Tom Andriacchi, PhD is a co-inventor of KneeMo™ He is an emeritus professor at Stanford University and is one of the founders of SomaTX Design The principles of The KneeMo® emerge from his experience that comes from more than 40 years of research on the biomechanics of the knee focused on solving clinical problems ranging from sports injury to osteoarthritis. His research at the intersections of mechanics and orthopedics has been translated to numerous practical solutions to clinical issues ranging from the design of total joint replacement for treating end stage osteoarthritis to a shoe design to reduce stress on painful knees while walking. In addition, he is the author of more than 220 original scientific papers, more than 500 abstracts and numerous book chapters. His research has been recognized by international awards from both engineering and medical societies as recently as 2019 with the Kappa Delta award from the Orthopedic Research Society and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Osteoarthritis Research Society International in 2020.
Officers
Tom Andriacchi, PhD
President, Chairman, Board of Directors
Jenny Hledik, PhD
Chief Technical Officer, Board of Directors
Jenny Hledik, PhD is a co-inventor of KneeMo™. Jenny has over 15 years of experience in musculoskeletal research, non-invasive medical device design and testing, biomechanical analysis, and clinical trial design and study management. Her orthopedic research has focused on understanding musculoskeletal injuries and the development of non-invasive interventions to treat them. Jenny has held positions as an Instructor at Stanford University in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Research Engineer at Stanford University and the Veterans Affairs Hospital, and clinical study manager at a medical device company. Jenny earned her PhD and Master of Science at Stanford University in Mechanical Engineering, and her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University.
Doreen Andriacchi, MS
Secretary, Board of Directors
Doreen Andriacchi has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and has published on topics related to the science behind KneeMo™ as well as organization skills and familiarity with Nevada Regulatory Statutes. She has worked as an EMT and in an orthopedic practice giving her experience in direct interaction with patients. She has experience serving as a member of a board of directors (secretary) of a local HOA and working in an executive position at a start -up company Computerized Functional Testing Corporation that received SBIR funding. Doreen earned her Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois at Chicago and her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Purdue University.
SDI Advisory Team
Arielle Fischer, PhD
Advisory Team Member
Arielle Fischer, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Technion- Israel Institution of Technology in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and is the head of the Biomechanics & Wearable Technology Lab. Arielle conducted post doctorate at Stanford University during which she led the first clinical trial of KneeMo™. Arielle’s expertise focuses on designing, developing, and manufacturing biomechanical interventions including smart wearable devices that treat osteoarthritis, soft tissue injuries and muscle-skeletal dysfunction. Prior to SomaTX Arielle worked on several interventions for improving joint motion and loading patterns including body weight unloading devices and orthotics. Arielle studied for her BSc in Biomedical Engineering at MIT and Technion and holds an MSc and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Technion.
Jessica Asay, MS
Advisory Team Member
Jessica Asay is a research engineer with Stanford University, with over 15 years of experience collecting and analyzing human motion. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of knee pain while walking, understanding the effects of knee injury and osteoarthritis on knee joint mechanics, biology, and cartilage structure, and the testing and development of non-invasive treatments for knee osteoarthritis. Ms. Asay earned her Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Portland.
John Bonitati, MS
Advisory Team Member
John Bonitati has 30 years of experience working in marketing in the orthopaedic device space. He has been involved in many worldwide development projects in total hip, knee and shoulder implants and bone cement and related accessories. John has extensive upstream and downstream marketing experience and product management from initiation through the all phases of the product life cycle. He has experience providing healthcare professional and internal company support for patient specific knee instrumentation as the technical marketing director for this technology. John graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from State University of New York at Buffalo and Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California in Physical Therapy.
A network of Colleagues provides advice to SDI with a broad range of expertise in intellectual property, FDA compliance, marketing, clinical needs, and business management.