By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff

Foundation Medicine Inc., a Cambridge biotechnology company using genomics data and DNA sequencing to help doctors pinpoint treatments for cancer patients, announced the appointment Wednesday of Steven J. Kafka to the newly created position of chief business officer.

Steven J. Kafka. Photo courtesy of Foundation Medicine.

Foundation Medicine is poised to expand the community of physicians, cancer centers, and pharmaceutical partners utilizing our services, Michael J. Pellini, M.D., the companys president and chief executive, said in a statement. Steve brings a valuable combination of strategic planning, financial, and operational expertise to help us drive capacity enhancements in our world-class CLIA-licensed laboratory, as well as a strong track record of building and leading successful pharmaceutical partnerships.

(CLIA stands for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments in which Congress established quality standards for all laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient test results.)

Kafka joins the company from Aileron Therapeutics, where he served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer, Foundation Medicine said in its press release.

Foundation Medicine was the subject of a recent Globe story, in part because Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates is an investor in the company.

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Steven J. Kafka joins Foundation Medicine as chief business officer