“We are committed to Real Change. Real People. Real Impact.”
advisors
DR. AILEEN HUANG-SAAD | BME Professor| M-HEAL Past Team Advisor
Aileen Huang-Saad, the Roux Institute’s Director of Life Sciences and Engineering and an associate professor of bioengineering, sees as fundamental to thinking like an entrepreneur.
Dr. Aileen Huang-Saad was an assistant professor in bioengineering and engineering education at the University of Michigan. Aileen has prior experience as the Associate Director for Academics in the Center for Entrepreneurship and co-founder of the College of Engineering Center for Entrepreneurship. She built the initial Program in Entrepreneurship for UM undergraduates, co-developing the masters’ level entrepreneurship program, launching the National Science Foundation University of Michigan I-Corps Node. She obtained her BSE from the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctorate of Philosophy from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and MBA from University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
DR. KATHLEEN SIENKO | ME and BME Professor | Project MESA Past Team Advisor
Dr. Kathleen Sienko is a mechanical engineer and biomedical engineer professor at the University of Michigan. She has a Ph.D. in Medical Engineering and Bioastronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Her research interests include medical device design, development, and assessment; wearable balance prostheses and rehabilitation aids; sensory augmentation; biofeedback; mechatronics; haptic interfaces; biomechanics including mobility impairments; affordable medical technologies for the developing world.
RANDY SCHWEMMIN | OPERATIONS CONSULTANT | Project MESA Mentor
Randy Schwemmin is an operations and product development professional with over 20 years’ experience in the aerospace, consumer electronics, medical device, and biopharmaceutical industries. Randy earned an MBA and MS in Manufacturing Systems from Stanford University and a BSE in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan. His most recent role was head of product operations at D-Rev, a non-profit designing and delivering medical devices that fulfill unmet needs of people living on less than four dollars a day. Prior to D-Rev, Randy managed the clinical supply chain organization at Genentech, ran manufacturing engineering at a catheter medical device startup, and developed his breadth of operations expertise in multiple plants and programs at Lockheed Martin.
CLIFF LAMBARTH | STRYKER SR. PRINCIPAL ENGINEER | Project MESA Mentor
Cliff Lambarth has been designing medical devices at Stryker for over 15 years. Some of his responsibilities include EMS division transport market expert, providing recommended Pipeline and Product Architecture, prioritizing EMS future projects and intellectual property and engaging in industry standard committees and functions. His approach to mentoring the team is challenging them to set the right goal and facilitate team confidence in the initial plans and design concepts. He believe in the importance of encouraging and guide them on their path by providing insights and options that the team hasn’t considered.
KENNETH ALFANO | ENGR Professor | Project MESA MDP Advisor
Kenneth M. Alfano is a biomedical engineer with expertise in electromechanical systems for biochemical analysis, and regularly teaches both engineering design and technical communication in the College of Engineering. He has published and presented on the topics of microfluidic genotyping and red blood cell fragility testing, and is an inventor on several patents. He is licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE), and also educated in economics and in law. Courses taught at UM have included ENGR 100, ENGR 255/355/455, TC 300, TC 497, BME 450, and BME 588.
JAN STEGEMANN | BME Professor | M-HEAL Advisor
Jan Stegemann is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Advanced Medical Product Engineering and Development (AMPED) program at the University of Michigan. He received BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto. Prior to earning his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Stegemann worked for five years at Boston-based Grace Biomedical on the development of cell-based bioartificial organs. His current research laboratory works on biomaterials, cell-based therapies, and the creation of engineered tissues, with a focus on orthopaedic and vascular regeneration. As an educator, Dr. Stegemann has developed undergraduate and graduate courses in cell-matrix interactions, tissue engineering, and medical product development.