Circular Genomics is a San Diego biotechnology company turning circular RNA (circRNA) into a new class of blood-based biomarkers for brain health. Spun out of the University of New Mexico in 2021, the company uses brain-enriched circRNAs that cross the blood-brain barrier and stay stable in whole blood to detect and predict neurological and psychiatric conditions, from Alzheimer's disease to major depressive disorder. Its goal is to replace guesswork in brain care with measurable, actionable data, starting with early Alzheimer's detection and SSRI treatment-response testing for depression.
Paul Sargeant is the President and CEO of Circular Genomics, a San Diego biotech building blood tests around circular RNA - the loop-shaped, unusually stable molecules most of the field once ignored. A Cambridge-trained physiologist with 25 years across Fortune 100 firms and venture-backed startups in the US, Europe and Asia, he took the helm in 2023, shepherded the launch of the MindLight test predicting which depression patients will respond to SSRIs, moved headquarters into Lilly Gateway Labs, and closed a $15M Series A in December 2025 to push the same platform toward early Alzheimer's detection.