Who We Are — Anvil Diagnostics

Our mission

We believe accessible, direct-from-blood molecular tests are urgently needed complements to sample culture. They have the potential to guide both therapy choice and duration for improved patient outcomes and antimicrobial stewardship.

Founded to address a critical diagnostic gap, Anvil Diagnostics is building the next generation of molecular diagnostics for invasive infections. Our proprietary SKIP-SEQ™ technology, originating from Rice University, delivers the speed of PCR with the breadth of sequencing — on standard digital PCR hardware.

Founding Team

The people behind Anvil

Our team combines deep expertise in molecular diagnostics, computational biology, and clinical mycology.

Pavan Kota, PhD

Co-Founder & CEO

Pavan invented Anvil's core technology during his PhD in Bioengineering at Rice University where he led research in signal processing and molecular biology. With the world's largest medical center across the street from Rice, Pavan has been engaging clinicians for nearly a decade to shape Anvil's trajectory.

Brittney Nguyen, PhD

Co-Founder & Head of Assay Development

Brittney is an assay development leader with deep expertise in microbiology, NAAT diagnostics, and infectious disease pathology. She drives Anvil's assays from concept to clinical reality, guiding every stage of the product development lifecycle—from target selection and assay design through optimization, validation, and deployment.

Aric Brown, PhD

Founding Senior Scientist

Aric is a molecular microbiologist with over a decade of research experience, bringing technical precision and rigorous science to diagnostics R&D. His hands bring Anvil's assays to life—translating design concepts into optimized, bench-validated realities.

Our Network

Advisory Board

We are grateful to have the support of world-class leaders in clinical mycology and infectious disease.

Kim Hanson, MD, MHS

Medical Director, Mycology, ARUP Laboratories
Professor, Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine

Sean Zhang, MD, PhD

Director, Medical Mycology Laboratory
Associate Professor, Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Barbara Alexander, MD, MHS

Director, Transplant ID Services; Head of Clinical Mycology Lab
Professor, Medicine & Pathology, Duke University

Zoe Weiss, MD

Director, Clinical Microbiology
Transplant ID Physician, Tufts Medical Center

Want to work with us?

We are seeking collaborators for clinical research and research evaluations. Register your interest or reach out directly.

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