Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Vanderbilt University School of Engineering (TN, USA). After completing his B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech, Dr. Guelcher worked in the Research Division of Eastman chemical Company in Kingsport, TN on a number of projects in chemical and nutraceutical processing. He subsequently completed his Ph.D. with Professor John Anderson in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, where his dissertation work focused on investigating the electric field-induced motion of colloidal particles deposited near an electrode. Prior to his appointment at Vanderbilt, Dr. Guelcher was a Senior Associate Scientist in the Polyurethanes Division at Bayer Corporation and an NIH NRSA Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University where he worked with Professor Jeffrey Hollinger in bone tissue engineering. Professor Guelcher joined Vanderbilt University in 2005, and opened the Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Laboratory in January 2006. He is author of more than 160 peer-reviewed scientific papers and inventor of 26 patents. Dr. Guelcher is a renown expert in the design, synthesis, and characterization of polymeric biomaterials for bone tissue engineering (with synthetic scaffolds)

Plastic Surgeon: Director of the Division of Reconstructive Surgery at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO). He graduated in Medicine and Surgery at the University do Estado de Sao Paulo (Unesp) of Botucatu (Brazil) and specialized in general oncology surgery at the Pio XII Foundation of Barretos (Brazil). He also graduated and specialized in plastic surgery at the University of Milan. At IEO he performs clinical researches in the field of Plastic Reconstruction Surgery, mainly in the development of new techniques, such as lipofilling, mammal repairing after a reconstructive surgery following removal caused by neoplasy. He is the referent of a clinical study aimed at evaluating the time of degeneration of silicone-gel mammal prostheses according to the time of implant. He participates in a new European study for the development of the use of the stem cells of adipose origin for the mammal repairing after quadrantectomy or mastectomy.

Ex-investment banker and Life Sciences corporate finance executive.

After completing his degree in Business Administration at Bocconi University in Milan, he worked with Arthur Andersen between 1988 and 1991.

In 1992 he transitioned to investment banking and worked for eight years in London and Milan with the corporate finance divisions of S.G.Warburg & Co. (now UBS), Morgan Grenfell (Deutsche Bank) and Salomon Smith Barney (Citigroup), with a focus on the origination and execution of IPOs, public tender offers, rights issues, equity offerings, and M&A transactions.

He transitioned to Life Sciences in 2000, when he joined Geneva-based biotech group Serono as VP Corporate Development to coordinate its NYSE listing and $2bn equity offering, lead M&A and support Investor Relations.

In 2007 he became CFO of VC-backed Nitec Pharma, which he contributed to refinance and merging into Horizon Therapeutics (now Amgen). In 2009 he became CFO of VC-backed MedTech company Endosense (acquired by St Jude Medical, now Abbott), which he contributed to refinance.

Between 2012 and 2022 he was CFO of Medicines for Malaria Venture, a non-profit organization, financed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and various governments. He has been VP Corporate Development at Mundipharma since 2023.

Alexei is a surgeon and serial entrepreneur with two successful exits thus far. In his most notable role as founding CEO of SIA, he led the company through FDA-clearance, commercialization, NIH grant funding for a “first-and-only” indication in a new market, and pivotal trial initiation to achieve that indication. SIA achieved all this in less than four years and with only $6.3M in equity capital, while maintaining a developmental pipeline. After kicking off a $15M Series B fundraise that would later be oversubscribed and expanded, Alexei began his training in plastic surgery at Northwestern McGaw Medical Center. He remained active as an executive board member during his first 18 months of surgical residency, leading the process that culminated in SIA being acquired by Integra LifeSciences (Nasdaq: IART) in December of 2022. Following the completion of three years of surgical residency, he is now taking a sabbatical as he considers his next step.

In addition to his work at SIA, in 2020, Alexei simultaneously co-founded RapidRona, a shared-economy platform that connects clinical laboratories directly to consumers, and one of the first companies to bring a home PCR test to market. They were acquired by DMH in 2021. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and lectures on science and entrepreneurship at national and international meetings. He is listed as inventor on multiple patents and serves as an investor and board advisor to early-stage companies focused on nanotechnology, tissue engineering, radiofrequency ablation, and transseptal puncture. Alexei was also named one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” in 2018 and Crain’s “20 in their 20s” in 2019. 

Andrew Tymkiw is a distinguished senior executive with a 35 year career  in varied life science markets including cardiovascular, structural heart, neuro-interventional and aesthetics sectors. A seasoned leader in global strategy and execution, his expertise spans multinational markets including the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia in support of commercializing transformational technologies and scalable operations for major brands like Edwards’ Transcatheter Aortic Valve Therapy..  Since founding Lifescience Business Solutions in 2017, Andrew has focused on strategic development in regulated environments, helping innovation-driven clients and private equity partners mobilize resources, tackle complex clinical challenges, and build sustainable growth. Known for his results-driven approach, he is a valued partner for organizations navigating competitive markets.  Previously, Andrew held senior executive roles at Edwards Lifesciences,  Mentor/J&J, and  Marquest/GE Healthcare, with earlier management positions at Becton Dickinson and Meadox/Boston Scientific. A strong advocate for STEM and healthcare advancement, he also serves as on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics. Andrew holds an advanced education in Engineering and Finance from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the Wharton School.

Owner and Principal Consultant at Metro Preclinical Consulting, LLC. Dr. Gilbert received both his BSE in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics as well as his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (VMD) degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He pursued specialty training in veterinary surgery prior to moving into industry where he has developed expertise in preclinical research and generating safety and effectiveness data to support product development and regulatory approval of a diverse range of medical technologies. He has held roles in startups and corporations spanning the medtech and pharmaceutical industries. Dr. Gilbert has particular interests in animal and surgical model development and is a strong advocate for the judicious use of animals in preclinical research.