With a passion for device innovation ignited by witnessing the emergency caesarean delivery of his first child, Mark brings 35+ years of experience in the medical device industry to CMI. In addition to roles at Proctor & Gamble and Boston Scientific, Mark previously served as the President of global medical device manufacturer Stryker's neurovascular division. In his time, the division grew to $1B+ in annual sales in 70 countries worldwide.
Born and raised in the Utah, he is a fourth-generation graduate of the U. His great-grandfather was in the university’s first class in 1850. Both his grandfather and father followed that tradition. His mother was a U of U cheerleader. His wife, Jana, (Nursing '87) is also a University of Utah alumna. The tradition continues for a fifth generation, as three of their four children have graduated from the U, while the fourth returns to the U after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Justin's passion for medical innovation was ignited as a competitor in CMI's Bench to Bedside competition in 2016. Now, with a Business Administration degree from the University of Utah and his MBA from The Wharton School's Execute Program, he propels innovation in health care. Off the clock, Justin savors high-altitude adventures, from skiing and hiking to flying- and occasionally, for the fun of it, accelerating the landing by jumping out of the plane instead.
Dillon joined the Center for Medical Innovation in 2022 as a fulltime engineer after developing medical devices for two years at Merit Medical. He is passionate about bringing great medical device ideas into functioning prototypes and has experience in CAD design, 3D printing, programming, and electronics. Dillon received both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University.
Outside of work Dillon dabbles in amateur kickboxing and making electronic music.
Serving as CMI's Admin Officer, Jenny helps keep CMI running smoothly and will likely be the first person you meet when visiting our offices. Payroll, invoicing, and event planning are all within her scope of operations, and she brings a wealth of previous experience in personnel and sales management from her time in the rental and commercial vehicle industry.
When she's not in the office, you can expect to find Jenny spending time with her husband and family at many of her daughters' extracurriculars, trying new Thai restaurants, or simply enjoying the great outdoors.
Kolja’s passion for innovation and engineering began in childhood, sparked by LEGO Technic and nurtured by his grandfather's love for physics and natural sciences. This early curiosity paved the way for a career in the MedTech industry. His work spans diverse projects in the biotech industry and humanitarian initiatives with Engineers Without Borders.
He is driven by a commitment to innovation with a purpose, aiming to make a positive global impact. He holds a degree in Neuroscience from Heidelberg University in Germany, complemented by studies at the University of Utah and Jiao-Tong University in Shanghai. Kolja has contributed to the development of multiple medical devices and, alongside his team, earned the "Best in Engineering" Award at Bench to Bedside in 2023. Since his study-abroad at the U, Kolja had a special connection to Utah, where he enjoys skiing, climbing, and road biking.
Originally from South Carolina, Amanda recently completed her master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Utah. Outside of academia, she finds joy in lacing up her running shoes and cheering on her alma matter, Clemson. Her focuses include assessing emerging technologies, student programming, and global health initiatives.
Jess is a lover of creativity and prototyping and enjoys both while working at the CMI as an Engineer and Lab Manager. With all her family working as healthcare providers, she cares about making medical devices that will improve patient’s lives as well as make healthcare professionals’ jobs better. She received both her BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on medical device design from the University of Utah. She looks forward to discussing your ideas and assisting you prototype your designs.
If she isn’t in the office, she is likely outside trail running, skiing, mountaineering, kayaking, canoeing, canyoneering, cycling, or climbing, all while listening to audiobooks and eating sweets.
Joining the team in 2019, Adam serves as the Bench to Bedside Program Manager and oversees marketing and communications for CMI. His focuses include accessible learning materials, process automation, and team building. Before CMI he spent nearly a decade in Madison, Wisconsin's vibrant start-up ecosystem, including significant time in the new product development industry. He holds dual degrees from the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in both Life Sciences Communication and Environmental Studies.
Outside the office, Adam enjoys cooking, photography, traveling abroad, and getting outdoors with his family and friends.
With an emphasis in medical devices, Huy promotes innovation and commercialization through matching the technology to the commercial need. He does this through faculty engagement, technology evaluation, market evaluation, IP management, and license development. Huy has product development experience from: needs identification, concept inception, patent submissions, prototyping, process development, process and product qualification, and launching new products to market. Huy has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a M.S. in Professional Masters of Science and Technology from the University of Utah.
Spencer Walker was educated as a Medical Device Development specialist (MSc) at Cranfield University (England/ UK) and has over 20 years of experience in the medical industry, including 10 years as a Regulatory Affairs and Quality Executive and Consultant/Advisor in the area of Medical Device Regulatory/ Quality Compliance. He joined the University's Center for Medical Innovation in 2015 as the Director of Regulatory Affairs, where he currently teaches and consults for new university/ industry based medical device start-ups.
Yash is a Dr. Julie Hansen Fellow at the Center for Medical Innovation, boasting a strong background in finance and process optimization. With over four and a half years of professional experience at notable companies such as Amazon and Goldman Sachs, Yash specializes in strategic business analysis and decision-making, crucial in guiding key business strategies. Currently advancing his education with an MBA and an MS in Finance at the University of Utah, Yash leverages his skills to support innovative projects and strategic initiatives within the medical field. Dedicated to merging finance with medical innovation, Yash offers key insights and strategies that propel advancements at the Center for Medical Innovation. He also participated in the Bench to Bedside program in 2024. Outside the office, Yash enjoys soccer, cooking, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.
A native of Salt Lake City, William is a Hansen Engineering Fellow at the CMI. After several years working as an engineer at a medical device startup, he brings valuable technical expertise as well as significant early-stage development experience. He holds both BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah, with an emphasis in biomechanics. Currently William is working towards a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, where he is developing techniques to study collagen damage in cerebral blood vessels. Outside of the lab, William enjoys reading, running, and exploring Salt Lake to find the next best place to eat.
Robert joined the CMI in 2022 after winning the Bench to Bedside (B2B) grand prize competition with his team, LERC Medical. Robert served on the B2B leadership team for several years before moving into his current role, helping support the Clinical Learning and Immersion Program. He is passionate about bringing new technologies to market. He is currently working to finish his biomedical engineering PhD at the U where he supported his research with a master’s degree focusing on medical device commercialization.
Gokul is a Year 2 MBA student at the David Eccles School of Business who comes with a background in Biotech and surgical medical devices.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Leeds, and enjoys swimming.
Bryan R. McRae, M.D., is a specialist in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery and previously served as Interim Co-Director at the Center for Medical Innovation. Along with the treatment of common conditions in adults and children (tonsillectomy, hearing loss, facial trauma repair, etc.), Dr. McRae has interests and training in a wide range of ear, nose, and throat disorders, including laryngology and vocal lesions, chronic ear disease, thyroid tumors, salivary disease, and sinus surgery. He is one of the Otolaryngology surgeons for the HHT team (Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia), a University of Utah referral center for specialized treatment of HHT, a unique genetic disorder. Research experience includes years of full-time NIH-T32 training in laryngeal reinnervation, vocal fold paralysis, artificial tracheas, and related efforts. He also participates enthusiastically in developing innovative new medical and surgical devices, including mentorship of multiple university BioDesign teams with the Bioengineering undergraduate program. Dr. McRae is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and is involved in local and national committees. He speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently and actively participates in humanitarian service, including past surgical trips to Kenya, China, and Indonesia.
Dr. McRae is a native of Bountiful, Utah, and in his free time, he enjoys many outdoor activities with his wife and family. He also enjoys piano and choral music.
View Dr. McRae's Clinical Bio from University of Utah Healthcare
Troy D’Ambrosio serves as the Executive Director of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, assistant dean at the David Eccles School of Business and holds a Presidential Chair in Entrepreneurship at the U. He previously served as the Interim Executive Director at the Center for Medical Innovation.
D’Ambrosio is co-founder, officer, and director of multiple startup companies that have attracted over $500 million in capital. He has served as the VP of investor relations and corporate communication for American Stores Company, a NYSE listed company, the director of mutual fund operations for Wasatch Advisors and deputy chief of staff to the Mayor of Salt Lake City. He graduated from the University of Utah in 1982 and was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2000, a v100 Technology Leader in 2008, Best in State Educational Administrator in 2009 and received the 2014 Governor’s Medal for Excellence in Science and Technology.
Dr. Kai Kuck, PhD, serves as a professor with the Dept. of Anesthesiology at the University of Utah and as the Director of Bioengineering.
Research Statement:
Throughout my work, I have been involved in the research and development of innovative medical technologies with a focus on anesthesia and critical care. My areas of focus include cardiorespiratory monitoring, intelligent decision support, and ventilation.
My experience covers the whole range from hands-on engineering for hardware, software, algorithm, and graphical user interface development all the way to managing projects, programs, and large teams of researchers. In my last position I oversaw the research of Dräger, the global market leader in anesthesia equipment and critical care ventilation, Since 2014, in my role as Director of Bioengineering at the University of Utah's Department of Anesthesiology, I have the privilege of working closely with clinicians and learning about real-world needs and opportunities for technologies.
Because transforming healthcare increasingly involves innovations at the system and workflow level, this collaborative approach is essential to creating technologies that address real needs in the clinic.
Dr. Austin Johnson is an assistant professor at the University of Utah, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Surgery. Dr. Johnson practices at the University of Utah Hospital where he teaches medical students, residents, and pre-medical students. Dr. Johnson runs a translational research laboratory with a focus on developing advanced resuscitation techniques for stroke, cardiac arrest, and trauma.
Education
Graduate Training
Clinical Research - University of California, Davis - M.A.S.
NHLBI K Scholar - UC Davis Medical Center Research Fellow
Residency
Emergency Medicine - Denver Health Medical Center - Resident
Neuroscience - University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health - Ph.D.
Medicine - University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health- M.D.
Biology - Oberlin College - B.A.
Alexander W. Pastuszak, MD, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Surgery - Urology in the Department of Surgery at The University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Pastuszak specializes in the treatment of male infertility, as well as both male and female sexual dysfunction. His clinical and basic science research focuses on men’s health, with his laboratory investigating the genetic factors that cause male infertility and Peyronie’s disease.
He has received numerous other awards for his work, has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles and numerous book chapters on men’s reproductive and sexual health, and he is editor of the textbook entitled Management of Sexual Dysfunction in Men and Women: An Interdisciplinary Approach. He is also an entrepreneur, having founded a medical communications company, Woven Health, which focuses on optimizing patient care team collaboration and efficiency using mobile technologies.
Education:
Fellowship - Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery: Baylor College of Medicine
Residency - Urology: Baylor College of Medicine
General Surgery Internship - Baylor College of Medicine
Ph.D - University of California, San Francisco
M.D. - University of California, San Francisco
Yale University: B.S. - Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Dr. Petelenz is a Research Associate Professor with the Biomedical Engineering Dept at the University of Utah. His work focuses on the multidisplinary nature of medical device development, including device design, regulatory compliance, and clinical implementation. He is currently the co-PI for the National Science Foundation's I-Corps program at the University of Utah, and additionally he provides guidance to Bench to Bedside teams.
Professor Petelenz teaches the BioDesign, BioInnovate and Regulatory Affairs for BioEngineers courses.
Research Interests:
Medical device design, bioinstrumentation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, minimally-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic systems, medical sensors, RF and wireless sensors and systems, drug delivery systems, prosthetic devices with neural control, FDA Regulatory Affairs with focus on medical device design control.
Education:
MS Applied Physics / Microelectronics, Silesian University of Technology
PhD Bioengineering, University of Utah
Tyson C. Schwab, MD, MS, attended the University of Utah School of Medicine and trained in Family Medicine at Intermountain Healthcare where he served as Chief Resident. He has completed additional graduate education and training in bioengineering at the University of Utah.
In 2021, Dr. Schwab joined the University of Utah School of Medicine Faculty. His clinical responsibilities at the University of Utah primarily include the Neurobehavioral HOME program, where he serves as Associate Medical Director. He continues to supervise and mentor medical students, PA students and resident physicians at the Madsen, Sugarhouse and Centerville clinics. Dr. Schwab serves as a faculty lead in the Clinical Method Curriculum (CMC) Course. He also serves as a faculty mentor at the Center for Medical Innovation. His bioengineering interests includes non-invasive wearables and biomechanic ergonomics.
As a health policy enthusiast, Dr. Schwab serves as a delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) where he advocates for improved medical education and quality health care on a national level. He is the proud recipient of the AMA National Advocacy Scholar Award and the AMA Excellence in Medicine Leadership Award.
Dr. Schwab's medical interests include primary care, medical education, innovation, technology, rural medicine, underserved medicine, and quality improvement. Dr. Schwab grew up in Bountiful, Utah. He and his wife have three kids. He enjoys international traveling, college football (Go Utes), everything Disney, making sushi, and spending time with his family.
View Dr. Schwab's Clinical Profile from University of Utah Healthcare
Daniel J. York, MD, is an Assistant Professor (Clinical) with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah. His interests include PICU monitoring devices and advanced imaging tools supported by machine learning.
Education:
Fellowship - Neonatal-Perinatal medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Residency - Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
MD - Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
BA - Biology with Biochemistry Conenctration, College of the Holy Cross
Amy Rees Anderson is the Founder and Managing Partner of REES Capital, an Angel Investing Firm. Amy is also an author and serves as a weekly contributor to Forbes and the Huffington Post. She is currently serving on 13 Boards.
Prior to founding REES Capital, Amy was the CEO of MediConnect Global, a company she grew and sold in 2012 for over $377 million.
After selling MediConnect, she founded the IPOP Foundation, a charity focused on promoting entrepreneurship as a pathway to self-reliance.
Amy has been the recipient of a number of awards, which include being named CEO of the Year and receiving the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Inc Magazine, Businessweek and many other national publications as a result of her many accomplishments, and in 2015 Amy received an honorary PhD.
Dr. Gregory Critchfield received a Bachelor’s Degree in Microbiology from Brigham Young University in 1976, an MD degree from the University of Utah in 1980, and a master’s degree in Biophysical Sciences at the University of Minnesota in 1985. He served as a reviewer and study section chair for the NIH for 15 years in biomedical computing programs for SBIR, STTR and R01 programs. His research spans a number of areas in laboratory medicine, with recent work in clinical genetics and proteomics. He has served on the medical school faculty of the University of Minnesota, Wayne State University and Duke University. He served as Chief Medical and Science Officer of Quest Diagnostics from 1995-1998. He joined Myriad Genetics, Inc. in 1998, where he was President of its diagnostic subsidiary, Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. until 2010, where he built Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. into one of world’s leading molecular diagnostic companies. He chaired the Governor’s State Advisory Council on Science and Technology for the state of Utah in 2007. He has served and is serving as an independent director in industry association and various life science companies developing breakthrough diagnostic technologies and tests. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Sera Prognostics, Inc., a women’s health company focusing on preterm birth diagnostics, where the company has raised more than $85M in venture funding since 2011. He also serves as a Trustee of Bear Lake Watch.
Gary L. Crocker is the Managing Director of Crocker Ventures, LLC, a privately held life science and high technology investment firm. Since 2004 he has also served as Chairman of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, a personalized oncology drug development firm. He has held senior executive or board director level positions in several prominent life science and technology firms, including: Chairman of ARUP Laboratories; director of Interleukin Genetics, and LineaGen Genetics; co-founder and director of Theratech Pharma (acquired by Watson Pharmaceuticals in 1999), and Vice President of Marketing for the Critical Care Products Division of Abbott Laboratories. He is currently the Chairman and sole investor in three orthopedic medical device firms, Nexus CMF, LLC, Nexus Spine, LLC and Nexus, TDR Inc (an artificial back disc firm).
In 1983, Crocker founded Research Medical, and was the Chairman and CEO of this publicly held manufacturer and marketer of specialty open heart surgery catheters until the sale of the firm to Baxter International’s Edwards Laboratories division in 1997 for $236 million, at that time the largest medical device merger in state history. He has been selected twice as Utah Entrepreneur of the Year by both Ernst and Young and the MountainWest Capital Network. He earned his MBA and also graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University.
In October 2018, Kelvyn H. Cullimore Jr. was named President and CEO of BioUtah, the state trade association for life sciencecompanies. Prior to his role with BioUtah he was for 25 years the President & CEO of Dynatronics Corporation, a leading manufacturer of physical therapy devices and products with an international reach. Dynatronics is a publicly traded, Cottonwood Heights, Utah based company originally founded by Mr. Cullimore and his father in 1979. He continues to serve as a Director of Dynatronics. From 2003 to 2016, Mr. Cullimore served on the board of directors of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association headquartered in Washington, D.C. He is a past Trustee of the Utah Technology Council an industry association which at the time included life science and high‐tech companies. Mr. Cullimore also serves as a board advisor for ITEC Attractions, an entertainment company with operations in Branson, Mo. In addition to his professional career, Mr. Cullimore was elected the first Mayor of Cottonwood Heights in November, 2004 and served in that capacity until January 2018. As Mayor, Mr. Cullimore was a member of the board of the largest fire agency in Utah, the Unified Fire Authority, serving as the chairman of its finance committee. He also served on numerous other County and State committees. Mayor Cullimore was a recipient of the Best of State Award in 2008 as the Best Elected Official. He graduated cum laude from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a degree in Financial and Estate Planning. Kelvyn and his wife, Laurie Lyn Cullimore, are the parents of five children and have twelve grandchildren.
Shawn Fojtik is co-founder of Distal Access, Control Medical, CIRCA Scientific, Pinyons, and others with sales, training, and marketing experience at GE Medical, Boston Scientific, and Black & Decker.
His experience includes devices for cardiology, interventional radiology & oncology, electrophysiology, surgery, enteral feeding, and other procedures and has closed transactions with Boston Scientific, Covidien, Mallinckrodt, Medtronic, Merit Medical, Teleflex, and others.
Control Medical’s award-winning patented platform is used to remove blood clots during acute myocardial infarction (AMI), peripheral vascular disease, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and ischemic stroke. Control has one of the largest FDA cleared platforms in the United States and has been used in 10,000+ procedures.
Shawn has 50+ combined issued and pending global patents; has been a speaker/ author/contributor/research contributor at Heart Rhythm Society, Cardiovascular Research Technologies, and other conferences; and has a BS from the University of Illinois and a MA from Harvard University.
Gabrielle Daines Gay is Director of Emerging Markets Strategy and Philanthropy at Kensington Capital Holdings, a single-family office based in Boston, Massachusetts. Gabrielle received an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France and a B.S. in Economics from Utah State University.
In her role at Kensington Capital, Gabrielle manages initiatives and investments in emerging markets, with emphasis in West Africa. She acts as COO and chief strategist of Ensign College of Public Health, Kpong, Ghana – working to develop sustainable, innovative, impact-driven solutions to advance healthcare in the region. Gabrielle also advises Kensington Capital on philanthropic opportunities and manages partnerships.
Prior to joining Kensington Capital, Gabrielle worked at Gap Inc., a leading global specialty retailer, located in San Francisco, California. She was a manager in the Growth, Innovation and Digital (GID) Strategy Division. In her role, she analyzed retail and digital industry intelligence with a focus on new products, new markets and alternative business models. Gabrielle was also part of the GID team that conducted detailed due diligence on acquisition candidates and conducted all Gap Inc. acquisitions.
Dr. Julie Hansen graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree. She practiced as a registered nurse for approximately 20 years at St. Mark’s hospital and specialized in women’s health, including high-risk pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal complications.
Throughout her nursing career, Dr. Hansen has been an advocate for women’s health and healthcare education. In 2007, she began her career in nursing education at Ameritech College of Healthcare and held several positions including Nursing Program Director and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Hansen was instrumental in gaining the nursing program’s initial accreditation from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
Recognizing the importance of lifelong learning, Dr. Hansen completed both a Master’s Degree in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She has developed several nursing curricula with a focus on holism and she continues to teach and promote holistic nursing concepts in her practice. She is board certified by the American Holistic Nurses Association as an Advanced Holistic Nurse. Dr. Hansen believes wholeheartedly that the focus on health and healing must embrace healing the whole person as its goal. According to Dr. Hansen, “Advancing the concept of holism in healthcare will translate to an empowered workforce that provides person-centered care, embraces wholeness, and enacts a paradigm-shift to a healthier world.”
Dr. Patel is the co-founder and managing director of Aqua Recycling Group (2017) and founder and managing director of Patel Family Investments (2014) and co-founded vSpring Capital ($400 million under management) in 2000 and has been a founding managing director till October 2014.
He serves on several non-profit boards, and has won numerous awards including; 2013 Willem J Kolff Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2011 Father of the Year, 2010 Utah Youth Village Helping Hand Award, 2006 Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame Inductee, 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, US Small Business Administration’s Business Achiever Award, Scientific and Technology Award (State of Utah), Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Mountain West Venture Group) and Scientific and Technology Development Pioneer of Progress Award to name a few. He is also a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).
Steve Peterson is the General Partner and Portfolio Manager of Millrock Capital and Millrock Development, founded in 2001. Millrock is a value investor and developer in long term real estate investments. Prior to co-founding Millrock, Mr. Peterson founded American International Systems (A.I. Systems) a software developer and leading technology systems integrator, and client service centers. He sold the business in 2001 to a public company, RAND Worldwide, www.rand.com, one of the world’s leading providers of professional services and technology to the engineering community.
Mr. Peterson received a BS in Administrative Systems, Management and Operations from the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at USU. Mr. Peterson is an Entrepreneurial Founders Board Member at USU School of Business and serves as a Board Member of the Center for Medical Innovation at the University of Utah. In addition, Mr. Peterson is actively investing in new business startups that involve innovative ideas that tackle important business issues.
Wm. Dean Wallace, obtained an MD and PhD from the University of Utah, then founded several medical companies that grew and were successfully sold to larger companies. He recently started a new company, Liger Medical LLC. (www.curemedicalglobal.com), which focuses on treating pre‐cancerous lesions of the cervix with the hope to eradicate cervical cancer world-wide.
He was previously the President, CEO, of Clinical Innovations, Inc., Murray, and Utah Medical Products, Inc., a clinical assistant professor at the University of Utah, and is listed as inventor on over 20 medical patents related to women’s healthcare medical devices. He is happily married, and the father of four children and 12 wonderful grandchildren.