Wolfgang Fink, Ph.D.

Inaugural Edward & Maria Keonjian Endowed Chair, University of Arizona

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Fink (em.) is a German-American theoretical physicist and the inaugural holder of the Edward & Maria Keonjian Endowed Chair at the University of Arizona, having held joint appointments in the Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Systems & Industrial Engineering, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, and Ophthalmology & Vision Science. He was a Senior Researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2001-2009), a Visiting Associate in Physics at the California Institute of Technology (2001-2016), and held concurrent appointments as Visiting Research Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Neurological Surgery at the University of Southern California (2005-2014). Dr. Fink is the founder and director of the Visual and Autonomous Exploration Systems Research Laboratory at Caltech and at the University of Arizona. He obtained a B.S. and M.S. degree in Physics and Physical Chemistry from the University of Göttingen in 1990 and 1993, and a Ph.D. "summa cum laude" in Theoretical Physics from the University of Tübingen in 1997. Dr. Fink is a LFNAI, FARVO, LFSPIE, FPHMS, FAIMBE, and a SM IEEE, as well as the 2015 daVinci Fellow and 2017 ACABI Fellow of the University of Arizona. He is the VP of the PHM Society, and holds a Commercial Pilots License for Rotorcraft. Pursuing a trans-disciplinary systems engineering approach in "smart service systems" in general, Dr. Fink has focused his research and technology development efforts on biomedical engineering for healthcare (especially ophthalmology and vision care), human-computer interfaces (artificial vision implants), smart platforms for mobile- and tele-health, autonomous systems (robotic space exploration), and computer-optimized design. Dr. Fink has over 275 publications (incl. journal, book, and conference contributions), 6 NASA Patent Awards, as well as 32 U.S. and foreign patents awarded to date in the areas of autonomous systems, biomedical devices, neural stimulation, MEMS fabrication, data fusion and analysis, and multi-dimensional optimization. Among numerous awards Dr. Fink was named recipient of the NASA Space Flight Awareness (SFA) Launch Honoree Award in 2002, co-recipient of the 2009 R&D Magazine’s R&D 100 and R&D 100 Editors’ Choice Award both for the DOE-funded Artificial Retina Project, co-recipient of the 2009 NASA Board Award for his pioneering work on a disruptive autonomous space exploration paradigm, co-winner of the $200,000 DOE/NREL-sponsored E-ROBOT Prize in 2021, and recipient of the 2023 SPIE Meinel Technology Achievement Award.

Daniel Lodu

Senior Product Marketing Manager, QNX

Dan bridges clinical practice and product innovation to advance the medical devices we rely on every day. He began his career clinically in nuclear medicine and radiotherapy, using advanced technologies to image, diagnose, and treat disease. He later shifted to building those technologies — leading clinical development of combined multi-modality imaging and therapeutic systems. A core focus of his experience is with dynamic, adaptive systems: tracking motion and synchronizing sub systems to enable real‑time treatment compensation that responds to patient physiology during procedures.

Sherrie Trigg

Editor in Chief, Medical Design Briefs

Sherrie Trigg is Editor-in-Chief and Director of Medical Content for Medical Design Briefs, where she leads editorial coverage of the technologies, trends, and innovations shaping the global medical device industry. An award‑winning editor with deep expertise in medtech, she brings a strong background in technical journalism, having previously served as Editor-in-Chief of Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry and Director of Content for Medical Design magazine. Known for her insight and industry perspective, Trigg focuses on delivering forward-looking, high-value content that connects engineering innovation with real-world healthcare impact.

Hamid Marvi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Arizona State University

Dr. Hamid Marvi is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University, where he also holds the Fulton Entrepreneurial Professorship and directs the Bio-Inspired Robotics, Technology, and Healthcare (BIRTH) Lab. He is a Senior Global Futures Scientist and an Alliance Fellow of the Mayo Clinic–ASU Alliance for Health Care. His research integrates materials science, robotics, and biology to develop soft and magnetic robots for medical applications. Dr. Marvi’s work has been featured in Science, PNAS, Advanced Materials, and Nature Scientific Reports, as well as in major media outlets like The New York Times and BBC. His honors include Senior Membership in the National Academy of Inventors, the 2024 ABRC New Investigator Award, the Sigma Xi Best Ph.D. Thesis Award, and multiple national awards for innovation in robotics and soft materials.

Sam Browd, MD, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington | Co-CEO & Chief Medical Officer, NeuFluent

Dr. Sam Browd is a pediatric neurosurgeon and Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington, as well as the Co-CEO and Chief Medical Officer of NeuFluent, a neuroscience innovation venture studio. He's co-founded multiple venture-backed startups including VICIS, Proprio, and Aqueduct Neuroscience, co-developed three Time Magazine Inventions of the Year (2017, 2019, 2021), and was named 2021 Congress of Neurological Surgeons Innovator of the Year. He holds an M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida where he studied neuroplasticity and learning.

Miguel Infante

Technical Sales Manager – Catheter Technologies, MMT

Miguel Infante is Technical Sales Manager of Catheter Technologies at Medical Manufacturing Technologies (MMT), where he partners with device manufacturers to develop advanced catheter automation solutions that improve manufacturing performance, quality, and productivity. With over 10 years of experience in industrial automation and medical device manufacturing, Miguel brings deep expertise in engineering, project leadership, and technical sales. He has led multidisciplinary teams, managed complex automation initiatives, and delivered custom manufacturing systems that help customers optimize production and accelerate innovation. Miguel's expertise spans custom automation equipment, catheter manufacturing technologies, conveyor and automated storage and retrieval (AS/RS) systems, and electromechanical solutions. He is passionate about helping manufacturers overcome complex production challenges with practical, high-performance automation strategies.

Maja Matarić, Ph.D.

Founding Director - Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center & Co-director - Robotics Research Lab, USC

Dr. Maja Matarić is the Chan Soon-Shiong Chair and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, with appointments in Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California (USC), and a Principal Scientist at Google DeepMind. She is the founding director of the USC Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center (rasc.usc.edu), co-director of the USC Robotics Research Lab, past interim Vice President of Research (Jan 2020-Jul 2021), past Vice Dean for Research (Jul 2006-Dec 2019), and past President of the USC faculty and the Academic Senate (2005-06). She received her PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from MIT in 1994, MS in Computer Science from MIT in 1990, and BS in Computer Science from the University of Kansas in 1987. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AMACAD), and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), IEEE, AAAI, and ACM, and recipient of the US Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) from President Obama. She also received the Okawa Foundation, NSF Career, the MIT TR35 Innovation, the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Early Career, and the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Innovation Awards. Within USC, she received the Provost's Mentoring Award, the Viterbi John O'Brien Service Award, the Viterbi School Service Award, and the Viterbi Junior Research Awards. She is featured in the documentary movie "Me & Isaac Newton." One of the most highly cited researchers (Google Scholar profile), she has published extensively, and is an advisory editor of three major journals in her field. Prof. Matarić has led many efforts in K-12 STEM outreach, including founding and leading the USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center , developing free curricular materials for elementary and middle-school robotics courses, and co-leading two consecutive NSF Research Experience for Teachers sites for over a decade. A pioneer of the field of socially assistive robotics, her USC Interaction Lab's research is aimed at endowing machines with the ability to provide users with personalized motivation and support to empower them to reach their potential. Her lab's research supports users with differences, including children on the autism spectrum, stroke patients, dementia patients, and students and adults with anxiety or depression, among others.

Todd Roberts

Co-Founder and CEO, ATDev

Todd Roberts is the CEO and co-founder of ATDev where he leads the company’s strategic direction, partnerships, and commercialization efforts. Todd holds a Masters degree from UC Berkeley with a focus on exoskeleton design, combining rigorous research training with practical experience bringing assistive technologies from concept to real world use. Todd has more than a decade of experience working in assistive technology R&D and commercialization. Todd has been Principal Investigator and/or Key Personnel for multiple federal grants supporting robotics and mobility innovation. His expertise spans human biomechanics, wearable robotics, public and private fundraising, and scalable product development. Todd is driven by a commitment to improving quality of life for people with mobility challenges and plays a central role in positioning ATDev as a leader in the next generation of robotic mobility solutions.

Owen Kent

Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, ATDev

Owen Kent is a lifelong power wheelchair user and disability rights advocate whose lived experience directly shapes ATDev’s mission. Before co-founding ATDev, Owen served as Executive Director of The Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, one of the nation’s first disability rights organizations. His leadership there focused on expanding community programs, strengthening policy initiatives, and promoting technology that enhances independence. Owen’s background in filmmaking, storytelling, and assistive technology design informs his work at ATDev where he leads marketing, brand development, and public engagement. Assistive technology has been part of Owen’s life from a young age, giving him a unique perspective on accessibility, user centered design, and the real world impact that mobility devices can have. His vision is grounded in the belief that disability does not equal disadvantage and that technology should unlock human potential for people of every ability level.

Michael Yip, Ph.D.

Director, Advanced Robotics and Controls Laboratory Medical Robotics Collaboratory, UC San Diego

Dr. Michael Yip is the Director of the Advanced Robotics and Controls Laboratory (ARCLab) and an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. His group currently focuses on surgical robots, biomimetic design, and robot learning. His research has received several best paper awards and nominations at ICRA and IROS and RA-L, and he has been recognized by the NSF CAREER award, NIH Trailblazer award, and as a RAS Distinguished Lecturer. Several of his research has led to founded startups, and he was named the Faculty Innovator of the Year at UCSD in 2024, and elected into the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Yip was previously a Disney Research in 2014 and Amazon Robotics in 2018. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechatronics engineering from the University of Waterloo, a master's degree. in electrical engineering from the University of British Columbia, and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from Stanford University.