About Us

Dr. Meike Herget earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, where she focused on the structural and functional characterization of complex membrane transport proteins. She further expanded her scientific expertise through an internship in the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University in New York City, before joining Stanford University for her postdoctoral research.

At the Stanford Medical School, Dr. Herget investigated the role of a membrane protein involved in synaptic transmission in the inner ear. Driven by a strong interest in translating scientific research into real-world solutions, she also participated in several entrepreneurship and innovation programs at Stanford, including the Innovation Farm (iFarms) Program and the Stanford Ignite Program at the Graduate School of Business. This passion for innovation ultimately led her to co-found Avails Medical.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Dr. Herget is an avid equestrian and enjoys playing polo in her free time.

Dr. Oren Knopfmacher is an expert in nanotechnology and biochemical sensor development, with over a decade of experience in the field. Originally from Germany, he earned his Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from the University of Basel, Switzerland, where his research focused on silicon nanowire field-effect transistor (FET) sensors for biochemical applications.

Following his doctoral work, Dr. Knopfmacher joined the laboratory of Professor Zhenan Bao at Stanford University for his postdoctoral research. There, he pioneered advancements in organic biochemical FET sensors and was the first to demonstrate their stable operation in marine environments. During his time at Stanford, he also completed the Stanford Ignite Program at the Graduate School of Business, where he met his future co-founder, Dr. Meike Herget.

Outside of his scientific and entrepreneurial work at Avails Medical, Dr. Knopfmacher is a dedicated judoka, holding a 4th-degree black belt. He is also an internationally certified IJF-A Judo referee and regularly officiates at international competitions.

Dr. Eszter Deak brings a uniquely practical and informed perspective to diagnostic development, grounded in her extensive experience in clinical microbiology workflows. She possesses a deep understanding of the operational needs of laboratory professionals, the clinical requirements of physicians, and the regulatory and logistical complexities associated with introducing new diagnostic technologies. At Avails Medical, she leads microbiology research and development and provides strategic guidance on instrument and product usability tailored to the clinical microbiology laboratory environment.

Dr. Deak began her career as a Team Lead of the Molecular Epidemiology Group in the Mycology Unit at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and later completed clinical microbiology training at UCLA. Prior to joining Avails Medical, she served as the Technical Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, as well as of the Kaiser Permanente Regional Laboratory in Northern California.

Dr. Deak earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Yale University. She is board certified in Medical Microbiology by the American Board of Medical Microbiology.

Outside of her professional work, Dr. Deak enjoys watching youth and professional hockey, and spending time outdoors hiking, camping, biking, and visiting the beach with her husband and son.

Creighton Buie brings over 12 years of multidisciplinary systems engineering experience at the intersection of electronic sensing and life-science applications. At Avails Medical, he oversees the hardware development of diagnostic platforms from early concept through design-controlled development and commercialization.

Mr. Buie’s academic research spanned both advanced semiconductor processing and the study of beta-amyloid protein folding related to Alzheimer’s disease. Prior to joining Avails, he served as a Staff Engineer in sensor design at Thermo Fisher Scientific, contributing to the Ion Torrent Next Generation Sequencing platform.

Mr. Buie holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a M.S. in Material Science and Engineering from University of Texas at Dallas. He also has his Professional Engineer (P.E.) license in Chemical Engineering.

Outside of work, Creighton enjoys boating, wakeboarding, and hiking with his family.

Dr. Nitin Rajan is an accomplished physicist with over a decade of experience in developing innovative biosensor platforms at the intersection of electronics, chemistry, and biology. At Avails Medical, he leads biosensor research and development initiatives. He oversees the design, development, and manufacturing of our proprietary sensor technology, with a focus on sensor optimization and algorithm development.

Dr. Rajan earned his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Yale University, where his research focused on the fabrication and application of biological field-effect transistor (BioFET) sensors for cancer biomarker detection. He continues his research as a postdoctoral fellow at UC Santa Barbara, working on microfluidic biosensor systems. His work has been featured in several high-impact journals and has received over 1,700 citations.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Dr. Rajan enjoys playing soccer and experimenting in the kitchen.

Alexander Mathews brings over 20 years of experience in the medical device and in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industries, with a deep expertise in product development, scale-up, and regulatory strategy. At Avails Medical, he leads the company’s quality and regulatory compliance initiatives and provides strategic guidance to research, development, and engineering teams.

Throughout his career, Mr. Mathews has held key roles at leading organizations including Motorola, Abbott, and Roche, as well as at several startup ventures, where he played a critical role in the development and support of innovative healthcare technologies. He has successfully navigated the increasingly complex regulatory landscape, contributing to the advancement of both early-stage innovations and commercial products.

Mr. Mathews holds both a B.S. and M.S. in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also earned an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Outside of work, Mr. Mathews enjoys traveling, exploring new restaurants, and spending quality time with his family.

Dana Tasic is a seasoned attorney with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. At Avails Medical, she is responsible for leading the company’s legal operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and providing strategic counsel to support business and product development.

Ms. Tasic has held leadership roles in regulatory, compliance, and legal functions at global organizations including Abbott, Boston Scientific, Novartis, and Intuitive Surgical, as well as within innovative startup environments.

Ms. Tasic holds a B.A. in Genetics from UC Berkeley, and earned her JD from Southwestern University School of Law. She is a licensed member of the California State Bar.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Ms. Tasic enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.

Elias Fayad is a senior technology executive with over 20 years of experience building and leading data-driven innovation in life sciences and medical devices. At Avails Medical, he leads the development of advanced software architectures, data systems, and AI solutions that power Avails’ rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) platforms. Mr. Fayad applies this experience to advance intelligent diagnostic solutions that bridge software, biology, and data science, driving faster and more accurate clinical insights. His work reflects a commitment to innovation that is both technically rigorous and patient-centered.

Mr. Fayad’s career spans multiple domains: software engineering, instrument control, cloud infrastructure, algorithm development, and AI/ML pipelines, all unified by his focus on regulatory-grade data acquisition and governance, interoperability, usability, and real-world clinical impact. He has designed systems that merge laboratory, clinical, and genomic data, enabling continuous learning and algorithmic retraining for emerging resistance patterns. Before joining Avails Medical, Mr. Fayad served as Vice President of R&D Systems Development at bioMérieux, where he led the integration of Specific Diagnostics into the global organization and oversaw the development, FDA clearance, and worldwide launch of the VITEK® REVEAL™ system. Under his leadership, the platform evolved from prototype to production, incorporating real-time data acquisition, on-instrument and cloud-scale analytics, and machine learning algorithms for high-throughput susceptibility detection.

Mr. Fayad holds a B.S. in Computer Science & Engineering and an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from The Ohio State University.

When he’s not at work, Mr. Fayad enjoys spending time with his friends and family.

Mari Hoidal is a seasoned commercial leader with over 20 years of experience driving global growth and profitability for companies in the healthcare and clinical diagnostics industries. At Avails Medical, she leads the development and execution of strategic business initiatives and marketing programs designed to drive high-impact sales and expand the company’s presence in the global diagnostics landscape.

Prior to joining Avails Medical, Ms. Hoidal served as Vice President of Global Marketing for bioMerieux’s BioFire Diagnostics franchise, a $1.4B+ annual business. There, she played a pivotal role in expanding BioFire’s global market presence and successfully commercialized the cutting-edge molecular diagnostic technologies in the infectious disease portfolio beginning with the respiratory panel in 2011.

Ms. Hoidal holds a degree in Biology from the Santa Clara University as well as dual master’s degrees in Gerontology and Health Administration from the University of Southern California.

When she is not working, Ms. Hoidal enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading best seller books, downhill skiing, and cooking new recipes.

Jason Kniebel is an accomplished commercial executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth in the life sciences and diagnostics industries. At Avails Medical, he leads global sales strategy and execution, accelerating the adoption of our groundbreaking diagnostic technologies.

Mr. Kniebel’s track record spans progressive leadership roles across sales, marketing, and commercial operations, where he has consistently delivered results through data-driven strategy and high-performing team leadership. Before joining Avails, Mr. Kniebel served as Vice President of Sales at T2 Biosystems, steering global commercial operations through a period of rapid expansion and market transformation, achieving company record-breaking product revenue for three consecutive years and a 286% increase in new customer acquisitions while leading multiple first-in-class product launches through 510(k), EUA, LDT, and cash-pay pathways.

Mr. Kniebel holds a B.S. in Marketing and Operations Management from the University of Delaware, and an MBA from Boston College.

In his spare time, Mr. Kniebel enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, playing golf, and cooking.

Dan Douglas is a seasoned finance leader with extensive experience building and scaling financial operations in high-growth life science and diagnostic startups. At Avails Medical, Mr. Douglas leads all financial, administrative, and strategic planning functions, helping the company deliver on its mission to advance rapid, culture-free diagnostic tools for improved patient care.

Before joining Avails Medical, Mr. Douglas served as Vice President of Finance at Deepcell and Slingshot Biosciences, where he established finance and accounting functions from the ground up, implemented financial controls and pricing strategies, and partnered with executive teams to support fundraising and growth initiatives. Earlier in his career, he spent a number of years at Guardant Health, playing a key role in the company’s private fundraising, initial public offering, led corporate financial planning and analysis, and helped scale operations through rapid expansion.

Mr. Douglas holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Denver and a B.A. from Palm Beach Atlantic University.

In his spare time, Mr. Douglas enjoys spending time with family and plucking around on the guitar.

Dr. Adrienne Higa is an accomplished leader in strategic program management and product development, with nearly 15 years of experience driving innovation in biotech. She brings deep expertise in building and scaling operational infrastructure, leading cross-functional teams, and executing high-impact company-wide initiatives in fast-paced startup environments. At Avails Medical, Dr. Higa oversees the execution of the company’s entire program portfolio, optimizes performance across departments, and drives alignment between day-to-day operations and long-term corporate goals.

Most recently, as Vice President of Program Management at Deepcell, Dr. Higa led the successful delivery of their flagship product, the REM-I platform, to market in 2024. Previously at Berkeley Lights (now Bruker Cellular Analysis), she spearheaded development of their Antibody Discovery product line, which enabled the rapid identification of the monoclonal antibody cocktail for Evusheld (2021). Her work also drove customized development programs for multiple top 10 global biopharmaceutical/biotech companies, applying Berkeley Lights’ core technologies across multiple therapeutic areas including Antibody Discovery and Engineering, Cell Line Development, and Cell & Gene Therapies.

Dr. Higa holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from UCLA.

Outside of work, Dr. Higa enjoys adventures with her friends and family.

Jennifer Lloyd has served high-growth medical technology companies for 25 years as an investor, advisor and senior executive in strategy and finance. She works collaboratively with entrepreneurs to determine the optimal path for value creation and the ideal timing and process to engage in partner discussions. Her investment portfolio includes companies with innovative products in digital diagnostics, diabetes management, interventional neuroradiology, cardiac arrhythmia and cancer therapy.

Ms. Lloyd began her career in healthcare investment banking at Goldman Sachs in New York after graduating with Highest Honors and Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which she currently serves on the Board of Trustees. After Goldman, she co-founded and led Asante Partners — a strategic advisory firm focused on medical technology mergers — for sixteen years. She then served as Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for NYSE-listed Varian Medical Systems, the $16 billion global leader in cancer therapy. Ms. Lloyd also served as Professor of the Practice in UNC’s Department of Economics, leading an undergraduate honors seminar on entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley.

Oren Knopfmacher, PhD, is a nanotechnology and biochemical sensor expert with over 10 years experience in the field. Oren grew up in Germany and obtained his PhD in experimental physics from Basel University, Switzerland in 2011. His research was focused on biochemical silicon nanowire FET sensors. After graduation, Oren subsequently accepted a postdoc position in the group of Prof. Zehnan Bao at Stanford University. There he studied organic biochemical FET sensors. He was the first to show their stable operation in the marine environment. While being at Stanford, Oren completed the Stanford Graduate School of Business Ignite Program where he met his co-founder Meike.

Oren is a passionate 4th degree black-belt Judoka. If not at Avails, Oren is refereeing international Judo tournaments as an internationally licensed IJF-A Judo referee.

Matthew Cooper, Ph.D., DABT, MBA, is the Chief Scientific Officer of Progenity, Inc., a provider of complex molecular and specialized diagnostic medical testing. Matthew was formerly CEO and Founder of Carmenta Bioscience, a leader in preeclampsia diagnostic development, until it was acquired by Progenity in early 2015.

Matthew’s educational background is as diverse as his professional experience with dual MBAs from Columbia Business School and the Berkeley Haas School of Business. Matthew also has a Ph.D. in Toxicology (University of Kentucky, College of Medicine) and a B.S. in Chemistry (University of Tulsa, College of Engineering). He is board certified in toxicology (Diplomat of the American Board of Toxicology) and has earned a Certificate of Entrepreneurship from the Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Dr. Berez has extensive experience in developing, gaining U.S. Government regulatory approval and marketing medical devices. He was a co-founder and CEO of Chestnut Medical Technologies, Inc., which was acquired by eV3 Inc. for more than $150 million in 2009. Before co-founding Chestnut Dr. Berez served as the VP of clinical affairs at Smart Therapeutics, Inc, which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2003. He had previously served as the clinical director at Endovasix (acquired by Gore). He recently served as a director for Sapheon (acquired by Covidien in 2014). Dr. Berez is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Medicine, where he received his MD degree. His postgraduate training was at UCSF/Mt. Zion in Internal Medicine, and Stanford University in Radiology and Neuroradiology, where he served as a clinical instructor in the Department of Radiology from 1997-2000.

Nancy has over 25 years of experience in the regulated industry including basic research, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, corporate compliance and clinical research. She has worked and consulted on projects including medical devices, drugs, combination products, IVDs and biologics, in various therapeutic areas. Nancy is currently the Vice President of Regulatory, Quality and Clinical Affairs at Cardiokinetix, where she has been since 2014. Prior to that, she was the Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs and Quality at NeoTract, Inc. There she successfully led the clinical IDE study and De Novo for the Urolift System. Amongst many other regulatory positions, she was also the World Wide VP of Regulatory and Quality for BD Biosciences. Nancy holds a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University, a J.D. from Boston University School of Law with a concentration in Health Law as well as a Masters in Public Health and Law from Harvard School of Public Health. She is a member of the California Bar. Nancy has also lectured and taught at Santa Clara Law School, Haas School of Business, Stanford Medical School and UC Santa Cruz.

Michael D. Laufer, MD has been a practicing physician and surgeon for the last three decades and a venture capitalist for the last 23 years. He is a serial entrepreneur, having conceived of and patented the technology for more than 20 companies including VNUS (IPO, acquired by Covidien, now part of Medtronic), Asthmatx (acquired by Boston Scientific), SurX (Acquired by American Medical Systems and CooperSurgical), etc. He brings expertise in early stage medical product development through FDA clearance and commercial production and growth. He is on the teaching faculty of Stanford BioDesign and has been on the surgical faculty of Harvard Medical School, the Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center and the Stanford Emergency/Surgical Department faculty, as well as the Medicine faculty of the University of California San Francisco.

Sir Sykes made important experimental contributions to microbiology, of which the best known are his work on B-lactamases, and the discovery of the first monocyclic B-lactam antibiotic, aztreonam. Sir Richard Sykes has over 30 years’ experience within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries field — serving as Chief Executive and Chairman of GlaxoWellcome from 1995–2000, then Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline until 2002. Amongst many others, Sir Richard Sykes was Rector of Imperial College London from January 2001 to June 2008.

Chief, Infectious Diseases, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Program Director, UCLA Multicampus Program in Infectious Diseases
Professor of Clinical Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Dr. Goetz serves on the national VA Antimicrobial Stewardship Taskforce, Infectious Diseases Field Advisory Committee, Multi-Drug Resistant Organism Workgroup, and the National HIV Technical Advisory Group. He also has been an ad hoc member of the FDA Anti-Microbial Drug Advisory Committee.

Dr. Abbott is the Microbiology Director at Deaconess Health System and an adjunct faculty member of Indiana University School of Medicine in Evansville, Indiana. Dr. Abbott is a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Microbiology. She is a member of the CLSI Subcommittee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and speaks nationally on the topic of antimicrobial susceptibility testing. She has co-authored book chapters on the topics of susceptibility testing and resistance mechanisms in the Manual of Clinical Microbiology and Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics.