Phthisis Diagnostics of Charlottesville, Va., has hired Betty Polk as director of business development and global sales and Robert Owen as controller.

Polk, M(ASCP), RM (NRCM), brings more than 40 years of experience in microbiology and biotechnology to her new position. She has supervised hospital labs, owned her own independent reference lab, and managed sales for several companies. She has held positions with Gibco Diagnostics, Sigma Chemical Co., Cell Culture Division, TechLab Inc., Gen-Probe/Prodesse Inc., adn bioMerieux.

Owen, CPA, has broad experience in public accounting and has also developed special expertise in biotechnology grant accounting. Previously, Owen followed the development of a new anti-depressant drug (Viibryd) through various company ownerships to the drug's approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011. He has served as controller at PGxHealth LLC, a division of Clinical Data Inc., and at Adenosine Therapeutics LLC, until it was acquired by PGxHealth; Trovis Pharmaceuticals; and Dogwood Pharmaceuticals.