of genomics in transforming health outcomes
GeneDx (NASDAQ:WGS), the leader in rare disease diagnosis and improving health through the power of genomic data, today announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer Katherine Stueland has been named to the TIME100 Health 2026 list – TIME's annual recognition of the 100 individuals who most influenced global health over the past year.
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TIME Names GeneDx CEO Katherine Stueland to the 2026 TIME100 Health List of the World's Most Influential Leaders in Health
The recognition comes during Rare Disease Month and underscores the growing global acknowledgment of rare disease as a public health priority, as well as the critical role of genomics in accelerating diagnosis, advancing discovery, and improving outcomes for patients and families worldwide.
Under Stueland's leadership, GeneDx has become a driving force in rare disease genomics and precision medicine, helping to shorten the diagnostic odyssey for families who today wait on average more than 5 years for an accurate diagnosis.1 By scaling access to high-quality exome and genome sequencing and building the world's largest rare-disease genomic dataset, GeneDx Infinity™, the company has helped shift rare disease from the margins of healthcare toward the center of global health conversations.
"Katherine's inclusion in the TIME100 Health list reflects the growing importance of genomics in modern medicine and the meaningful progress GeneDx has made for patients with rare and genetic conditions. As CEO, Katherine is leading the company with a bold mission for genomics to improve health for people around the world," said Jason Ryan, Chairman of the GeneDx Board of Directors. "At the same time, she has built a profitable and rapidly growing business that has elevated GeneDx as a pivotal player in the healthcare ecosystem. We are proud of Katherine's leadership and her unwavering focus on advancing access to genomic insights that can change the trajectory of patient care."
The TIME100 Health list recognizes leaders across science, medicine, technology, policy, and advocacy who are shaping the future of health worldwide. Stueland's inclusion reflects GeneDx's growing impact across the rare disease ecosystem, including partnerships with clinicians, health systems, researchers, biopharma companies, and policymakers to accelerate diagnosis, enable earlier intervention, and fuel discovery.
GeneDx's momentum is taking shape through landmark public-private initiatives advancing genomic newborn screening (gNBS) alongside standard screening. The company serves as the sequencing and interpretation partner for the nation's most ambitious efforts, including the GUARDIAN study in New York City, which has identified a 3.7% screen positive rate among newborns; BEACONS, a multi-state NIH-funded program evaluating the feasibility of genomic sequencing as a public health tool; and Florida's Sunshine Genetics Program, the first state-funded initiative to implement gNBS as part of standard screening for newborns born at academic hospitals throughout the state. Together, these programs signal a growing consensus that genomics can move rare disease diagnosis from years to days – and shift healthcare from reactive care to proactive, population-scale health.
"Being named to the TIME100 Health is an incredible honor, but the real recognition is for the rare disease community, who rallies behind each new patient and family who is facing a diagnosis and the journey to find a treatment or cure," said Katherine Stueland, CEO of GeneDx. "This moment reflects a broader shift in healthcare, as genomic data, clinical insight, and policy begin to align in powerful new ways. We now can move from a system that reacts to illness to one that anticipates it – ensuring every child has access to answers from the very beginning, and that genomics becomes the foundational layer of lifelong health."
GeneDx recently reached two major milestones underscoring the growing clinical and regulatory validation of genomic testing. The company received FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its exome and genome testing which is reserved for technologies that have demonstrated the potential to provide more effective diagnosis or treatment for life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases. In parallel, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its clinical guidance to recommend exome and genome sequencing as a first-tier test for children with global developmental delay or intellectual disability – a pivotal shift that aligns with GeneDx's long-standing commitment to accelerate access to accurate answers and treatment. For more than 60,000 pediatricians, this update marks a turning point in pediatric medicine, enabling earlier diagnosis, more informed clinical decision-making, and improved outcomes for millions of children. Together, these developments signal a broader transformation in healthcare and reinforce GeneDx's leadership at the forefront of precision medicine.
"Katherine is playing a critical role in ensuring that children like my daughter, Mila, are diagnosed earlier and with greater precision," said Julia Vitarello, CEO of EveryONE Medicines. "This is where it all begins – connecting children, diagnosed as early as birth, to a new pathway for the rapid development of highly precise, individualized medicines. Together with Katherine's leadership, we will prove that it's possible to find children early enough to stop disease before it ever begins."
The full list and related tributes appear in the 2/23 issue, available on newsstands on Friday, February 13, 2026, and now at TIME.com.
About GeneDx
GeneDx's (NASDAQ:WGS) mission is to empower everyone to live their healthiest life through genomics. GeneDx combines unmatched clinical expertise, advanced technology, and the power of GeneDx Infinity™ – the world's largest rare disease genomic dataset. This unparalleled foundation powers GeneDx's ExomeDx™ and GenomeDx™ tests – ranked #1 by expert geneticists and granted FDA Breakthrough Device designation – enabling clinicians to deliver precise, fast, and actionable diagnoses. GeneDx Infinity also fuels discovery for biopharma, with the most powerful AI-driven genomic intelligence. A genomics pioneer over the last 25 years, diagnosing more than 4,800 genetic diseases and publishing more than 1,000 research publications, GeneDx is building the network that will drive the future of genomic precision medicine. For more information, visit genedx.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
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