2017/18
Barry McCann
BComm MSc
Barry is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of NUA Surgical, an award-winning Irish start-up innovating in Women's Health. He has 20 years commercial and fundraising experience in healthcare, not-for-profit and professional sports sectors. Barry has a BComm & MSc in Medical Device Innovation, both from the University of Galway and holds diplomas in Anatomy, Project Management & Online Marketing. In 2017/2018 he completed a full-time Fellowship at BioInnovate Ireland (Stanford Biodesign Affiliate). NUA Surgical is a spin out from BioInnovate and Uni of Galway which has developed the SteriCISION C-section Retractor to improve access and visualisation during Caesarean Delivery. The company has received global recognition for its innovation in maternal health and these achievements can be seen at www.nuasurgical.com Over the past five years, Barry has also been recognized for entrepreneurialism in MedTech with awards from EIT Health, JCI Ireland and CEO Monthly Magazine.
Brendan Staunton
BSc MSc MBA
Brendan Staunton is the co-founder and CEO of Amara Therapeutics. Brendan has over a decade of medical device commercialisation experience working with several international medical device companies at senior management level. Brendan studied Neuroscience at University College Dublin (UCD) and holds a Master’s degree in Medical Device Innovation from NUIG and an MBA from Smurfit Business School Dublin. Brendan is passionate about developing new medical device innovations that can have global impact. He identified to need to provide more effective early-stage treatments for pelvic and bladder health conditions during the Standford-affiliated Bioinnovate fellowship at the University of Galway back in in 2018. Since then, Brendan has worked tirelessly to develop solutions to these problems and is excited from the impact Amara Therapeutics can have in this field in the coming years.
David Clarke
BSc DipFM MSc
David has over 10 years’ experience driving the commercialisation of medical devices in Ireland. A BSc graduate of Maynooth University, David has focused on market strategy and delivering sales growth in various therapy areas with Medtronic Ireland Limited. Joining the world’s largest medical device manufacturer in 2007 as market development specialist for the company’s cardiac rhythm management division, David transitioned to cardiac & vascular group marketing manager for Ireland. In this role, he initiated cross business strategies and individual programmes which allowed for the funding and commercialisation of new technologies, most recently Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implant (TAVI) technology. For the past two years David has been dedicated to driving the Structural Heart business for Medtronic. He has developed a business model that incorporates significant clinical input, interaction with HSE and private insurers, physicians and staff across the clinical cardiovascular spectrum. Throughout his career David has built a network of commercial, R&D and manufacturing contacts and a broader network of physicians throughout Ireland and the UK. Prior to his time at Medtronic, David spent seven years at German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim cardiovascular and neurology divisions in a commercial role. David holds an ACCA diploma in Financial Management (DipFM) and an ICM diploma in Marketing Advertising and PR. Having spent the last number of years working on the post CE mark commercial side of the business, David is looking forward to the challenges ahead of taking an idea from the point of conception to a viable product option and into commercialisation. In his spare time David enjoys keeping fit, yoga and getting out with friends and family.
Dylan Creane
BSc MB BCh BAO MSc
Dylan is the Clinical Lead and Co-Founder of Elevre Medical. Dylan is a dual-qualified software engineer and medical doctor with special interest in the translation of medical technology. He has a developed a deep understanding of the physiology of breathlessness and built relationships with international Key Opinion Leaders in the space. His leadership in the clinical aspects of the project will continue to be of significant value to the team as they complete ResWave’s first-on-human clinical evaluation.
John Gaffney
MBA MComm HDip Dip
John Gaffney was most recently Asst. Plant Manager with Hollister Healthcare, Continence Care Plant. John has extensive experience in leadership and people management in large multi-site plant operations incorporating R&D, global supply chain and shared services on-site. John’s career has predominantly supported growth strategies, compliance, restructuring and operational excellence. He has held senior positions in site leadership, operations management and quality assurance in medical device and supply chain / outsourcing over the past 25 years, notably Site Director with RR Donnelly Global Turnkey Solutions, Value Stream Manager for De Puy Johnson and Johnson and European Quality Manager with Oasis Europe. John is driven and passionate regarding innovation and operational excellence. John is a certified lean sigma Black Belt and has worked in advanced lean environments including a Shingo prize winning site. John has extensive design experience in both medical devices and automation. John’s career has focused on usability and design for manufacture and has supported product and process development and manufacture of class 2 and 3 medical devices. John holds qualifications in manufacturing engineering, quality assurance, innovation and technology management and lean supply chains.
Michelle Tierney
BSc MSc PhD
Dr. Michelle Tierney is a Co-Founder and the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of SymPhysis Medical, a medical device company focused on developing patient-centred solutions in palliative care. Michelle has over 15 years’ experience in life sciences research with a PhD in Chemistry and has worked for the global CRO ICON plc in their Medical Affairs team.
After completing the University of Galway Bioinnovate programme in 2018 alongside her Co-Founder Tim Jones, they identified an unmet clinical need relating to fluid build-up in the chest in late-stage cancer and since then have been focused on developing a user-centric, drainage device that will increase independence, improve quality of life and reduce hospitalisations for people approaching end-of-life.
Miriam Savage
BEng MSc
Miriam is an Electronic Engineer with a Master’s in BioMedical Science and over 14 years’ industry experience. Her background in connected health, medical device development and project management gives her a strong understanding of requirements for success and has been critical in driving the company forward to date. Her continued leadership and passion will steer the team to meet key milestones on the road to commercialisation.
Richard Modley
MBChB BSc
Richard graduated from Birmingham University Medical School in 2006 with a Medical Degree and BSc in Behavioural Science. After his years as a junior doctor on medical and surgical wards, he has since worked as a psychiatrist in a broad range of mental health specialties. These include general adult, child and adolescent, older persons, rehabilitation, home treatment and eating disorders psychiatry. He also has experience with different disciplines of psychological therapies. He is a CAD and 3D printing enthusiast, having learnt these skills to design, prototype and bring one of his own product inventions to market. He looks forward to combining his passions of innovation, medicine, design, technology and business as a 2017/2018 BioInnovate Fellow. He is very excited about living in Galway. Richard’s other interests include film & cinema, philosophy, anything technology related, good coffee and socialising with friends.
Stuart Deane
MSc BAI BA
Stuart graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2014 having completed a Masters in Bioengineering, Specialising in Medical Device Design. His thesis focused on the market and technical feasibility of a bioengineered decellularised xenograft for mitral valve replacement. Stuart completed his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. Within his role in Arrotek Medical as a Design Engineer he has worked on the early stage development of several medical devices including Class IIA urinary catheters and a Class III transcatheter mitral valve repair device. Stuart took the lead engineering role in this development that involved several animal trials and working directly with surgeons to improve and test a co-dependent suite of devices. Much of this work was focused on concept development, rapid prototyping and Design for Manufacture, translating user needs into design inputs. The project partners ranged from large multinationals to fledgling start-ups. He continues to consult with them securing IP developed during that time. Stuart has also been involved in late stage medical device development dealing with an Oesophageal Cancer treatment Catheter. This involved the creation of regulatory submission and manufacturing documentation. More recently Stuart has worked with Lake Region Medical Galway as an R&D Project Engineer. LRMG specialise in the development of innovative guidewire technology alongside many leading medical device companies such as Abbot, Boston Scientific and Medtronic. Stuart is looking forward to using his strong design background to develop clinical needs into concepts, prototypes and finished devices. In his spare time Stuart enjoys climbing, yoga and woodworking.
Tim Jones
BEng BSc
Tim is a BioInnovate Ireland Alumnus, with more than 20 years of industry experience in both multinationals and start-ups. Tim previously worked as a Senior Engineer at Medtronic, where he led cross-functional teams and sites. Prior to this, he was the Managing Director and founder of Practical Innovations and brought a product from concept to market. During the Bioinnovate Ireland Fellowship programme at University of Galway in 2018, Tim alongside his Co-Founder, Dr Michelle Tierney, identified an unmet clinical need relating to fluid build-up in the chest in late-stage cancer. Since then, they founded Symphysis Medical that is focused on developing a user-centric drainage device that will increase independence, improve quality of life and reduce hospitalisations for people approaching end-of-life.
Yuqi Shaughnessy
BEng MSc PhD
Yuqi has over 7 years R&D; experience in experiment design, modelling, chemical synthesis, characterisation and rapid prototyping. Yuqi qualified as a Biomaterial Scientist from University of Limerick, specialising in bone repair and bone implant, nanotechnology and microscopy. She disseminated over fifteen publications including journal papers and national and international conference papers and presentations. She was also a member of a leading physics group in Ireland – Modelling, Stimulation and Innovative Characterisation (MOSAIC) and carried out research work for BioElectricSurface FP7 with €1m investment from European Commission. Yuqi previously completed her MSc in Biomedical Science from University of Galway where she accumulated solid knowledge in cardiology, tissue engineering and bone disease and treatments. Yuqi also worked as a Design Engineer in a world leading medical device company- Creganna Medical (TE) and previous R&D; Engineer in other multinational companies. She has obtained extensive experience in minimally invasive devices from concept design phase to manufacturing, project management and customer relationship. In addition, Yuqi received a Diploma in Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations from Institute of Commercial Management, UK and a Diploma in International Trade and e-Commerce from Institute of International Trade of Ireland. With a good understanding of the Chinese Market, Yuqi was appointed as a VEC tutor for [Business Trading with China] course. Yuqi also has strong interests in Veterinary and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yuqi is passionate about transferring her knowledge to commercialisation through the Bioinnovate Programme. In her spare time Yuqi likes music, swimming, skating and hiking.
Since the completion of the BioInnovate programme Yuqi Shaughnessy is working as the Project Lead of an Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund project funded by the European Union. She and her team are developing a novel infant feeding device. The project commenced in NUIG in December 2018 and is expected to deliver a prototype device at the end of 2020. At that point a start-up company will be formed to carry the project forward towards commercialisation.
