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Living well with Parkinson's

gaitQ is a spinout from the University of Oxford that has its roots in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG) and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME). Our team is focussed on improving the lives of those with Parkinson's.

Around 45% of people with Parkinson's eventually develop gait-freezing, an intermittent failure to initiate or maintain walking – often described as the most debilitating symptom of the disease. gaitQ's first product is a cueing device that helps individuals overcome gait-freezing episodes and maintain their levels of activity for longer. gaitQ features personalised, adaptive cueing during periods of gait-freezing in a discrete, unobtrusive device. A recent clinical study has demonstrated preliminary efficacy results showing a reduction in gait-freezing events of 55%, a reduction of freeze duration of 73%, and an overall improvement in walking metrics.

Meet the team

gaitQ

Board

Advisors

Simon Godwin is the Chair

Simon Godwin

Chair

Simon was CFO of Fundsmith, a London-based equity fund with £26bn under management, which he helped found in 2010. As an experienced senior leader in finance he is focussed on companies facing a period of strategic development. Formerly an investment banker, Simon has a strong knowledge of capital markets and M&A. He is passionate about science, is a Trustee of The Royal Institution and Patron of the Science Museum.

Dr Tristan Collins is the CEO

Dr Tristan Collins

CEO

Tristan joined gaitQ as CEO in 2019. He has over 15 years' experience as an executive and entrepreneur, with a background in business strategy, early-stage technologies and engineering. He holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

Dr Dongli Li is the VP Technology - Electronics & Patient Interface

Dr Dongli Li

VP Technology - Electronics & Patient Interface

Dongli is a biomedical engineer with a PhD in Healthcare Innovation (University of Oxford) and two BEngs in Electronics Engineering (University of Birmingham) and Communication System Engineering (Huazhong University of Science and Technology). She has over four years' of postdoctoral experience in computational neuron biomechanics and gait initiation in people with Parkinson's. Dongli has extensive experience in the Parkinson's field. It was this first-hand experience of interacting with people with Parkinson's that motivated her to develop a solution to improve the lives of people with Parkinson's.

Dr Dongli Li is the Founder Director

Dr Dongli Li

Founder Director

Dongli is a biomedical engineer with a PhD in Healthcare Innovation (University of Oxford) and two BEngs in Electronics Engineering (University of Birmingham) and Communication System Engineering (Huazhong University of Science and Technology). She has over four years' of postdoctoral experience in computational neuron biomechanics and gait initiation in people with Parkinson's. Dongli has extensive experience in the Parkinson's field. It was this first-hand experience of interacting with people with Parkinson's that motivated her to develop a solution to improve the lives of people with Parkinson's.

Dr André Hallack is the VP Technology - Software & Analytics

Dr André Hallack

VP Technology - Software & Analytics

Andre is an electrical engineer with expertise in machine learning and software development. He developed the core algorithms for the gaitQ system, including state-of-the-art machine learning software and gait analytics methods. He is author of more than 10 papers and 2 international patent applications. Andre has a PhD degree in healthcare innovation (University of Oxford) and over a decade of experience spanning both academic (gait analysis for people with Parkinson's and automatic medical image analysis) and industrial appointments (artificial intelligence for medical image processing).

Dr André Hallack is the Founder Director

Dr André Hallack

Founder Director

Andre is an electrical engineer with expertise in machine learning and software development. He developed the core algorithms for the gaitQ system, including state-of-the-art machine learning software and gait analytics methods. He is author of more than 10 papers and 2 international patent applications. Andre has a PhD degree in healthcare innovation (University of Oxford) and over a decade of experience spanning both academic (gait analysis for people with Parkinson's and automatic medical image analysis) and industrial appointments (artificial intelligence for medical image processing).

Dr James Cantley is the Advisor

Dr James Cantley

Advisor

James is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee School of Medicine. Prior to this James was an RD Lawrence Fellow, funded by Diabetes UK, a Research Fellow at Wolfson College and a Lecturer in Medicine at Christ Church, all at the University of Oxford. His current research interests revolve around diabetes. James has over 18 years' research experience. He is an experienced scientist / physiologist who has developed innovative / commercial angles in several projects. He was the principal investigator in the clinical investigation conducted at the University of Oxford to test the efficacy of our technology. He is also a co-founder of OxStem Beta, an innovative drug discovery spin-out.

Dr James Cantley is the Founder Director

Dr James Cantley

Founder Director

James is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Dundee School of Medicine. Prior to this James was an RD Lawrence Fellow, funded by Diabetes UK, a Research Fellow at Wolfson College and a Lecturer in Medicine at Christ Church, all at the University of Oxford. His current research interests revolve around diabetes. James has over 18 years' research experience. He is an experienced scientist / physiologist who has developed innovative / commercial angles in several projects. He was the principal investigator in the clinical investigation conducted at the University of Oxford to test the efficacy of our technology. He is also a co-founder of OxStem Beta, an innovative drug discovery spin-out.

University of Oxford is the Investor

University of Oxford

Investor

Innovation Fund (V) managed by Parkwalk Advisors

British Growth Fund is the Investor

British Growth Fund

Investor

Dr Vojtĕch Forejt is the VP Systems Architecture

Dr Vojtĕch Forejt

VP Systems Architecture

Vojtěch's expertise is software, its architecture and in AI. He is trained in theoretical computer science and in law, and was a Professor in Computer Science at the University of Oxford before leaving to help found Diffblue, an AI startup that raised £17.5 million Series A funding. Since then he's worked with several other software start-ups. A unifying theme in Vojtěch's projects, both academic and industry, is working in regulated and safety-critical areas.

Ben Wensley Stock is the VP Regulatory & Quality

Ben Wensley Stock

VP Regulatory & Quality

Ben is a healthcare and medical device technology / process innovator and problem solver with international regulatory experience. He is experienced in leading device design, manufacture and release of Class II medical devices and regulatory approval for international markets. He is a certified ISO 13485:2016 auditor to ISO 19011. Ben has international data security and privacy expertise including EU GDPR and HIPAA. He has experience in NHS, EU, US and HIPAA information, security and risk management standards, and has certified risk management qualifications to ISO 27001 and ISO 14971.

Abel Perez-Crespillo is the VP Product

Abel Perez-Crespillo

VP Product

Abel has over 20 years' experience in programme, project and product management, including 6 years in the Digital Health sector. He helps bring positive change through product innovation. Abel has a MBA from the University of Liverpool.

Enrico D'Angelo is the Investment Director

Enrico D'Angelo

Investment Director

Enrico is CFO of Parkwalk Advisors. He qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse before working for Clifford Chance, JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch where he worked in COO, CFO and strategy roles.

Adam Workman is the Board Observer

Adam Workman

Board Observer

Adam is the Head of Investments & New Ventures at Oxford University Innovation and is responsible for a spinout portfolio of over 130 companies. He liaises with early stage investors through the Oxford Angel Network, investing in new technologies through Oxford University Innovation’s Proof of Concept funds and advising on the Parkwalk Oxford Innovation Fund I, II and III.

Richard Auburn is the Board Observer

Richard Auburn

Board Observer

Richard is Senior Licensing & Ventures Manager at Oxford University Innovation. He guided the spin-out process and is the day-to-day contact within OUI.