Imec bioconvergence forum: specialty silicon driving deeptech in life sciences & medtech
March 26, 2026 | Cambridge, USA
Join us in Cambridge, MA, in the heart of a leading life sciences and medtech ecosystem, to hear perspectives from global industry leaders including MilliporeSigma, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Lonza, alongside pioneering innovators such as Nabsys, Neuralenz, and Axoft, as well as venture contributors including M Ventures, Danaher Ventures, and Engine Ventures, reflecting the full innovation ecosystem — from technology development to investment and scale-up.
Bioconvergence is reshaping life sciences and medtech by combining advanced silicon technologies with biology, chemistry, and clinical insight. This integration enables the development of diagnostic, therapeutic, and research tools that are faster, more sensitive, and manufacturable at scale.
Wafer-scale chip processing technologies, and (post-CMOS-processed) specialty features such as integrated photonics, microfluidics, and nanopores, are key to creating innovative life science tools—high-throughput, fast, sensitive, and mass-producible. Imec offers a state-of-the-art, flexible fab infrastructure and the expertise to translate ideas into reliable, manufacturable products.
The forum will feature perspectives from across the life sciences and medtech, highlighting how bioconvergent technologies—such as microphysiological systems (MPS)—are advancing from research toward translational and industrial contexts, and how insights into the human nervous system are enabling new frontiers in therapy and health monitoring.
Why attend
This full-day forum, followed by a networking reception, will showcase how imec’s capabilities in semiconductor technologies and material platforms support life sciences and medtech innovation.
You will:
- Explore how imec collaborates with life sciences companies, medtech innovators, founders and other partners to solve complex technical challenges.
- See how silicon, integrated photonics, microfluidics, and nanopores are applied in the development of high-throughput, sensitive, and mass-producible tools.
- Learn how imec’s infrastructure and expertise accelerate the path from proof-of-concept to clinically and commercially viable products.
- Understand how deeptech execution risk is reduced by combining production-scale R&D infrastructure, capital, and technical expertise - through investor perspectives on timelines, costs, and infrastructure decisions from prototype to production.
The forum brings together technology developers, life sciences and medtech organizations, pharmaceutical partners, and investors to explore the practical applications of specialty silicon.
Agenda
10:00 - Registration & coffee
10:30 - Welcome and opening remarks by Pawan Jolly, Heading Strategic Partnerships within Health in East Coast at imec
10:40 - Imec as the bioconvergence engine by Paru Deshpande, VP R&D - Health Technologies at imec
11:00 - Industrial keynote by Barrett Bready, Founder & CEO at Nabsys
11:25 - Disrupting bio with specialty silicon by Joost Dirven, Senior Business Development Manager at imec
11:45 - Interfacing with imec and how it fits with your product development by Pawan Jolly, Heading Strategic Partnerships within Health in East Coast at imec
12:00 - Networking lunch
Panels & deep dives
13:00 - Manufacturing biology with smart silicon
- Intro by CSEM and imec:
Multiparametric sensing technology meets automation- Tom Valentin, Group Leader - Automated Sample Handling at CSEM
- Pawan Jolly, Heading Strategic Partnerships - Health (East Coast) at imec
- Panel:
Moderated by Hemanth Kaligotla, Director - External Innovation at Lonza- Carrie Mason, Director, Integrated Biologics R&D Group at Lonza
- Tom Valentin, Group Leader - Automated Sample Handling at CSEM
- Moira Lynch, Director, Innovation and Technology Integration at Thermo Fischer Scientific
- Sean Muthian, Chief Science Officer for Hardware Solutions at Cytiva
13:45 - Human biology on chip: the next big thing in personalised medicine
- Intro by imec:
Semiconductor-enabled, data-powered MPS platform - from isolated lab prototypes to globally adopted, scalable products- Sneha, Portfolio Manager in Life Sciences at imec
- Sneha, Portfolio Manager in Life Sciences at imec
- Panel:
Moderated by Paru Deshpande, VP R&D - Health Technologies at imec- Sarah Tao, Head of Search & Evaluation, Technology Platforms within Global Business Development & Licensing at Sanofi
- Will Kools, Head of Technology Pioneering Group at MilliporeSigma
- Gianluca Etienne, Principal Scientist at Novartis
- Rachelle Prantil Baun, Principal Scientist at Novo Nordisk
14:30 - Coffee break
15:00 - Navigating the layers of neurotechnology: redefining our relationship with the brain
- Intro by Feinstein and imec:
From Neuropixels to neuromodulation- Stavros Zanos, Associate Professor, Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
- Carolina Mora Lopez, Scientific Director at imec
- Panel:
Moderated by Michiel Twisk, Sr Business Development at imec- Stavros Zanos, Associate Professor, Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
- Paul Le Floch, CEO at Axoft
- Oybek Kholiqov, Founder & CEO at Neuralenz
- Simon Little, Associate Professor of Neurology at UCSF Medical Center
15:45 - Fireside chat
- Tom Ruby, Strategic Operations at Flagship Pioneering
- Rocco Stirparo, Venture Development Manager – Health at imec
16:00 - Venture track: from capital risk to technical conviction
- Panel:
Moderated by Rocco Stirparo, Venture Development Manager – Health at imec- Madeleine Laitz, Principal at Engine Ventures
- Isabel Klein, Principal at M Ventures
- Alex de Winter, VP of New Ventures at Danaher Ventures
- Jonathan Fajardo Cortes, Principal at imec.xpand
16:45 - Closing & networking reception
18:30 - End
Speakers
Pawan Jolly, Strategic Partnerships – Health (East Coast), imec
Pawan Jolly heads the strategic partnerships for health on the East Coast at imec, where he builds high-impact collaborations across life sciences and medtech. Previously, he held scientific leadership and commercialization roles at the Wyss Institute at Harvard, leading sensor technology development and transfer, and has since advised organizations on strategy, M&A, and technology development. He is also the co-founder of Statadx, a diagnostics startup focused on neurological diseases. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath and a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences.
Paru Deshpande - VP R&D - Health Technologies, imec
Paru Deshpande completed his PhD at Princeton University in the area of polymer self-assembly for lithography. After completing his studies, he joined BioNano Genomics, a US life sciences startup company, as part of the founding scientific team. He led projects in single molecule DNA detection and instrument and assay development. In 2012, he joined imec as Director of the Life Sciences Technologies department. He is now Vice President of R&D for Health Technologies at imec and oversees groups working on sensor and therapeutic platforms for genomics, proteomics, in-vitro models, neurotech, biomanufacturing, and minimally invasive devices.
Barrett Bready, Founder & CEO, Nabsys
Barrett Bready is Founder and CEO of Nabsys, serving in the role since 2005. He grew the company from a single employee to 50 and raised over $50 million in venture financing. He is Adjunct Professor at Brown University, where he teaches Biotechnology Management, and serves as a commissioner of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission. He holds an MD and ScB in Physics from Brown University.
Joost Dirven, Senior Business Development Manager, imec
Joost Dirven is Senior Business Development Manager at imec, based in Leuven, Belgium. He works within imec’s business development and strategy organization, focusing on building and growing strategic industry partnerships, particularly in health-related technology domains. He operates at the interface of advanced research, industry collaboration, and commercialization, helping translate cutting-edge R&D into sustainable, long-term partnerships across the semiconductor and high-tech ecosystem.
Tom Valentin, Group Leader - Automated Sample Handling, CSEM
Tom Valentin leads the Automated Sample Handling group within the Tools for Life Sciences team at CSEM in Switzerland. His group integrates PAT and other sensing technologies into novel consumables (pipette tips, transwells, well plates, lids) and lab automation solutions, including microfluidic and robotic platforms. His work spans applications in bioprocessing, cell and gene therapy, NAMs (organoids and organs-on-chips), regenerative medicine, and diagnostics.
Hemanth Kaligotla, Director of External Innovation, Lonza
Hemanth Kaligotla is Director of External Innovation at Lonza Biopharma, where he leads the identification, strategic planning, and implementation of technology initiatives aligned with the company’s overall business strategy. He has over 18 years of experience in biomanufacturing and commercial business development within the biopharma industry. Previously, he held multiple leadership roles at Sartorius, including Regional Head of the Chromatography Applications organization, where he oversaw commercial technology implementation, contributed to strategic marketing, and led launch strategies for regional product releases. He has also successfully commercialized biologics and led technology transfers at Shire Biopharma.
Carrie Mason, Director, Integrated Biologics R&D Group, Lonza
Carrie Mason is Director in the Lonza Integrated Biologics R&D Group and heads a multidisciplinary center of excellence focused on Process Analytical Technologies and automation. She has nearly 30 years of industrial experience in purification development, analytical methodologies, and clinical and commercial biomanufacturing. She has supported process technology transfer from lab scale to large-scale manufacturing and led the rollout of Raman modeling with automation offerings for CDMO clients.
Moira Lynch, Director, Innovation and Technology Integration, Thermo Fischer Scientific
Moira Lynch is a Director of Innovation and Strategic Projects for Bioproduction at Thermo Fisher Scientific. In this role, Moira is responsible for accelerating the adoption of technologies aimed at supporting biomanufacturing customers, focusing on Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) and Digital Integration initiatives through internal and external collaborations. Moira also serves as an L2 representative for multiple BioPhorum Phorums and is an active sponsor for the In-line Monitoring and Real-time Release proof-of-concept workstreams. Previously, Moira led technical teams responsible for purification resin development, expanding the portfolio of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s signature POROSTM chromatography products. Moira has been with Thermo Fisher Scientific for 12 years and has over 25 years of industry experience evaluating, using and developing cutting edge technologies.
Sean Muthian, Chief Science Officer for Hardware Solutions, Cytiva
Sean is Chief Science Officer for Hardware Solutions at Cytiva. Passionate about scientific advances that enable future medicine development, he focuses on driving specific customer value propositions in Cytiva’s technological response and strengthening long-term partnerships with key customers. He also works to deepen relationships with stakeholders in the startup biotech ecosystem. Before joining Cytiva, he was Executive Director, Business Analytics and External Innovations at RA Capital Management, a Boston-based life sciences venture and hedge fund, where he led in-depth analysis of large pharma R&D portfolio strategies and commercial assessments of portfolio holdings to support investment decisions. Previously, Sean served as Associate Vice President, Research & External Science Innovations at Allergan, with responsibilities including Scientific BD Leader, Biomarkers and Combination Drug Strategy Leader, and Research Project Leader. In 2013, he joined the Sigma-Aldrich group as Director, Global Strategic Marketing & Collaborations for the Research Business, following many years at Pfizer in various R&D and External Innovation roles Sean strongly believes that scientific and technological advances can positively impact humanity by addressing critical issues in healthcare, education, inequality, and poverty. He earned a Ph.D. in Pharmacology & Toxicology from the Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee, WI), an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO), and a BS in Mathematics from Beloit College (Beloit, WI).
Sneha, Portfolio Manager Life Sciences, imec
Sneha is Portfolio Manager Life Sciences at imec, where she is responsible for shaping and prioritizing investments across technology building blocks and aligning internal R&D with external market and ecosystem needs. She joined imec in 2018 and has focused on the development of sensors for aqueous media within the Internet of Things domain, working on characterization and real-life validation across the journey from lab to field. In her current role, she works with pharmaceutical, biotech, and ecosystem partners to translate deep-tech innovations into scalable, fit-for-purpose solutions, with a focus on integrating sensors, data, and hardware into complex biological models including microphysiological systems.
Sarah Tao, Head of Search & Evaluation, Technology Platforms within Global Business Development & Licensing, Sanofi
Sarah Tao, PhD, is the Head of Search & Evaluation, Technology Platforms within Global Business Development & Licensing at Sanofi. In this role, she is responsible for identifying and evaluating external technologies that align with Sanofi’s strategies for its therapeutic modalities. Dr. Tao joined Sanofi in 2017 as Technology Lead for Biologics Research with successive roles in Research before shifting to Business Development in 2021. Prior to Sanofi, Dr. Tao was a Senior Manager of New Technologies at CooperVision leading external research programs, and was a Senior Member of the Technical Staff in the MEMS Design Group at Draper Laboratory. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University with a research focus on microfabricated devices for drug delivery, and has received numerous accolades for her contributions to the field of drug delivery, including the Controlled Release Society Grand Prize.
Will Kools, Head of Technology Pioneering Group, MilliporeSigma
As part of the Corporate Technology Office, Will Kools leads open innovation activities for MilliporeSigma. After creating two major R&D platforms, he spent 12 years in the commercial organization leading global regional marketing and engineering support for customers. More recently, he has developed new business opportunities in AI-enabled drug discovery and 3D cell culture technologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Twente and master’s degrees in Chemistry and Physics from KU Leuven.
Gianluca Etienne, Principal Scientist, Novartis
Gianluca Etienne is a Principal Scientist at Novartis Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he leads innovation within the High Throughput Biology group. He focuses on identifying, scaling, and operationalizing cutting-edge technologies that accelerate preclinical drug discovery and improve the translatability of early research. His work integrates complex biological systems with high-throughput approaches, with expertise spanning microphysiological systems, phenotypic screening platforms, organ-on-a-chip models, and microelectrode arrays. He holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from EPFL and a Master’s degree from ETH Zurich, and was a Novartis Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow.
Rachelle Prantil Baun, Principal Scientist, Novo Nordisk
Rachelle Prantil-Baun is a Principal Scientist at Novo Nordisk specializing in innovative in vitro cell model systems for metabolic and liver disease therapeutics. With 18 years of drug discovery experience, she has led cross-functional teams developing complex cellular models to study the lung for upper respiratory disease, COPD, and cystic fibrosis, women’s health for identifying pro-biotic therapies, and, more recently, for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and liver disease. Dr. Prantil-Baun's work integrates target discovery platforms with computational biology and quantitative systems pharmacology to predict clinical outcomes.
Michiel Twisk, Sr. Business Development, imec
Michiel Twisk is Senior Business Development Manager at imec, based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. He works within imec’s business development and strategy organization, focusing on building and growing strategic industry partnerships, particularly in Neurotech-related technology domains. He operates at the interface of advanced research, industry collaboration, and commercialization, helping translate cutting-edge R&D into sustainable, long-term partnerships across the semiconductor and high-tech ecosystem.
Stavros Zanos, Associate Professor, Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research
Stavros Zanos is Associate Professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and a physician-scientist specializing in cardiovascular medicine, neuromodulation, and neuroimmunology. His work spans preclinical and early-stage clinical research in translational medicine.
Carolina Mora Lopez, Scientific Director, imec
Carolina Mora Lopez is Scientific Director and Team Leader of the Circuits for Neural Interfaces team at imec. She leads research in analog and mixed-signal circuit design for sensors, bioelectronics, and neural interface applications. She received her PhD in Electrical Engineering from KU Leuven in 2012, in collaboration with imec. From 2012 to 2018, she worked as a Researcher and Analog Designer at imec focused on interfaces for neural-sensing applications. She is an IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Distinguished Lecturer and serves on the Technical Program Committees of the VLSI Circuits Symposium, ISSCC, and ESSCIRC conferences.
Paul Le Floch, CEO, Axoft
Paul Le Floch obtained his Ph.D. in Materials Sciences and Mechanical Engineering from Harvard University in 2022 and master’s degrees from Mines Paris and ESPCI Paris. He is a Gold winner of the Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award for his work on soft neural interfaces and was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Science category. He is Co-Founder and CEO at Axoft, an early-stage technology start-up developing ultrasoft, high-resolution and chronically stable neural electrodes for brain-computer interfaces.
Simon Little, Associate Professor of Neurology, UCSF Medical Center
Simon Little, MD, PhD is Associate Professor of Neurology at UCSF, specializing in movement disorders and neuromodulation. During his Wellcome Trust PhD at Oxford, he developed the first adaptive deep brain stimulation algorithm for Parkinson’s disease, now FDA-approved. His lab develops personalized closed-loop brain stimulation therapies for movement, mood, and sleep disorders.
Tom Ruby, Strategic Operations, Flagship Pioneering
Tom Ruby, PhD, is Senior Principal at Flagship Pioneering, where he contributes to venture creation and development of advanced life sciences companies. An experienced entrepreneur, he has founded and led multiple startup companies and previously served as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company. He holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genomics from Université Paris XI.
Rocco Stirparo, Venture Development Manager – Health, imec
Rocco Stirparo is Venture Development Manager – Health at imec, where he builds deep-tech spin-offs at the intersection of semiconductor innovation, bioconvergence, life sciences, and medtech. With a background in molecular biology and a PhD in Biomedicine, he combines scientific depth with venture creation experience. Prior to joining imec in 2022, he served as Entrepreneur in Residence at VIB, where he led innovation initiatives — including projects in DNA data storage — and supported the translation of interdisciplinary research into scalable ventures. Within imec.DeepTechVentures, he works across domains such as advanced biosensing, AI-enabled hardware, and silicon-based platforms for biological applications, supporting founding teams from early validation through spin-off formation.
Madeleine Laitz, Principal, Engine Ventures
Madeleine Laitz is Principal at Engine Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm spun out of MIT that invests in founders transforming foundational science and engineering into enduring companies. She invests across Advanced Systems, including computation, quantum, semiconductors, AI, and robotics. Prior to joining Engine Ventures, she worked in the private equity practice at Bain & Company. She earned her PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT and holds a master’s degree from Imperial College London as a Fulbright Scholar.
Isabel Klein, Principal, M Ventures
Isabel Klein, PhD, is a Principal in the Technology team, having joined M Ventures in the Fall of 2025. Previously, she worked as an Associate and Principal at Rhapsody Venture Partners, an early-stage venture fund focused on hard tech. She earned her PhD from Caltech, focusing on the ultrafast photo-physics of semiconductor materials.
Alex de Winter, VP of New Ventures, Danaher Ventures
Alex de Winter is with Danaher Ventures, where he invests in life sciences tools and clinical diagnostic startups. Prior to Danaher, he was at GE Ventures, where he invested in precision medicine startups like Labcyte, Raindance, Singular Genomics, Syapse, and Veracyte. Alex previously worked at Mohr Davidow Ventures, Pacific Biosciences, and 454 Life Sciences. He has degrees from Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Amherst College.
Jonathan Fajardo Cortes, Principal, imec.xpand
Jonathan Fajardo Cortes is Principal at imec.xpand, a deep-tech-focused venture capital fund powering the next wave of semiconductor innovation. He combines multidisciplinary technical expertise with strategic investment experience across early-stage investments, portfolio management, and board roles in technology firms across Europe and the United States. He holds academic training in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Biomedical Engineering from TU Delft. He began his career in capital markets at ABN AMRO.
Location
The Engine,
750 Main Street Cambridge, MA 02139
Registration
To ensure a balanced representation across companies, sectors, and participants, confirmation emails will be sent after we review submissions.