About Us - Syntropic Medical

Our team

Mark is co-founder and CEO of Syntropic Medical, bringing a strong technical background to the role. While studying Physics at the University of Galway, Ireland, he earned a research fellowship in the Translational Medical Device (TMD) Lab, where he immersed himself in the medical device innovation ecosystem. His contributions earned him recognition as one of Ireland’s Leading Innovative Engineers. Following his studies, he founded his first neurotech venture-backed company- an experience that proved invaluable in shaping Syntropic Medical into what it is today. Beyond his work at Syntropic, Mark is also highly active in the volunteering and innovation space with his director role at Sigma Squared Society.

Alessandro is co-founder and Head of Research of Syntropic Medical, where he spearheads research advancements, drawing on his extensive experience in Neurophysiology.

He studied Biomedicine at the University of Pavia (Italy) and obtained a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Neurophysiology working on the role of microglia in the central auditory pathway. He then moved to the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), in the group of Prof. Siegert as a research scientist. At ISTA, Alessandro advanced his research in Prof. Siegert’s group, using imaging and electrophysiology to study microglia-neuron interactions in healthy and pathological conditions. He further expanded his expertise through international experiences as a visiting scientist at Femtonics (Budapest) and MIT (Cambridge, USA).

Jack O’Keeffe, co-founder and CTO of Syntropic Medical, holds a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from University College Dublin and has extensive experience in medical device development, having worked with industry leaders like Baxter and Johnson & Johnson. He further honed his expertise through the Novo Nordisk Foundation Fellowship Programme in Biomedical Design, collaborating with top physicians to tackle real-world challenges in neurology and neurosurgery. As a result, his hands-on experience in needs-led innovation and development strategy has been instrumental in shaping Syntropic Medical’s approach to product development.

Dr. Sandra Siegert is a co-founder and Scientific Advisor at Syntropic Medical. She earned her Ph.D. in Neurobiology at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) in Basel, Switzerland, and received HFSP and SNSF fellowships for postdoctoral research at MIT, where she uncovered key mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. In 2015, she joined ISTA as an independent Assistant Professor with an ERC Starting Grant, earning tenure in 2023. Throughout her career, Dr. Siegert has driven innovative technology development, resulting in two patent applications: one with Novartis during her Ph.D. and another at ISTA for the discovery that 60-Hz stimulation reduces perineuronal nets, unlocking new brain functionalities. This breakthrough led to the founding of Syntropic Medical GmbH.

Maria Teresa is a Neuroscientist and science advocate, bringing 20+ years of global experience in brain research to Syntropic Medical in her role of Clinical Development Lead. She holds a PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics from McGill University (Canada) and a post-doc at the University of Zurich (Switzerland). In 2016, she co-founded the ‘Women’s Brain Project’ (WBP) a non-profit exploring the impact of sex and gender on brain and mental health for precision medicine. She is faculty member of the Certificate for Advanced Studies in Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich, an affiliated researcher at the Center of Alzheimer Research at Karolinska, an External Teacher at the Medical University in Vienna and a Fellow of The European Academy of Neurology.

Amin is a Research and Development Engineer at Syntropic, with a background in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Tehran.

With over six years of experience in deep learning, signal processing, systems neuroscience, software development, and hardware prototyping, he enjoys diving into new technologies and tackling complex challenges. Amin has researched the effects of 40Hz flickering light on both healthy individuals and Alzheimer’s Disease patients in the past, using EEG, fMRI and signal processing techniques. Amin is responsible for designing, implementing, and deploying a cohesive hardware, software, data, and AI infrastructure for Syntropic.

Friederike is a Scientist and Biomedical Researcher at Syntropic Medical. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, where she investigated translational regulation mechanisms across different stages of life and cellular development, publishing her findings in renowned scientific journals, including Nature (Leesch, Lorenzo-Orts et al., 2023). Her research spans from studying molecular interactions to understanding their effects on entire organisms. Driven by a desire to explore new research areas and apply her scientific expertise, Friederike joined Syntropic Medical in the summer of 2024.

Francesca is a Medical Doctor and Entrepreneur. At Syntropic Francesca collaborates closely with the CEO, driving business development and managing the company’s daily operations. Leveraging her medical background, she engages with key stakeholders to understand their needs and develop a strong market understanding. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Padua, Italy, and gained a dynamic blend of experiences that span medical research (Airlangga University), venture capital (Nina Capital), start-ups (DUB Therapeutics), and health policy (School of Politics) across different countries and institutional settings. This unique skills-set empowers her to play a crucial role in driving Syntropic’s successful market entry and adoption.

Federica Montrone is a Medical Device Engineer at Syntropic Medical GmbH. Previously, she was a Product Engineer at WISE SpA, where she contributed to the development of a patented electrotherapy device for neuromodulation, overseeing design, testing, and regulatory processes. Federica holds a summa cum laude Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, with research at the University of Basel. Her award-winning master’s thesis on cardiac tissue engineering contributed to multiple publications and earned national recognition.

Board of Advisors

Dr. Leigh Charvet is a professor of neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and directs the tDCS program at NYU Langone Health. With nearly 30 years of experience in clinical neuropsychology, she has led advancements in improving the quality of life for patients with chronic neurological and psychiatric conditions through innovative technologies. She pioneered the home-based use of noninvasive brain stimulation, developing a system for remotely supervised tDCS (RS-tDCS). With over 10 years of experience using this home-based delivery, she has led investigations to advance the clinical applications of stimulation, including the treatment of depression and other psychiatric disorders, and support for cognitive, motor, and speech recovery in neurological conditions. In 2019, she established the first tDCS telehealth program in the U.S. at NYU Langone Health, expanding access to this treatment. Before joining NYU, Dr. Charvet worked in neurology at Stony Brook Medicine and in the CNS division at Johnson & Johnson. She earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt University.

Troy Dale is a seasoned Pharmacologist with over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, spanning three continents and all aspects of the customer-facing value chain, including Development, Marketing, Market Access and Policy, and Sales. For the past decade, Troy has led a team at Novartis focused on identifying and evaluating disruptive technologies in healthcare, especially within Neuroscience, ensuring that the organization remains ahead of the curve in understanding emerging innovations. He currently serves as Head of Commercial Strategic Partnerships at Novartis, where he drives collaborations to enhance value across global healthcare ecosystems. Troy is also Chairman of the Board at Cellbricks GmbH, a Berlin-based tissue therapeutics company, and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Ochre Bio. Additionally, he leads Biopharma assessments for the Springboard Health Angels Group.

Fionn Lahart is the co-founder and CEO of LUMA Vision, a MedTech company that is pioneering a state-of-the-art cardiac navigation and imaging platform that harnesses advanced digital imaging and deep learning to deliver unprecedented data at the point of therapy. With extensive experience in technical, commercial, and leadership roles, Fionn has spent 20 years at the vanguard of healthcare and innovation, holding positions at companies such as AltaScience, Vasorum, Yvolution, Nypro Healthcare, and FIRE1. As the CEO of LUMA Vision, Fionn has secured $50M in funding, led by top MedTech venture capital firms in Europe, and expanded and scaled the company to a global team of over 60 with bases in Dublin and Munich. Furthermore, Fionn serves on the Board of The Irish Medtech Association, the steering committee of Scale Ireland, is a Fellow at BioInnovate Ireland and was awarded the EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year in 2022.