August 25, 2025 · Entrepreneurs, Innovation, Program Impact, SSBCI, Stories
A New Way Forward: How iXpressGenes is Redefining Trauma Care
Trauma leaves more than emotional scars. It can rewire the immune system, fueling inflammation and increasing the risk of conditions like PTSD, autoimmune disease and heart illness. Studies show shared gene expression patterns between PTSD and autoimmune disorders, revealing a biological link that’s still largely untapped in practice.
iXpressGenes (iXG), a Huntsville-based biotech company, is turning that research into action. iXG is developing a blood test that detects immune changes caused by trauma before symptoms appear, giving providers a chance to prevent long-term illness and improve recovery outcomes.
Early intervention is critical for those most affected. Veterans, foster children and survivors of violence face higher rates of trauma-induced illness, often without access to timely care. Nearly one in four female veterans and one in seven male veterans are diagnosed with PTSD. In Alabama, an estimated 40,000 veterans live with the condition.
The idea began with Dr. Joseph Ng, a molecular biologist and co-founder of iXG. In 2010, Ng survived a shooting at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) that killed three of his colleagues. In the weeks that followed, he noticed unexplained health issues among other survivors.
“After the shooting, I started to wonder whether trauma could leave a measurable mark in the body,” Ng said. “We collected blood samples from about 100 soldiers in the Alabama National Guard and began to see patterns that suggested a link between stress and disease.”
Ng partnered with John Schmitt, a Vanderbilt-trained immunologist and 20-year Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq and has firsthand experience with PTSD. Together, they co-founded iXG at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Schmitt became CEO in 2024 and helped focus the company on early detection and prevention.
To identify risk before symptoms appear, iXG developed the Trauma Immune Indicator™, or TAI™. The screening uses RNA data from a blood sample to detect immune system changes linked to chronic stress, including inflammation and immune disruption. This advancement marks a paradigm shift in how trauma is addressed and gives providers a way to act before conditions like PTSD take hold.
“Dysregulation is a disease,” Schmitt said. “By identifying any dysregulation, preventative measures can be taken to combat the development of trauma-related illnesses.”
In 2024, iXG was selected for the gBETA Huntsville accelerator, powered by gener8tor, a competitive program that connects early-stage startups with mentorship and investor networks. That same year, the company received InvestAL funding from Innovate Alabama. The program fosters growth, innovation and job creation across the state.
“iXpressGenes is advancing important science, and this investment helps accelerate that progress close to home. InvestAL is designed to support companies with strong ideas, clear traction and the potential to grow in Alabama.” – Charlie Pond, executive director of Alabama’s SSBCI program at Innovate Alabama
For the iXG team, the investment is helping move a long-term vision closer to reality.
“We’re honored to have Innovate Alabama’s support as we work to bring trauma screening into the modern era,” Schmitt said. “This investment helps us move faster and brings us closer to a future where trauma isn’t a silent burden but a measurable, treatable condition. That future starts here in Alabama.”
In the past year, iXG has advanced its work across clinical and community settings. The company has:
- Partnered with the Birmingham VA Medical Center, which is aggressively using the TAI to validate promising drug therapies and to validate the TAI for widespread clinical validation. The TAI™ test was also referenced in federal legislation tied to veteran care.
- Launched a 16-week equine therapy study with Kids to Love Foundation, using TAI™ testing to track adult trauma patients are responding to treatment with a youth study planned as early as 2026.
- Secured a contract with WellStone, North Alabama’s largest mental health provider, to deploy 1,000 TAI™ tests across its clinics.
- Formed partnerships with multiple trauma recovery modalities to objectively evaluate the physiological response of progressive treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen clinics, EMDR and neuroimmersive/virtual-reality therapy providers.
Looking Ahead
The TAI™ test is now commercially available to clinics, nonprofits and public health systems. The company is pursuing full FDA approval, with the goal of making trauma screening a standard part of preventative care.
“Nobody is talking about prevention of PTSD, and we’re gonna do it,” Schmitt told the Huntsville Business Journal. “For this team, we all have our histories of trauma. This is so much more than a business. This is our life’s work. [Huntsville] has a history of people’s life work changing the world, and we’re excited to give it a go one more time.”
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