Who: Paul DePodesta, 43
New role: Assistant professor of bioinformatics at Scripps Translational Science Institute, effective Jan. 1. DePodesta will work with an analytics team on large medical data projects that explore a myriad of diseases and medical conditions. One project, the Molecular Autopsy Study, will search for genes associated with sudden, unexplained deaths in adults, children and infants, while the Giraffe Study will seek to identify genetic mutations associated with atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat.
Background: DePodesta, an economist and Harvard graduate, has held front-office positions for several Major League Baseball teams, and will continue as VP of player development and scouting for the New York Mets. He rose to prominence as the assistant general manager of the Oakland Athletics, where his use of data analytics transformed the way MLB teams scout players. Actor Jonah Hill portrayed a character named Peter Brand, based on DePodesta, in the 2011 film “Moneyball.”
