Program Instructors

Dr. Ghale is passionate about translating scientific innovations into real-world impact. As an Associate Director at OBIO, she supports the scaling and commercialization of health science technologies. She currently spearheads the OBIO Women in Health Initiative — a program dedicated exclusively to supporting women entrepreneurs in health & life sciences sector. Prior to joining OBIO, she was a Venture Manager at the Creative Destruction Lab, Toronto, where she sourced, evaluated innovative technologies, and supported early-stage ventures to grow their value. Her expertise spans diligence on life science start-ups, fundraising strategies, commercialization, stakeholder relationship management, and communications. Dr. Ghale holds a PhD in Chemistry from Germany, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research work has led to articles in top-tier peer-reviewed journals such as Science, Nature, and the Journal of the American Chemical Society, with over 1000 citations. She is a recipient of the prestigious DFF-MOBILEX mobility grant from the Danish Council for Independent Research and was selected as one of the young scientists to attend the 59th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting.

Dr. Ghale is passionate about translating scientific innovations into real-world impact. As an Associate Director at OBIO, she supports the scaling and commercialization of health science technologies. She currently spearheads the OBIO Women in Health Initiative — a program dedicated exclusively to supporting women entrepreneurs in health & life sciences sector. Prior to joining OBIO, she was a Venture Manager at the Creative Destruction Lab, Toronto, where she sourced, evaluated innovative technologies, and supported early-stage ventures to grow their value. Her expertise spans diligence on life science start-ups, fundraising strategies, commercialization, stakeholder relationship management, and communications. Dr. Ghale holds a PhD in Chemistry from Germany, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her research work has led to articles in top-tier peer-reviewed journals such as Science, Nature, and the Journal of the American Chemical Society, with over 1000 citations. She is a recipient of the prestigious DFF-MOBILEX mobility grant from the Danish Council for Independent Research and was selected as one of the young scientists to attend the 59th Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting.

Ing Goping is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and a business mentor at McMaster University’s The Forge. Ing’s professional journey started 34+ years ago when he graduated as an Electrical Engineer at Waterloo University and commenced his career with a start-up medical device idea that turned into a very successful global business today. After completing two significant exits, Ing devotes some of his spare time mentoring young start ups in the Life Science and Technology fields. As a consultant, Ing established “IngVentions Ltd” as a vehicle to help others in “Turning IDEAS into ACTION” because the results matter as much as the process of getting there. He has a wealth of experience in the technology of medical devices, product development, regulatory affairs, process mapping, real-time software development, business unit management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Ing Goping is an Expert Advisor at Innovation Factory and a business mentor at McMaster University’s The Forge. Ing’s professional journey started 34+ years ago when he graduated as an Electrical Engineer at Waterloo University and commenced his career with a start-up medical device idea that turned into a very successful global business today. After completing two significant exits, Ing devotes some of his spare time mentoring young start ups in the Life Science and Technology fields. As a consultant, Ing established “IngVentions Ltd” as a vehicle to help others in “Turning IDEAS into ACTION” because the results matter as much as the process of getting there. He has a wealth of experience in the technology of medical devices, product development, regulatory affairs, process mapping, real-time software development, business unit management, and mergers and acquisitions.

Dr. Hector is a Business Development Manager at McMaster Industry Liaison Office. In this role, she supports academia-to-industry technology transfer by evaluating technologies for intellectual property and commercial potential, managing patent applications, connecting with industry partners, and licensing. She also supports start-ups and the preparation of funding applications to Proof-of-Principle programs.

Dr. Hector is a Business Development Manager at McMaster Industry Liaison Office. In this role, she supports academia-to-industry technology transfer by evaluating technologies for intellectual property and commercial potential, managing patent applications, connecting with industry partners, and licensing. She also supports start-ups and the preparation of funding applications to Proof-of-Principle programs.

Dr. Anna Korol is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Education and Innovation at McMaster University. Her interdisciplinary work integrates health sciences, engineering, and entrepreneurship to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Notably, she created and teaches the Innovators in Scrubs course, which provides students with unique opportunities to engage in health technology innovation.

Dr. Korol’s teaching spans health engineering, entrepreneurship, eHealth, cell biology, clinical research, and statistics, with a strong emphasis on experiential and self-directed learning at all educational levels. Dr. Korol played a pivotal role in establishing the Master of Biomedical Innovation (MBI) program and now serves as its curriculum coordinator in addition to being the project course instructor.

Dr. Anna Korol is an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Education and Innovation at McMaster University. Her interdisciplinary work integrates health sciences, engineering, and entrepreneurship to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Notably, she created and teaches the Innovators in Scrubs course, which provides students with unique opportunities to engage in health technology innovation.

Dr. Korol’s teaching spans health engineering, entrepreneurship, eHealth, cell biology, clinical research, and statistics, with a strong emphasis on experiential and self-directed learning at all educational levels. Dr. Korol played a pivotal role in establishing the Master of Biomedical Innovation (MBI) program and now serves as its curriculum coordinator in addition to being the project course instructor.

Jean-Paul is a highly entrepreneurial, strategic-minded and effective business development/partnering executive and consultant to the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. His extensive experience spans nearly thirty years, and includes licensing, acquiring and divesting companies, products and technologies in major markets throughout the world, including the U.S. and Canada, Europe and Asia. Over the course of his career, Laurin has been involved in securing dozens of strategic agreements, totalling several billion dollars in deal value, and he is highly motivated to help students prepare their innovations for strategic partnering and commercial success.

Jean-Paul is a highly entrepreneurial, strategic-minded and effective business development/partnering executive and consultant to the global pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. His extensive experience spans nearly thirty years, and includes licensing, acquiring and divesting companies, products and technologies in major markets throughout the world, including the U.S. and Canada, Europe and Asia. Over the course of his career, Laurin has been involved in securing dozens of strategic agreements, totalling several billion dollars in deal value, and he is highly motivated to help students prepare their innovations for strategic partnering and commercial success.

Jesse Mastrangelo is a scientist, entrepreneur, and investor with skills and expertise in innovation design, business strategy, venture capital investment, and accelerator management. He is passionate about innovation and value creation, with specific interest in health systems and the longevity sector.

Currently the Program Manager, Investments and Venture Services at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, Mastrangelo is also a founding member of the Hamilton Health Sciences Patient Advisory Council.

Jesse Mastrangelo is a scientist, entrepreneur, and investor with skills and expertise in innovation design, business strategy, venture capital investment, and accelerator management. He is passionate about innovation and value creation, with specific interest in health systems and the longevity sector.

Currently the Program Manager, Investments and Venture Services at the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, Mastrangelo is also a founding member of the Hamilton Health Sciences Patient Advisory Council.

Dr. Peterson’s background includes extensive experience with Life Science/Biotech companies directly involved with therapeutic and technological innovations. He has over 10 years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic sectors primarily focused on commercialization of life science innovations. Peterson brings a depth of hands-on experience which includes expertise of regulatory environments for new therapeutics, to company creation and intellectual property protection.

Dr. Peterson’s background includes extensive experience with Life Science/Biotech companies directly involved with therapeutic and technological innovations. He has over 10 years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic sectors primarily focused on commercialization of life science innovations. Peterson brings a depth of hands-on experience which includes expertise of regulatory environments for new therapeutics, to company creation and intellectual property protection.

Bringing a wealth of expertise in design, manufacturing, process engineering, and project management to his position at McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI), Steven Remilli spearheads intricate industry projects with a dedication to delivering top-notch quality, timely results, and exceptional value to Industry Partners within the local manufacturing and innovation landscape. Before joining MMRI, Remilli gained extensive experience across diverse technical domains. He has contributed to manufacturing in military aerospace, managed capital projects for one of Canada’s largest food manufacturing firms, and delved into the design of automated handling systems for automotive OEMs, shaping his versatile skill set.

Bringing a wealth of expertise in design, manufacturing, process engineering, and project management to his position at McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI), Steven Remilli spearheads intricate industry projects with a dedication to delivering top-notch quality, timely results, and exceptional value to Industry Partners within the local manufacturing and innovation landscape. Before joining MMRI, Remilli gained extensive experience across diverse technical domains. He has contributed to manufacturing in military aerospace, managed capital projects for one of Canada’s largest food manufacturing firms, and delved into the design of automated handling systems for automotive OEMs, shaping his versatile skill set.

Rebecca Repa is the Executive Vice President of Clinical Support and Performance, University Health Network (UHN). Her portfolio includes executive responsibility for Arthritis, Altum Health, Commercial Strategy, FM-PRO (Facilities Management – Planning, Redevelopment & Operations), the Joint Department of Medical Imaging, the Laboratory Medicine Program, Multi-Organ Transplant, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Hospital Performance and Surgical Services.

Prior to joining UHN, Repa has held several senior leadership roles including: Vice President, Clinical Support and Surgery at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and President of St. Peters and Regional Rehabilitation. Rebecca also led Clinical Support and Capital Redevelopment at St. Joseph’s Healthcare.

She also holds a part-time associate professor appointment within the Department of Medicine at McMaster University.

Rebecca Repa is the Executive Vice President of Clinical Support and Performance, University Health Network (UHN). Her portfolio includes executive responsibility for Arthritis, Altum Health, Commercial Strategy, FM-PRO (Facilities Management – Planning, Redevelopment & Operations), the Joint Department of Medical Imaging, the Laboratory Medicine Program, Multi-Organ Transplant, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Hospital Performance and Surgical Services.

Prior to joining UHN, Repa has held several senior leadership roles including: Vice President, Clinical Support and Surgery at Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and President of St. Peters and Regional Rehabilitation. Rebecca also led Clinical Support and Capital Redevelopment at St. Joseph’s Healthcare.

She also holds a part-time associate professor appointment within the Department of Medicine at McMaster University.

Amir Sabour is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at McMaster University, focusing on AI applications in medical image analysis. He holds an Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering specialized in 3D multimodal medical image registration using reinforcement learning. He also has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), where he worked on analog integrated circuit design.

Following his undergraduate studies, Sabour pivoted to AI and deep learning, securing a position as an AI researcher and quantitative analyst at a finance trading startup. In this role, he implemented and evaluated deep neural network architectures and contributed to innovative deep learning projects focused on time-series analysis.

Sabour’s current research involves using discriminative models for disease detection and generative (diffusion) models for diagnostically valuable medical image generation. His expertise spans deep learning, image processing, and AI, with a focus on medical applications.

Amir Sabour is pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at McMaster University, focusing on AI applications in medical image analysis. He holds an Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering specialized in 3D multimodal medical image registration using reinforcement learning. He also has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), where he worked on analog integrated circuit design.

Following his undergraduate studies, Sabour pivoted to AI and deep learning, securing a position as an AI researcher and quantitative analyst at a finance trading startup. In this role, he implemented and evaluated deep neural network architectures and contributed to innovative deep learning projects focused on time-series analysis.

Sabour’s current research involves using discriminative models for disease detection and generative (diffusion) models for diagnostically valuable medical image generation. His expertise spans deep learning, image processing, and AI, with a focus on medical applications.

Mark brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the Life Sciences sector, with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and the Schulich School of Business. He has held senior roles at Novartis and Alcon, specializing in commercialization, fundraising, organizational transformation, and building cross-functional teams. In 2017, he founded Janus Life Sciences Consulting to guide entrepreneurs through early-stage strategy, fundraising, and commercialization.

Beyond consulting, Mark serves on numerous boards, teaches at the University of Toronto’s Master of Biotechnology program, and frequently speaks on health policy and the future of life sciences. His governance and advisory contributions span Life Sciences Ontario, Medtech Canada, Genome Quebec, and the Ontario Centre of Innovation, among others.

Mark brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in the Life Sciences sector, with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and the Schulich School of Business. He has held senior roles at Novartis and Alcon, specializing in commercialization, fundraising, organizational transformation, and building cross-functional teams. In 2017, he founded Janus Life Sciences Consulting to guide entrepreneurs through early-stage strategy, fundraising, and commercialization.

Beyond consulting, Mark serves on numerous boards, teaches at the University of Toronto’s Master of Biotechnology program, and frequently speaks on health policy and the future of life sciences. His governance and advisory contributions span Life Sciences Ontario, Medtech Canada, Genome Quebec, and the Ontario Centre of Innovation, among others.

Dr. Jon Stokes is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Stoked Bio and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. He holds a PhD in Microbial Chemical Biology and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), both from McMaster. From 2018 to 2020, he was a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where he deepened his expertise in antibiotic discovery.

Jon’s research focuses on the development and application of leading-edge machine learning techniques for novel drug discovery and design tasks, with an emphasis on antibacterial, antiviral, and neuro-oncology agents.

Dr. Jon Stokes is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Stoked Bio and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. He holds a PhD in Microbial Chemical Biology and a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), both from McMaster. From 2018 to 2020, he was a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where he deepened his expertise in antibiotic discovery.

Jon’s research focuses on the development and application of leading-edge machine learning techniques for novel drug discovery and design tasks, with an emphasis on antibacterial, antiviral, and neuro-oncology agents.