Dr. Fırat Güder -  Co-founder

Fırat Güder received his BSc (first class) from the University of New Brunswick, Canada in Computer Engineering. He studied Microsystems Engineering (MSc) at Furtwangen University, Germany and KU Leuven / IMEC, Belgium. Firat completed his PhD with summa cum laude at the University of Freiburg, Germany under the supervision of Prof. Margit Zacharias. His research primarily involved investigation of nanostructural transformations by atomic layer deposition, unconventional methods for photolithography and patterning, synthesis of nanomaterials and design and fabrication of sensors and actuators. In 2013, Firat was awarded the prestigious German Research Foundation’s International Research Fellowship to carry out research in the group of Prof. George Whitesides at Harvard University. Firat’s current research focuses on  paper-based sensors and actuators and density based methods for seed sorting. In 2016, Firat started as an assistant professor/lecturer in the biomedical engineering department at Imperial College London.

Dr. Alar Ainla  -  Co-founder

Alar Ainla received his BSc cum laude in applied physics with minor in information technology from University of Tartu in Estonia. He studied organic and polymer chemistry in Uppsala University and received MSc in nanoscience and technology from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, followed by PhD in chemistry from the same university under guidance of Prof. Owe Orwar. During the graduate studies he was focused on development of microfluidic technologies for biosciences, particularly for single-cell research, cell physiology and membrane biophysics. He invented a liquid handling technology (Multifunctional Pipette) and participated in its commercialization in Swedish company Fluicell AB, which he is a co-founder and CSO. Currently Alar is Swedish Research Council postdoctoral fellow in Prof. George M. Whitesides research group in Harvard University, where his main research focus is on new types of paper-based devices and technologies.

Dr. Bobak Mosadegh  -  Co-founder

Bobak Mosadegh received his B.S. and M.S. in biomedical engineering from the University of California, Irvine.  He performed undergraduate and graduate level research in Professor Noo Li Jeon’s lab, working on gradient generating microfluidic devices. Dr. Mosadegh received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor while working in the lab of Shuichi Takayama.  His research involved the development of microfluidic integrated circuits and various cell patterning methods using aqueous two-phase systems and microfluidic devices.  Under the guidance of George M. Whitesides, Dr. Mosadegh performed his postdoctoral training at Harvard University and the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering.  His research focused on developing two technologies, i) a 3D paper-based cell culture system for the study of ischemic gradients on cancer cells and cardiomyocytes, and ii) actuators and control systems for soft robotics. Dr. Mosadegh started as an Assistant Professor in the department of Radiology, at Weill Cornell Medical College, in Nov. of 2014. He also serves as a member of the Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging.