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Our Team

Michel Bielecki, MD, MPH 

Michel Bielecki, MD, MPH 

Co-founder & CEO

Michel Bielecki, MD, MPH 

Co-founder & CEO

Michel is a University of Zurich and Harvard-trained MD who has worked in public health since 2019 and has published multiple high impact articles. During the pandemic, he cofounded GobiX to produce 3D-printed nasopharyngeal swabs for the Swiss Armed Forces COVID-19 testing. In 2020, he was commissioned Chief Medical Officer at a NATO base and a postdoctoral researcher at the University Hospital Zurich.

Michel was a postdoctoral researcher at the University Hospital Zurich’s Infectious Diseases Department, responsible for the execution of the clinical part of the Swiss National Foundation-backed study "Development of a real-time biosensing system of SARS-CoV-2 to improve healthcare workers safety during COVID-19 pandemics".


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During his time at the Swiss Army, he was a Lead Physician for the organization, planning, and implementation of a nationwide mass testing for COVID-19 of 14,000 recruits. He co-lead a prospective cohort study involving 550 patients evaluating infectivity of COVID-19 resulting in multiple publications and mentions by Reuters and the New York Times.

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In 2020, Michel was appointed Chief Medical Officer at NATO’s peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. Prior to Testasy, Michel co-founded GobiX GmbH, a Swiss medical company using 3D printing technologies. GobiX addressed the shortage of testing swabs in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its 3D-printed testing swabs were quickly picked up by the Swiss Armed Forces.

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In 2021, together with Jeyla Sadikova, Michel started GobiX’ Testasy brand as a pilot project in Warsaw, Poland. Testasy offered Europe’s first fully digital COVID-19 testing and certification product, mainly targeted at travellers. Following a rapid increase in demand, Testasy was launched in Switzerland, where it became exponentially successful. The startup then launched in the UK and Estonia.

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Michel holds a degree in Master in Public Health and Epidemiology from Harvard Chan School of Public Health.

Jeyla Sadikova

Jeyla Sadikova

Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer

Jeyla Sadikova

Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer

Prior to co-founding illumicell AI, Jeyla worked at BP and later at McKinsey & Company, where her primary focus was digitalisation in Oil & Gas and Renewable Energy, and where she worked with multinational oil companies and governments deploying Digital solutions for more efficient, less toxic energy production and conservation practices. Jeyla holds an honours degree from Imperial College London.

Jeyla began her career at BP’s Procurement department where she managed several multi-billion dollar drilling contracts, working with engineers, audit and financial controllers. During her short tenure at BP, she also set up a Power BI-backed KPI system which was later adopted by all of the company’s global procurement departments.

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Jeyla joined McKinsey in 2018. Her projects include:

  • Digital Transformation project at a major Middle Eastern petrochemical plant
  • Upstream revamp and comparative well efficiency analysis for a National Oil Company
  • Digital and Renewables strategy as part of a 15 year strategic plan for a National Oil Company Digital
  • Transformation project for a major Electric Power supplier in Southern Europe
  • From-scratch marketplace launch in a developing country (to prevent Amazon from market entry)

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In 2021, she co-founded Testasy alongside Michel, acting as the company’s CCO and COO. With an initial investment of CHF30,000, Testasy generated a six-figure income from April to December 2021. Testasy also became a partner of choice for Abbott Pharmaceuticals in Europe, and had McKinsey and the Swiss National Television among its clients. Jeyla holds a Masters degree in Strategy from Imperial College London. Jeyla is the Vice President of Hack4Health Foundation, bringing Swiss healthcare to communities in need worldwide. It has provided over 200 tons of medical aid to Ukraine, as well as free tailored telemedical solutions and educational material.

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Javier Barranco Garcia, PhD

Javier Barranco Garcia, PhD

Chief AI Officer

Javier Barranco Garcia, PhD

Chief AI Officer

Javier Barranco is a Clinical AI Innovation Lead with a sound track record of translating artificial intelligence research into practical tools for healthcare. At the University Hospital Zurich (USZ), he led the development and deployment of AI models for melanoma screening and contributed to digital solutions in radio-oncology, supporting treatment planning and clinical decision-making.

At the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne, he developed AI-driven tools to support the early diagnosis of cognitive disorders. His projects have spanned several medical specialties and were shaped through close collaboration with world-renowned physicians, giving him deep insight into clinical needs and how to embed AI effectively into routine medical practice.

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His work at USZ and CHUV, both consistently ranked among the world’s leading hospitals, reflects a unique ability to bridge advanced technology and frontline healthcare, ensuring that AI solutions are both impactful and clinically meaningful.

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Javier holds a PhD in Physics and Nuclear Engineering from CERN and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Following his PhD, he was selected for the highly competitive COFUND Fellowship at CERN, awarded to top international researchers. During this fellowship, he supervised operations at a key particle accelerator facility and contributed to work for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – one of the world’s most ambitious and high-profile scientific endeavors.

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He has collaborated with leading institutions including the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), the ETH AI Center, Innosuisse and the Swiss Data Science Center to develop and scale innovative technologies in healthcare. His expertise spans artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, high-performance computing and scientific data visualization, enabling the delivery of robust, efficient, and clinically meaningful solutions at the intersection of medicine, science, and technology.

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Combining deep scientific expertise with frontline clinical experience, Javier brings a unique perspective to healthcare innovation. As a project lead, he has guided multidisciplinary teams across hospitals, academia, and industry to translate AI research into real-world clinical solutions. His ability to align technical development with clinical priorities ensures that the solutions he delivers are not only technically sound and clinically relevant, but also strategically impactful in driving digital transformation in healthcare.

Robert Brik

Robert Brik

Head of Product

Robert Brik

Head of Product

After receiving his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and his Masters from Carnegie Mellon, Robert has spent 13 years developing medical devices, guiding projects from initial concept through FDA clearance.

His expertise spans electromechanical devices, surgical robotics, and multispectral imaging technologies.

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As part of J&J's orthopedics robotics team, Robert helped launch the Velsy Knee platform, led the systems engineering development of a future spine surgery robot, and conducted technical due diligence on external technologies. As Director of Product Engineering at Precision Healing, Robert led a multispectral imaging camera for chronic wound imaging from initial prototype to FDA 510(k) clearance.

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Most recently, he's been working with and advising a number of MedTech startups through different stages of the product development process.

Mahmoud Mostafa, PhD

Mahmoud Mostafa, PhD

Head of Lab Operations

Mahmoud Mostafa, PhD

Head of Lab Operations

Dr. Mahmoud Mostafa is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School.

Mahmoud is an accomplished scientist specializing in disease phenotyping through advanced microscopy and multi-omics technologies. With over 15 years of combined academic and industry experience, he has deep expertise in microbiology, metabolomics, cell and molecular biology, and bioinformatics.

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He holds a Ph.D. in Bioanalytical Chemistry from Saint Louis University, where his exceptional research earned him the Outstanding Ph.D. Chemistry Student Award and the Alpha Sigma Nu Award, among other honors. His work has been widely recognized, including a Research Excellence Award at the 2023 International Symposium on Microscale Bioseparations, a Best Poster Award at the same conference in 2021, and features in high-impact journals such as Wiley’s top-cited publications for 2021–2022.

Trevor Slattery

Trevor Slattery

CTO
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityBlue Goat Cyber

Trevor Slattery

CTO
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityBlue Goat Cyber

Trevor brings extensive experience in medical technology, having contributed to over 250 successful FDA submissions across multiple regulatory pathways, including 510(k), De Novo, PMA, HDE and IDE. His background spans AI/ML, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure and medical device development.

Having worked across technology, operations and commercial roles in medtech, Trevor understands what it takes to bring complex medical technologies from development to market.

At illumicell AI, he leads our technology strategy, bringing together engineering, AI and regulatory expertise to build the next generation of cellular imaging systems.

Ken Johnson

Ken Johnson

Ken Johnson

Head of Software & AI/ML
MetaNeuroVision ImagingBarrow Neurological Institute
Ken Johnson

Ken Johnson

Head of Software & AI/ML
MetaNeuroVision ImagingBarrow Neurological Institute

Ken is a software engineering leader and applied scientist with 12 years of experience building AI-powered medical imaging systems. His work spans computer vision, machine learning, signal processing, and bringing medical technologies through FDA clearance.

At Meta’s Health & Wellbeing Technology team, Ken developed machine learning validation infrastructure and signal processing tools for wearable health technology targeting FDA submission. He also led engineering efforts supporting clinical study verification and validation.

Previously, at NeuroVision Imaging, Ken helped build an AI-powered retinal imaging platform deployed across 17 clinical and academic institutions, including Mayo Clinic, Cedars-Sinai, and Harvard-affiliated hospitals. The platform received FDA 510(k) clearance and was used in clinical research on Alzheimer’s disease.

At HeartVista, he developed cardiac MRI software, contributing to three FDA clearances.

Ken holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Arizona State University and a US patent in MRI reconstruction technology.

At illumicell AI, he leads software and AI/ML development, turning complex cellular images into quantitative data that can power the next generation of diagnostics.

Andrew Ward

Andrew Ward

Head of Hardware
HologicUMass Lowell

Andrew Ward

Head of Hardware
HologicUMass Lowell

Andrew knows what it takes to turn a complex imaging concept into a real medical device. At Hologic, he helped develop the Genius Digital Imager, an AI-powered digital cytology system that went through European CE marking, FDA authorization, and commercial launch.

His work sits at the intersection of optics, mechanical engineering, and digital imaging — bringing together the physical components that make advanced diagnostics possible.

At illumicell AI, Andrew leads the hardware development of LuceDX, helping us rethink how cells are imaged and bringing clinical-grade technology beyond traditional laboratory settings.

Cameron Fasola

Cameron Fasola

Cameron Fasola

Product Design Engineer
ApplePhilipsSharkNinja
Cameron Fasola

Cameron Fasola

Product Design Engineer
ApplePhilipsSharkNinja

Cameron brings 12 years of mechanical product development experience, with deep expertise in mechanism development and user touch-point design, and is a named inventor on multiple granted patents.

At SharkNinja, he led advanced development of cutting-edge, next-generation vacuum products, refining every button, dial and switch for the best possible customer interaction. At Harry’s, he independently developed a first-of-its-kind multi-axis pivoting shaving mechanism and earned a patent on a soap-cartridge razor. He also developed next-generation Power toothbrushes at Philips Sonicare, mechanical systems for Mac at Apple, and a patented shop-floor lift-assist device at Boeing. He holds an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington.

Anand Samra

Anand Samra

Anand Samra

Full Stack Engineer
University of British ColumbiaTU DelftLoughborough University
Anand Samra

Anand Samra

Full Stack Engineer
University of British ColumbiaTU DelftLoughborough University

Anand earned his Bachelor’s in Bioprocess Engineering with a Minor in Computer Science from The University of British Columbia in 2020. He completed his thesis at TU Delft in Interfacial Engineering where he studied self-repairing oil spills. He went on to complete his internships at Robert Bosch GmbH in Renningen, Germany where he contributed to the research and development of Photonic Integrated Circuits.

Anand completed his Master of Science (Artificial Intelligence) at Loughborough University in 2021, receiving highest honors and special recognition during his Robotics Modules. He completed his Master’s Thesis in Reinforcement Learning, contributing to the research of self-adapting agents through task analysis.

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