In this episode, Host Taylor Baker speaks with Paul Slowey, CEO of Oasis Diagnostics and a PhD-trained organic chemist, about how saliva-based diagnostics can expand access to testing through cleaner sample collection, faster results, and at-home or mobile deployment across healthcare settings.
What You’ll Learn
- Why saliva is an underused but powerful specimen for diagnostics, enabling testing for DNA, RNA, proteins, hormones, and more with less invasive collection.
- How improving sample quality at the point of collection can make saliva compatible with rapid formats like lateral flow tests and other real-time diagnostics.
- What it takes to build “front-end” collection infrastructure that supports many downstream test developers across multiple disease areas.
- How strategic partnerships and manufacturing scale-up can transform an R&D-driven company into an operationally efficient, automated production environment.
- The tradeoffs founders face when prioritizing product development over building a strong sales and marketing engine early enough.
- Practical ways to use thought leadership (LinkedIn, podcasts, webinars, and industry symposia) to build credibility and drive inbound interest in a highly technical market.
- Where AI can add value in diagnostics by improving objectivity and interpretation—while still requiring careful implementation and validation.
- Why future growth in salivary diagnostics may be most compelling in cancer detection and Alzheimer’s-related testing, especially when paired with at-home collection and telehealth models.
Paul’s story highlights how mission-driven innovation can reshape healthcare access when paired with scalable operations and the right commercial focus. By treating saliva collection as a platform not a single product Oasis Diagnostics aims to help test developers and healthcare systems deliver earlier insights, reduce friction for patients, and expand testing into homes, clinics, and mobile settings globally.
To learn more about Paul Slowey and their work.