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

Senior Research Scientist

Emily Chernich

Senior Engineer, Quality & Regulatory Affairs

Patrick Rivelli

President & CEO

Guangyu Bao

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 Chernich

Senior Engineer, Quality & Regulatory Affairs

Emily is a bioengineer with five 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.”

Malik Shaw

Laboratory Technician

Hyunwoo Yuk

Co-Founder & CTO

Yi Zheng

Senior Research Scientist

Malik Shaw

Laboratory Technician

Malik studied biochemistry at Northeastern University and completed a variety of co-ops at multiple biotech companies. After graduating, Malik has worked in regulated environments, gaining more experience and insight in the industry. Born in Bronx, NY but raised in St. Andrew, Jamaica, Malik enjoys cooking and baking; especially Jamaican food!

Malik received his BS in Biochemistry from Northeastern University in 2020 (Go Huskies!).

“Staying breezy and enjoying this life, good and bad, make it amazing!”

Hyunwoo Yuk

Co-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!”

Yi Zheng

Senior Research Scientist

Yi has more than 7 years of research experience in polymer science in both academic and industrial settings. She is passionate about doing translational research to serve an even greater community.

Yi received her BS in Biomaterials from BUCT in 2016, MS from CWRU in Macromolecular Science in 2017, and PhD from UCSD in NanoEngineering in 2022. Her work focused on interdisciplinary research on the interface of polymer science, chemistry and molecular biology.

”I am impressed by how SanaHeal converts lofty ideas into sensible products. It feels great when you are working on projects that can actually help people.”

Katy Feeny

Regulatory Affairs

Tiffini Wittwer

Regulatory Affairs

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

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.

Tiffini Wittwer

Regulatory Affairs, MedEdge Consulting (USA)

Tiffini Wittwer is owner of MedEdge Consulting (USA). She has over 25 years of experience working in clinical, regulatory, and quality affairs within the medical device industry. She has developed numerous medical devices ranging from Class I consumables and diagnostics to complex implants for treatment and diagnosis in the areas of infectious disease, cardiology/cardiac surgery, neurology, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, and emergency medicine.

Tiffini has a Masters in Public Health and has a professional certificate in Consumer Health Advocacy.

Advisors

Co-Founder & Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board

Scientific & Clinical Advisor

Business Advisor

Co-Founder & Scientific Advisor

Want to join our passionate team of innovators and scientists?

Visit our careers page to learn more.