Trusted Biotechnology Experts

Dr. Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at North Dakota State University, internationally recognized for his pioneering work at the intersection of digital epidemiology, pharmacovigilance, and artificial intelligence. His research harnesses advanced statistical modeling and AI to track and predict health behaviors, medication safety, and disease patterns in real time—bridging traditional epidemiology with next-generation digital health analytics. Dr. Bhagavathula has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Annals of Epidemiology, JAMA Network Open, and Lancet Digital Health. His work has been widely cited and featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, where he discussed the real-world safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro). Recognized among the Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% of Scientists (2019–2024) and elected as a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology, Dr. Bhagavathula is known for translating complex data into actionable insights that shape public health policy and clinical practice. His ongoing projects include NIH- and NSF-aligned initiatives on AI-powered overdose forecasting, digital twins for public health, and real-world drug safety surveillance using explainable machine learning. With a decade of experience spanning more than two dozen countries and collaborations with organizations such as WHO, USAID, and UNICEF, Dr. Bhagavathula brings a global, data-driven, and human-centered approach to solving modern health crises.

Food Research Lab is a Global Advanced Contract Research, Development and Pilot Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that provides solutions to the Food, Beverage, Nutraceuticals, cosmeceutical, Pet food & Agriculture sectors worldwide.

AI meets biotech — straight from Zug, Switzerland Get the latest AI news, learn must-know AI tools, and keep up with Biotech news in just 5 minutes a week. Join our readers growing their careers with the AIxBiotech newsletter. Founded by executives who have led global biotech and tech teams, AIxBiotech is on a mission to make AI practical for themodern biotech office. In just a few months, we’ve attracted a fast-growing audience of biotech professionals and innovation leaders — from early-stage founders to Fortune 500 executives. Our readers span Europe and North America, with a strong base in the U.S. and Switzerland. We’re building organically, one engaged reader at a time — with the ambition to reach 500K professionals within our first year.

I entered the hemp space at the very beginning when there were almost no guardrails, no industry playbook, and very few operators who truly understood what it took to formulate something that actually worked. Hemp-derived flower and hemp wellness products were barely a category. What existed was largely untested, poorly sourced, and built around novelty rather than need. From day one, our approach was different purpose before profit, formulation before marketing, and a deep belief that every formulation should serve a real purpose. At JustKana, I oversee product development, quality control, and sourcing from the ground up. That means building relationships directly with small-batch organic hemp farms, evaluating raw material quality before it ever reaches a formulation stage, and ensuring every finished product meets both our internal standards and third-party lab verification. My work lives at the intersection of plant science and consumer wellness. I specialize in cannabinoid formulation for real therapeutic outcomes sleep support, chronic pain relief, anxiety management, and inflammation using full-spectrum hemp extracts that preserve the natural compound profile of the plant rather than isolating single ingredients. Over the years I've helped develop products that have made a measurable difference for thousands of people veterans managing PTSD, seniors dealing with chronic joint pain, and individuals looking to replace pharmaceutical sleep aids with something cleaner and plant-derived. That direct connection to consumer outcomes shapes every formulation decision I make. I understand the hemp supply chain from soil to finished product cultivation practices, extraction methods, cannabinoid and terpene profiles, and how sourcing decisions downstream directly impact what a customer experiences. In a space flooded with white-labeled, mass-produced products, that depth of knowledge is rare.

Authentic technology recruitment leader with expertise in executive talent acquisition and building high performance recruitment teams, primarily within the tech/digital/creative disciplines.

James Bean is a pioneering cannabis industry expert and Founding CEO of Seeds Here Now, the longest continuously operating seed bank in the United States with 15 years of proven leadership. Since 2010, Bean has built an industry-leading catalog featuring 3,500+ strains from 80+ world-class breeders, establishing Seeds Here Now as the premier destination for authentic cannabis genetics. With a Plant Science degree from Oaksterdam University and 15 years specializing in cannabis genetics, Bean brings unparalleled expertise in breeder verification, genetic authenticity, and cultivation science. His knowledge spans feminized, regular, and autoflower seed production, pheno-hunting, breeding practices, and strain lineage documentation. Bean's industry authority is demonstrated through extensive media presence on major cannabis podcasts including The Adam Dunn Show (as "James Bean Man on the Scene"), The Dude Grows Show, The Pot Cast, and Grow Bud Yourself Podcast. He has personally vended at hundreds of cannabis trade shows including High Times Cannabis Cups and Canna Con events, and serves as a cannabis competition judge. As a heavy cannabis consumer with decades of personal experience, Bean possesses exceptional first-hand knowledge of strain effects and quality assessment. His business has served thousands of satisfied customers with germination guarantees and transparent practices, earning recognition including the 2023 Leafly Seed Bank Hall of Fame honor and Forbes media coverage. Bean actively supports cannabis community causes, mentors emerging businesses, and contributes educational content through articles and podcast appearances. His direct relationships with renowned breeders like TH Seeds, Exotic Genetics, La Plata Labs, Snow High Seeds, and Dominion Seed Company underscore his trusted position as the "#1 U.S. Broker of High Quality Cannabis Genetics." Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Bean continues to shape cannabis breeding trends, preserve rare genetics, and advance industry professionalism while maintaining Seeds Here Now's position as America's most trusted source for authentic cannabis seeds.

With a PhD in molecular genetics and as a specialist in data science, Céline Chantry-Darmon has over twenty years of experience in biomedical research and complex data analysis. As Scientific Director at Tekkare, she works on developing trustworthy artificial intelligence for healthcare. She is also committed to promoting inclusive and responsible artificial intelligence, and to advancing women in science and technology.

Dr. James Utley is a pioneering scientist at the forefront of cellular therapy, AI, and data science. A Johns Hopkins-educated Immunohematology expert and Certified Advanced Biotherapies Professional (CABP), he also holds advanced certifications in data science and machine learning. While serving as Technical Director at a major healthcare organization, Dr. Utley oversaw more than 150,000 successful cellular transfusions and spearheaded advancements that significantly improved patient outcomes. This experience included leading initiatives for the Department of Defense, where he revolutionized cellular transfusion practices. His innovative approach is further exemplified by his FDA-approved work and numerous publications in leading scientific journals. Dr. Utley is also known for his bold, hands-on approach to research, embodying the spirit of a "biohacker" by pushing the boundaries of CRISPR and genetic engineering through self-experimentation. This unique blend of rigorous scientific training and unconventional methods has earned him the moniker "the pirate" within the biohacker community.

David Selakovic is the CEO and President of Vegalab SA, a Swiss biotech advancing natural solutions for global food systems. Under his leadership, Vegalab develops high-performance biologicals and specialty inputs that help growers boost yield and quality while shrinking chemical footprints and protecting pollinators. The company’s platforms—micronization, nano-encapsulation, and in-vivo cultivation of beneficial microorganisms—are engineered to match the efficacy and usability of synthetics, with sustainability built in from the start. Headquartered in Switzerland with a growing international footprint, Vegalab supports farmers, distributors, and innovators across regions with rapid product development and field-level support, and maintains a commitment to carbon-neutral operations and FSC-certified communications. Selakovic speaks frequently on scaling biologicals, translating lab breakthroughs to farm outcomes, and building resilient, zero-residue value chains.

I’m Abhisheik Anand, Founder & CEO of Skill Bud Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a technology and innovation company that builds future-ready digital solutions. I lead ventures including Get Digital, Beardy Nerd, Grow My Hospital, and Generative Crafts - each created to bridge creativity, technology, and human behavior. I’m also a published author of the B2B book Cracking the Underneath, written to help businesses grow in the modern market era. Over the years, I’ve authored thousands of articles and currently write a weekly column at The Daily Guardian, sharing thought-leadership insights on technology, human behavior, and business transformation. My mission is to help businesses innovate, engage, and grow through data, design, and empathy - exploring the intersection where logic meets emotion, and innovation meets impact.

Rachit Lohani is a technology and product executive with deep experience scaling enterprise SaaS platforms and building high-performing global teams. He has served in senior leadership roles across engineering and product, most recently as Chief Product and Technology Officer, driving large-scale transformation across platform architecture, operating models, and delivery quality. Across his career, Rachit has helped companies grow through critical inflection points—scaling revenue, expanding internationally, and modernizing product portfolios to serve enterprise customers with high reliability and security expectations. He has led organizations through periods of rapid growth, M&A integration, and long-term platform modernization while maintaining a strong focus on customer outcomes and execution discipline. Rachit brings a product-led mindset grounded in strong financial acumen, operational rigor, and a belief in building durable systems rather than short-term fixes. He has worked at and with category-defining companies including Paylocity, Atlassian, and Intuit,AOL and is known for building leaders, raising the bar on engineering quality, and aligning technology strategy tightly with business goals. He is based in California and remains deeply interested in AI-native platforms, enterprise software, and building organizations that consistently deliver on their promises to customers.

MD. Shinha Sarder is known as the Founder & CEO of IT Tech BD and Biostar who born on 5 November , 2004. He also known as an Engineer, Developer, Entrepreneur, Musical Artist, Author, Researcher, YouTuber and Content Creator. He regularly upload Content in YouTube, Facebook and other social media. He is a regular student at Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) program in the Northern University of Businesses and Technology, Khulna. He was a former student of Khulna Zilla School. His father (MD. Lutfor Rahaman) is a lawyer. His mother (Samima Sultana) is a private sector employee. He born into a Muslim family in Shirgati village, Aichgati UnionParishad, Khulna.

Ganesh Ariyur is a global enterprise technology executive and a Top 100 Digital Adoption Leader for 2025. He is known for delivering more than $500M in measurable enterprise value through large-scale digital transformation, enterprise systems modernization, cloud strategy, artificial intelligence adoption, data governance, & enterprise architecture leadership. His work spans more than 90 countries across Fortune 500 organizations, private-equity owned companies, and highly regulated industries. Ganesh serves as the Global Head of Enterprise Technology Strategy and Transformation at Gainwell Technologies, a $3B healthcare technology organization. He directs modernization programs across SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud ERP, PeopleSoft, cloud platforms on AWS and Azure, enterprise applications, reporting and analytics, generative AI, intelligent automation, enterprise architecture, IT governance, and cybersecurity, aligned with operating models. His programs have delivered multi-million-dollar cost savings. He has directed enterprise portfolios valued at more than $1B. He has unified 450-plus legacy systems, led technology programs supporting more than $30B in M&A value, and guided organizations through complex TSA exits and carve-outs. Ganesh brings deep expertise in artificial intelligence-enabled operating models, multi-ERP modernization including SAP S/4 HANA, Oracle Cloud, & Workday, cloud strategy and FinOps, enterprise architecture, data, infrastructure, cybersecurity improvement, data quality & analytics modernization, robotic process automation & intelligent automation, shared services/global business services, organizational design, and long-term value creation. His people-process-technology approach led to his being named a Global Top 100 Digital Adoption Leader. He is a Certified AI Business Transformation Practitioner & a Certified Technology Innovation Practitioner. He is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council. He was publicly recognized for global transformation leadership when he was featured on billboards across Germany during a major enterprise program at Bayer. Ganesh is known for partnering with boards, CEOs, CFOs, & private equity operating teams. He aligns technology strategy with growth objectives, cost discipline, compliance needs, & long-term enterprise value. Based in Atlanta, he is regarded as a CIO leader who turns complexity into clarity and who consistently converts technology investment into measurable business outcomes.

Vinothkumar Kolluru is a Senior Data Scientist at Fractal Analytics with 9+ years of experience in NLP, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning. He builds AI-driven solutions that improve customer experience and decision-making, with a focus on customer segmentation, friction detection, and digital journey optimization for large-scale web platforms. He has delivered end-to-end models across tech, healthcare, and marketing—ranging from NLP-based document summarization and topic categorization to predictive analytics—using transformer architectures (e.g., BERT), sequence models, and classical ML. Vinoth has also led analytics initiatives such as call categorization for healthcare contact centers and relevance modeling to improve campaign targeting and performance. A passionate researcher and contributor to the AI community, Vinoth has 50+ publications and 246 citations (h-index 9). He is recognized with the Dr. Abdul Kalam Young Achiever National Award and holds an MS in Data Science from Stevens Institute of Technology, along with a Gold Medal in Engineering from Anna University. His core toolkit includes Python, SQL, AWS, and Azure, and he enjoys translating complex data into practical, measurable business impact.

I am Brian Tham, an Applied Artificial Intelligence undergraduate at Singapore Institute of Technology with a strong academic record and practical experience in AI research and development. My work focuses on advancing AI applications, particularly in the areas of model protection, computer vision, and machine learning. You may view my portfolio/website at https://tham.ai As a Research Student at Singapore Institute of Technology, I've contributed to significant work on AI model protection, specifically focusing on defending deep neural networks against model extraction attacks. My research encompasses model watermarking, adversarial robustness, and advanced defense mechanisms, with practical applications in medical imaging through UNet model implementation for brain MRI segmentation. My technical portfolio includes notable projects such as FoodVision, a real-time deep learning food detection system utilizing YOLOv8 technology, and a Speech Emotion Recognition system based on Wav2Vec2. I've also conducted comprehensive analyses of emerging technologies, including a detailed study of ransomware impacts across various industries and an evaluation of AI chatbot capabilities. Previously, I enhanced medical education at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, where my e-learning courseware development contributed to a 20% improvement in student test scores. My professional experience extends to the Ministry of Defence of Singapore, where I specialized in data processing automation and visualization using PowerBI and Excel. I hold multiple prestigious certifications, including Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer, Google Business Intelligence, and AI4I® – Proficiency in AI from AI Singapore. My technical expertise spans Python, machine learning frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch), and data analysis tools, complemented by a deep understanding of quantum computing, large language models, and autonomous vehicle technologies. This combination of academic excellence, practical research experience, and technical expertise positions me at the forefront of AI innovation and its real-world applications.

Food safety expert and PhD graduate in Food Microbiology from ETH Zurich, Mario Hupfeld joined the NEMIS Technologies co-founding team as CSO in 2018. He's lived and worked in Germany, UK, Italy and Switzerland, and developed 7 products from ideation to commercialization since NEMIS Technologies' inception.

Deepanker Verma is a software developer and technology journalist with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry. With a strong foundation in coding and product development, he has built multiple web platforms and digital tools from the ground up. Alongside development, he covers software updates, product launches, cloud services, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, gaming, and consumer technology, focusing on clarity and real world relevance. He has written thousands of news articles. explainers, and detailed feature stories, closely tracking key industry announcements. His development background allows him to go beyond surface level reporting and explain the technical depth behind the headlines in simple language. Deepanker runs Techlomedia Internet, a software company that handles client projects and manages popular technology publications. He personally coded a gadget research portal that offers price comparison, detailed specifications, and AI based recommendations to help users choose the right products. He also developed a gaming portal that delivers news, reviews, and detailed gaming insights for players. Through his work, he combines hands on coding expertise with editorial leadership to build both technology products and trusted digital platforms.

Abe Issa was founder of Envirosolar which was the 2nd fastest growing private company in the U.S. in 2017 according to INC Magazine and has been a top solar company nationally in terms of originations. Abe Issa was honored to have Envirosolar recognized by Stevie Awards, Solar Power Magazine, and has been mentioned in the national media for its efforts in the ever growing solar industry. As a national employer , Abe Issa is passionate about job creation and supporting our communities. Envirosolar was also the first national company that integrated solar & smart home into one platform. Abe Issa is also involved in several non-profits throughout the country.Abe Issa was one of the first entrepreneurs to do residential energy efficiency and solar in the south. He built numerous sales platforms and systems that have helped scale the top companies in the industry. Through his sales efforts, Abe Issa has created thousands of jobs throughout the country in the solar industry.

Ryan Farmer is the founder of My Peptide Match, a consumer education site that helps people make sense of GLP-1 medications and the fast-changing peptide landscape. He focuses on simplifying complex topics—like real-world pricing, treatment pathways, sourcing differences, and what questions to ask—so readers can make more informed decisions with their clinician. Ryan tracks emerging trends across weight-loss peptides, compounding and telehealth access, and the economics that shape what consumers actually pay. He’s available to comment on GLP-1 and peptide cost comparisons, patient decision-making, and the broader market shifts driving demand. He also publishes practical reference tools, including a peptide calculator and dosage guide, to support clearer conversations between consumers and providers.

Ilya J. Finkelstein, PhD is a Professor of Molecular Biosciences at The University of Texas at Austin specializing in gene editing, biophysics, and biotechnology. He has published 100+ peer-reviewed papers, holds multiple patents, and has served as an expert witness and technical consultant. His work appears frequently in scientific and popular press.