Debra Ann Hanks, MD

Debra Ann Hanks, MD is a San Joaquin Valley native. Upon her graduation from Corcoran High School, Debra received the coveted JG Boswell Scholarship. She matriculated at UC Davis and Stanford University. She graduated from Stanford University with her Bachelor of Science in Medical Microbiology. She then joined SYVA Company as a Laboratory Technician. Eventually was promoted to Product Development Manager and managed a team of scientists developing immunoassays to detect drugs of abuse in urine and serum. After five years in industry, Debra returned as a student of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. In 1986 she earned the Dean’s Prize in Research-1st place, for her work in PCR amplification.

Debra Ann Hanks, MD earned a Medical Doctorate from UCSF in 1988. In addition, Dr. Hanks completed Clinical and Anatomic Pathology residencies and a Fellowship in Heamatopathology. She is triple Board Certified. Dr. Hanks returned to the San Joaquin Valley in 1996 and founded Premier Pathology Laboratories, Inc. in 1998.

In addition to serving as President and CEO of Premier Pathology Laboratories, Inc., Dr. Hanks is the Lead Pathologist for Agilent Technologies. She manages medical professionals who train and support pathologists worldwide involved in numerous clinical trials of cancer treatment drugs. Her work in companion diagnostics expedited FDA approvals of both OPDIVO® (nivolumab) and KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab).

(OPDIVO and KEYTRUDA are registered Trademarks of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Merk & Co., Inc. respectively.)