Our Team + Advisors

We are a small, but mighty team of engineers and scientists working hard to develop next generation bioadhesive technologies that will solve some of the world’s toughest health problems. We love all things science, are continually inspired by nature, and are driven by our desire to find new and unique solutions to challenging issues we all face. Together, we’ve built a diverse team of like-minded individuals who are united in our shared goal to make the world a better place for us all.

Our Company

SanaHeal was founded by a cross-disciplinary team of dedicated scientists, engineers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs who are focused on creating solutions to long-standing challenges in healthcare. We are people-centric, science-forward, and hyper-focused always on supporting our employees, partners, and customers in the best way possible. As we apply our unique bioadhesive platform to a rapidly expanding list of indications and cross-industry settings, we are excited about the promising future of SanaHeal.

SCIENCE + NATURE + INNOVATION

Our Team

Guangyu Bao, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

Emily Sexton

Senior Program Manager

Patrick Rivelli

President & CEO

Guangyu Bao, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

Guangyu has more than six years of research experience in materials and mechanics. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles related to the fabrication, integration, and applications of biomaterials. He is passionate about using soft materials to solve hard healthcare challenges.

Guangyu received his PhD from McGill University in Mechanical Engineering in 2022, where his work focused on bioadhesives, tissue regeneration, and hemostatic technology.

“I enjoy SanaHeal’s vision of using science and technology to make life better.”

Emily Sexton

Senior Program Manager

Emily is a bioengineer with over 7 years of experience in research and development of medical devices. She is dedicated to bringing meaningful medical device solutions to market and strengthening SanaHeal’s connection to our community. She also leads SanaHeal’s College co-op program and outreach initiatives.

Emily received a BS in Bioengineering from Northeastern University in 2019 and became a Certified Associate Project Manager in 2022.

“The culture of our company is very important to me. I want SanaHeal to be as inclusive, uplifting, and supportive as possible to our team and our community!”

Patrick Rivelli

President & CEO

Patrick is an experienced medical device entrepreneur and angel investor with over 30 years in start-ups. He is committed to helping patients by commercializing innovative medical technologies.

Patrick has a BA from Harvard and a MS in Management from MIT. He has been the founder and CEO of several venture-backed device companies, including Smart Therapeutics, Bioabsorbable Therapeutics, and Sonogenix. He is also Director of the Biotech / Life Sciences group at MIT Angels.

“I am excited to try to make a difference for patients by advancing the SanaHeal technologies to commercialization.”

Hyunwoo Yuk, Ph.D.

Founder & CTO

Reagan Draper, M.S.

R&D Engineer

Katy Feeny

Regulatory Affairs

Hyunwoo Yuk, Ph.D.

Founder & CTO

Hyunwoo is a prolific researcher with focuses on inventing, developing, and translating soft material technologies to solve challenges in human health. He is enthusiastic about not only inventing new technologies, but also bringing them to the real world via commercialization.

Hyunwoo received his BS from KAIST in 2014 and MS and PhD from MIT in 2016 and 2021 all in Mechanical Engineering. He has published over 45 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 20 pending/issued patents with over 10,000 citations.

“Beyond publishing academic papers, the collaborative teamwork at SanaHeal to bring nascent technologies to the real world has been truly fulfilling as a scientist and engineer!”

Reagan Draper, M.S.

R&D Engineer

Reagan is a bioengineer with experience in new product research and development in a wide range of medical device applications. She is passionate about innovating at the intersection of technology and science to address current limitations in the medical field.

Reagan received both her BS ’24 and MS ’25 in Bioengineering with a concentration in Medical Devices from Northeastern University.

Katy Feeny

Regulatory Affairs, MedEdge Consulting (USA)

Katy Feeny is a biomedical engineer with over 15 years of experience working in clinical, regulatory, and quality affairs within the medical device industry from design and concept to commercialization. She is driven to advance medical devices to improve patient care and quality of life.

Katy has a BS in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toledo.

Ryan Foss

Senior Design Quality Engineer

Evan D'Agostino, M.S.

Senior R&D Engineer

Jongcheon Lim, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

Ryan Foss

Senior Design Quality Engineer

Ryan Foss is a Design Quality Engineer specializing in full-lifecycle design controls for medical devices and quality management system development. Proficient in US and international regulations 21 CFR Part 820, MDR, EN ISO 13485 Quality Management System, ISO 14971 Risk Management. He holds a certification for internal auditing per ISO 13485.

Ryan graduated from The University of Tennessee in 2014 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. There he concentrated on studying material science.

Evan D'Agostino, M.S.

Senior R&D Engineer

Evan is a bioengineer with five years of experience across a wide scope of disciplines including research and development of medical devices. Through industrial experience and academia, he has developed an interest in biomaterials. He is committed to designing materials that can be used to overcome current medical limitations.

Evan received his BS in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Material Science Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 2021 and his MS in Bioengineering at Northeastern University in 2024.

Jongcheon Lim, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

Jongcheon has more than seven years of research experience in translational biomedical engineering projects. He has co-authored 16 peer-reviewed journal articles related to implantable/wearable biomedical devices and materials. He is motivated in bringing innovative biomedical technologies from the lab to the market.

Jongcheon received his BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Yonsei University in 2015, MS in Bio and Brain Engineering from KAIST in 2017 and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University in 2023.

Can you see yourself working on our team? Check out our careers page.

Advisors

Scientific Co-Founder

Scientific Advisor

Business Advisor

Scientific Co-Founder

Want to join our passionate team of innovators and scientists?

Visit our careers page to learn more.