Advisors

MEDICAL ADVISORS

Jonathan Himmelfarb, MD

John Ross, MD

  • Lead surgeon & medical director of Dialysis Access Institute
  • Founder & first VP of Vascular Access Society of Americas (VASA)
  • Editorial boards: Journal of Vascular Access; Endovascular Today
  • International renown for developing new surgical techniques for dialysis access

Ben Starnes, MD

  • Chief of Vascular Surgery & Professor, University of Washington
  • Former President of Pacific Northwest Vascular Surgery Society
  • Founder of Aortica Corp.

Ted Kohler, MD

  • University of Washington Professor of Surgery (retired)
  • Chief of Peripheral Vascular Surgery, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System (retired)
  • Numerous publications on vascular access for hemodialysis
  • Expert in failure modes of dialysis access grafts

Michael Sobel, MD

  • University of Washington Professor of Surgery (retired)
  • former Vice Chairman, University of Washington Dept. of Surgery
  • former Chief of Surgery, VA Puget Sound Health Care System
  • Vascular surgeon and researcher in graft thrombosis and vascular biology

SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS

Buddy D. Ratner, PhD

  • Co-inventor of STAR biomaterial
  • University of Washington Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering
  • Past President of Society for Biomaterials
  • Past President of American Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
  • Past VP of Tissue Engineering Society International (TESI)
  • Fellow of: AVS Science & Technology Society, Biomaterials Science & Engineering (FBSE), American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Member of National Academy of Engineering
  • Over 400 publications on biomaterials, tissue engineering, polymers, biocompatibility, surface analysis of organic materials, self-assembly, nanobiotechnology, RF-plasma thin film deposition

Arthur J. Coury, PhD/MBA

  • Distinguished Professor, Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University
  • Over 40 years in biomaterials industry including former roles as:
    • Director, Polymer Technology
    • Corporate Research Fellow, Medtronic
    • VP Research and CSO, Focal Inc.
    • VP Biomaterials Research, Genzyme
  • Elected to National Academy of Engineering

James Bryers, PhD

  • University of Washington Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering
  • Expert in anti-biofilm biomaterials, engineering infection immunity, and healing by controlling macrophage plasticity
  • Board of Review Editors, Biotechnology & Bioengineering
  • College of Fellows, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)