Company

Alessandro Gandaglia – born in 1975

Biologist

He is the author of about 60 scientific publications and numerous patents in the field of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. He began his career in 2003 as a research scientist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In 2006 he was appointed head of the scientific laboratory of Regenerative Medicine at the Cardiac Surgery Hospital of Padua. In 2011 he began his corporate experience in the biomedical world working for large companies such as Zoppas Industries group. From 2016 to 2019 he developed specific managerial skills in biotech companies dedicated to the production of plant molecules in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields.

EDUCATION: MSc in Biology at the University of Padova. PhD in Molecular Biology and Cellular Pathology at the University of Southern California (USC) and University of Padova. MBA at MIB Trieste School of Management.

Filippo Naso – born in 1979

Biotechnologist

He has been working for 13 years as a Scientific Researcher in the field of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at the Experimental Cardiac Surgery Laboratory of the University Hospital in Padua. He has received numerous awards, including a special mention from the Veneto Region as co-developer of a decellularization technique applied to human heart valves used by the Veneto Tissue Bank. He is the author of about 60 scientific publications, as well as author of 6 international patents. He coordinates the BCI Clinical–Scientific team.

Ugo Stefanelli – born in 1951

Doctor and entrepreneur

Inspirer of numerous business initiatives, with a great passion for innovation. He operates in the biomedical and real estate field. He was a professional basketball player in the Italian Serie A1. He obtained his university degree in medicine from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Padua in 1976 and his specialization in pediatrics in 1979. In 1982, he specialized in Thermal Medicine at the University of Pavia. Since 2019, he has been working as a freelancer in the medicine field.

Giulio Sturaro

Pharmacist

Worked 3 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Since 2022 he has been working in BCI as Laboratory Director.

EDUCATION: Master’s Degree in Pharmacy in 2015 and Ph.D. in Regenerative Medicine in 2018 at the University of Padua where he gained experience in the field of anticancer research, both in solid and liquid tumours, photobiology and tissue engineering.

Marcello Conviti

Senior executive with extensive experience in top management positions in the biomedical sector. He debuted as an engineer at IBM and then switched to FIAT in 1978 where he remained for two years. He then switched to the biomedical sector through the SORIN Group serving as Marketing Vice President until 1992. He was Europe Vice President of Baxter for the cardiovascular area and then he moved to Edwards Lifesciences, the leading manufacturer of heart valves, in the role of Global Senior Vice President New Business Development. In 2009 he became CEO of Carmat (a subsidiary of Airbus), which was the first company in the world manufacturing a totally artificial heart. He currently works as a consultant for biomedical companies and as an advisor to investment funds.

Shuki Porath

Seasoned Executive with over 26 years of managerial experience in the medical devices industry. Shuki served as CEO of Valcare Medical, a leading start-up in the structural heart field. He was CEO of Keystone Heart, focusing on embolic protection. Formerly served, for over 10 years, as a senior executive in Johnson & Johnson, holding various positions in the areas of product management, business development & clinical applications.

Robert J Melder

He has over 29 years of experience in the biomedical research and development. He spent 7 years working as Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology, MGH/Harvard Medical School. He spent 22 years in the Scientific Management at Human Genome Sciences (5 years) and Medtronic Cardiovascular (17 years) as a Senior Director R&D. Currently, he is a consultant at Mountain Hawk Consulting LLC.

Ivan Vesely

He is internationally recognized for his work on heart valves. Before founding ValveXchange he served as Endowed Professor at the University of Southern California and, before that, he founded the heart valve laboratory of the Cleveland Clinic and turned it into the most funded valve laboratory in the world. At ValveXchange, Dr. Vesely invented and developed the interchangeable heart valve and is currently acting as Chief Science and Technology Officer of the company. Dr. Vesely previously founded Sonometrics, Inc. an ultrasound catheter guidance company, where it developed a technology that was later acquired by Cardiac Pathways (now Boston Scientific). Most recently, he was Chief Technology Officer of CroiValve, where he led a team of engineers to develop a therapeutic device with a tricuspid valve based on a transcatheter. He is the author of 12 granted patents and over 85 publications.

Enrico Pasquino

He has more than 25 years of experience in relevant senior positions within multinational organizations in the biomedical sector (Sorin Group, Alvimedica, CID Vascular e Edwards Lifesciences Europa) as R&D Manager and VP Clinical Affair within the framework of the production of valve bioprostheses and coronary stents. Since 2014, he has been founder of innovative start-ups dedicated to the development of implantable cardiovascular devices applying a brand new concept. Specifically, he co-invented and co-founded the company Epygon sas to produce transcatheter biological mitral valves. Today he serves as CTO at the second company of which he is also a founding shareholder of AorticLab srl, a company dedicated to the development of an anti-embolic filter for TAVI procedures and a transcatheter system for aortic valve calcium removal. Being the author of about 30 patents, he also contributes as an advisor to many innovative projects offering his long experience accrued in the R&D and Regulatory Affairs context.

Isaac George

Dr. Isaac George, MD is currently an Associate Professor of Surgery and Medicine at NewYork Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and is the Co-Director of the Structural Heart & Valve Center. Dr. George also completed a fellowship program in cardiothoracic surgery in 2011 as well as a fellowship program in interventional cardiology in 2012. He performs all types of open and reoperative adult cardiac surgery with a particular interest in complex valvular and aortic disease. He specializes in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery and repair of the mitral valve. He is one of the few physicians in the world trained in both cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology. He is an expert in the most current and cutting-edge procedures including Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), transcatheter valvular mitral valve repair, transcatheter mitral and tricuspid valve replacement, percutaneous coronary stenting, and aortic stent grafting.

Andrea Colli

After specializing in Cardiac Surgery at the University of Parma, Professor Colli trained professionally in Barcelona, Leipzig and at the Mount-Sinai Hospital in New York. Back in Italy, at the University Hospital in Padua, he was involved in transcatheter and micro-invasive beating heart mitral valve repair surgery, transcatheter tricuspid valve surgery, as well as in thoracic aorta surgery procedures and mechanical cardiovascular support in patients with heart failure. Associate Editor of “Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery” and board member of “Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine”, he collaborates with leading scientific journals. He is currently the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University Hospital of Pisa.

Peter Zilla

Cardiac Surgeon. He worked as Senior Registrar and Cardiac Surgeon at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the University Hospital in Zurich of the Hospital Wels (1990-1992) and Senior Consultant in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Groote Schuur Hospital from 1992 to 1996. After his appointment as Associate Professor in 1994 and as Full Professor in 1999, he became Head of the Chris Barnard Division in Cape Town (South Africa) in 2000, and is Head of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Groote Schuur and the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in the same city. His main research centers have been in the fields of tissue engineering and prosthetic cardiovascular implants. He has been a pioneer in tissue engineering since 1983. Professor Zilla second focus involves improving heart valve prostheses for young patients in developing countries.

Antonio Maria Calafiore

Professor Antonio Maria Calafiore is the Director of the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at the Hospital Gemelli in Campobasso. During his long career, he has directed cardiac surgery clinics and specialization schools at the Universities of Chieti, Turin and Catania. From 2009 to 2016, he headed the Department of Adult Cardiac Surgery at the Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Back in Italy, he worked as a consultant at the Gemelli Molise Hospital in Campobasso and at the Anthea Hospital in Bari. He is one of the leading experts in myocardial revascularization and minimally invasive thoracotomy techniques. In the field of cardiac surgery, he developed a myocardial protection technique, used worldwide, which bears his name.

Bruno Melica

He trained as an interventional cardiologist at the University of Padua and currently works in the Cardiology Department of the Vila Nova de Gaia Hospital in Portugal, where since 2014 he has been responsible for the mitral and tricuspid interventional program; in 2020 he obtained the Certificate of Advanced Studies—Cardiac Structural Interventions (CAS-CSI) from the University of Zurich. He deals with coronary interventional surgery and all the techniques for transcatheter treatment of valvular pathology, with particular interest in the development of innovative procedures for the repair and replacement of atrioventricular valves, such as transcatheter mitral annuloplasty and the percutaneous implantation of mitral prostheses.

Gabriele Munegato

He completed his clinical specialization in General Surgery at the University of Padua. He practiced at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif (Paris) and then continued his activity at the Padua Hospital until he held the position of Director of the Department of Surgery in Conegliano – Treviso. Forerunner in Italy in the use of prosthetic material in abdominal surgery, it boasts a very large case history in the treatment of multi-recurring complex incisional hernias and “parietal disasters”. Author of widely cited scientific works on respiratory pathophysiology and hemodynamic in large incisional hernias. Engaged at a European level first within the GREPA (Groupe d’Etude de la Paroi Abdominal) and then within the European Hernia Society; he has held positions within the ISHAWS (Italian Society of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery) and the Teaching Council of the School of this society. It has developed a new model of FLAPP prosthesis (Free Lateral Polypropylene Prothesis) for large incisional hernias, promoted and directed a site dedicated to WEBIAH (Web Biological in Abdominal Wall Hernia) biological prostheses, promoted webinars, training courses, distance learning schools , cadaverlab as part of the General Surgery Update site of which he is a founding member

Michele Spina

Professor Spina is internationally recognized as one of the leading experts on the heart valve connective tissue. Former Full Professor of Histology and Embryology at the University of Padua, Faculty of Medicine. He is a consultant in the field of heart valves and blood vessels to which he has devoted his research activities for more than 40 years. He has more than 100 scientific publications to his credit.

Laura Russo

Dr. Russo is specialized in glycochemistry and is a Research Fellow at the University of Milan-Bicocca, Lecturer at the National University of Ireland and Visiting Researcher at the Galway Center for Excellence of Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine. Since 2019, she has joined the Professor J. R. Jones research group at the Imperial College in London. Her research interests are focused on biomaterials for medical devices. In particular, she has specific expertise in the manipulation of complex biomolecules such as carbohydrates. Her research activities to date have resulted in the design and development of several chemoselective binding strategies for covalent immobilization of numerous carbohydrates and peptides of biological interest on nanomaterials for tissue engineering applications (bone and cartilage regeneration, cardiac regeneration, neuronal regeneration).

Francesco Nicotra

Former Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Milan-Bicocca. In 2002 he became Italian representative for the International Carbohydrate Organization. From 2006 to 2008 he was the Chairman of the committee for Biotechnology at the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry). In the years 2013-2018, he was a Member of the Board of Directors of the University of Milano-Bicocca. From 2016 to 2019 he acted as a Scientific Director of the European Centre for Nanomedicine (CEN) Foundation. He was President of the IUPAC Division of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry from 2018 to 2019. He is an evaluating member of national, European and international projects. He co-authored >200 publications on international journals, 20 book chapters, and 12 patents.

Sotirios Korossis

Professor Korossis is the Director of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Bioartificial Organs and of the Department of Cardiovascular regenerative engineering (CARE) at the Center for Biological Engineering (CBE) of the Loughborough University (UK) and of the Lower Saxony Center for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development (NIFE) at the Hannover Medical School (Germany). He completed his university studies in mechanical engineering at the Queen Mary University in London and his postgraduate training in bioengineering at the Strathclyde University. He obtained his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Leeds in 2001 and his 5-year personal fellowship for advanced research in functional reengineering of the mitral valve from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC, United Kingdom) in 2006.