About Us
Leadership
O2M team is the world leader in the field of oxygen imaging and its application to biomedical fields and has extensive and complementary expertise in medicine, biology, bioengineering, physics, instrumentation, software, business development, fund raising, and outreach activities.
Mrignayani Kotecha, PhD
PRESIDENT and CEO
Dr. Mrignayani Kotecha is a founding member and CEO of O2M Technologies, LLC. In this role, Dr. Kotecha leads business strategy, execution, and development while maintaining the company’s unique culture of innovation in the field of EPR imaging, instrumentation, spin-probes, and its applications to biomedical problems in cancer, neurology, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Beyond her administrative, scientific, and fiduciary roles, Dr. Kotecha enjoys serving as an active educator and mentor with a passion for supporting the growth of the young generation of responsible scientists and citizens. Dr. Kotecha has a Ph.D. in Physics and post-doctoral and faculty experience at leading institutions around the world spanning three continents prior to O2M. She is the lead editor of the 2017 Wiley book “Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Tissue Engineering” and a guest editor for the special issue of “Molecular Imaging and Biology” about “Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging and Applications to Biomedical Sciences," which is expected to be released in April 2024. Dr. Kotecha received the 2024 C. William Hall Award from the “Society For Biomaterials.”
Boris Epel, PhD
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
Dr. Boris Epel is an inventor of the core oxygen imaging technology and a founding member of the company. Dr. Epel brings his 25+ years of experience in EPR imaging technology that includes hardware, software, instrumentation, and methodology to advance the technical development of products in the company. His experience and insight into the magnetic resonance experiments have enabled the present new developments in pulsed EPR oxygen imaging, particularly in the realm of electron spin echo imaging. He is the developer of propriety software for EPR spectroscopic and image acquisition, SpecMan4EPR. He is also a professor of the Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology at the University of Chicago. His recent published shows the first-ever proof of oxygen guided radiation therapy in a mammal cancer model.
Howard J. Halpern, MD, PhD
BOARD MEMBER
Dr. Howard J. Halpern is an inventor of the core oxygen imaging technology and a founding member of the company. He is a professor of the Department of Radiation and Cell Oncology at the University of Chicago. He is a pioneer of EPR oximetry with over 35+ years of experience in the field of oximetry. He is also a practicing oncologist. He has particular expertise in tumor physiology and in vivo oxygen measurements. He also brings insight into cancer physiology and the clinical application of oxygen measurements from his role as a practicing physician.
Advisory Team
O2M’s advisory team members bring complementary and additional expertise to the team.
Pradeep Chintagunta, PhD
Dr. Pradeep Chintagunta is Joseph T and Bernice S Lewis distinguished service professor of marketing at the University of Chicago Booth School. He has specific experience in the marketing practices of small businesses in emerging economies. He advises the O2M team on marketing and fund-raising strategies.
Dr. Harold Swartz MD, PhD, MSPH
Dr. Harold Swartz MD, PhD, MSPH, is a professor of radiology at Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine. He has specific experience with clincial translation of EPR spectroscopic oxygen measurements. He advises the team on regulatory affairs.
Viresh Rawal, PhD
Dr. Viresh Rawal is a professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago. His research group aims at discovering new ways to make complex molecules and developing broadly effective methods for chemical synthesis, with a focus on enantioselective methods. Dr. Rawal is advising O2M on trityl OX071 and related molecule synthesis.
Marty Pagel, PhD
Dr. Marty Pagel is a Professor in the Departments of Cancer Systems Imaging and Imaging Physics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Pagel’s research focuses on EPR imaging, CEST MRI, PET/MRI, photoacoustic imaging, for studies of tumor hypoxia, acidosis, vascular perfusion and enzyme activity.
Matthew Rosen, PhD
Dr. Matt Rosen is an assistant professor at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Harvard Medical School. His specific expertise is in low field MRI and application of machine learning, dynamic nuclear polarization, and artificial intelligence to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in low field MRI.
Periannan Kuppusamy, PhD
Dr. Kuppusamy is a tenured Professor in the Department of Radiology and Department of Medicine at Darmouth College. His research interests include free radicals, oxygen and oxygen biology in cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Research Collaborators
A diverse network of researchers use our technology, increasing their efficiency towards a cure
Carl Simon, PhD
Dr. Simon is a biologist in the Biomaterials Group at the National Institute of Standards & Technology. He leads projects on characterization of tissue engineered medical products, cell-material interactions and tissue engineering scaffolds.
Corinne Hoesli, PhD
Dr. Corinne Hoesli is the head of the Stem Cell Bioprocessing Laboratory at McGill University. Her research aims are devoping bioprocesses to produce and transplant therapeutic cells to treat diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Mathew Mathew, PhD
Dr. Mathew is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Science at UIC School of Medicine, leading the Disability Research Lab. He investigates artificial joint simulations, biomechanics and tribocorrosion aspects of implant biomaterials in dentistry and orthopedics.
Paul Buehler, PhD
Dr. Buehler is a pharmacologist and toxicologist who utilizes both applied and mechanistic approaches to understand aberrant red blood cell biology. In 2019 he founded the Center for Blood Oxygen Transport and Hemostasis (CBOTH) to study markers of oxygen homeostasis and erythropoiesis with oxygen measurements techniques.
Joshua Biller, PhD
Dr. Biller is a Principal Chemist at TDA Research, Inc. in Golden, CO. He is currently leading an NCI SBIR Phase I project to develop an in-vivo EPR imaging agent for clinical use.
Gal Shafirstein, PhD
Dr. Shafirstein is Professor of Oncology in the Department of Cell Stress Biology and Director of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Clinical Research. His work focuses on treatment planning and light dosimetry for interstitial and intraoperative PDT or chemophototherapy for patients with locally advanced head neck cancer, lung, breast, colorectal or liver cancer.
Martyna Elas, PhD
Dr. Elas holds the position of Professor at the Department of Biophysics at Jagiellonian University. Her research is centered on investigating the tumor microenvironment, such as intratumoral pressure, perfusion, and oxygen partial pressure, and how it interfaces with various biological factors. Her major interest is developing imaging methodology approach to advance this field of study.
Joseph P. Y. Kao, PhD
Dr. Joe Kao is a Professor of Physiology and Associate Director of the Center for Biomedical
Engineering and Technology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. His research focuses on the development of molecular probes for use in optical imaging and manipulation of cellular physiology, and in magnetic modalities (EPR, MRI).
Benoit Driesschaert, PhD
Dr. Benoit Driesschaert is an Assistant Professor at West Virginia University, School of Pharmacy. His expertise is in the development of biocompatible and stable triarylmethyl radicals as EPR spin probes and non-metallic contrast agents for MRI
Dang Thuy Tram, PhD
Dr Dang Thuy Tram is Assistant Professor at the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Dr Dang’s research leverages fundamental understanding of the interaction between biomaterials and the immune systems to design novel immuno-modulatory biomaterials and therapeutic delivery systems for the treatment of diabetes and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Yvonne Mowery, MD, PhD
Dr. Mowery holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research primarily revolves around fundamental and translational investigations in the domain of head and neck cancer. Dr. Mowery also leads an investigator-initiated, multi-institutional trial, assessing the potential of pembrolizumab in combination with a radiosensitizing agent and radiation therapy for the treatment of recurrent head and neck cancer.
Sandra Eaton, PhD
Dr. Sandra Eaton is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Denver.
Her research interests include in vivo electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), improving the sensitivity of EPR detection, and understanding and applying mechanisms of electron spin relaxation.
Gareth Eaton, PhD
Dr. Gareth Eaton is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Denver. His research interests include the development of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) instrumentation including EPR development at low frequencies, and understanding and applying mechanisms of electron spin relaxation.
Alan McMillan, PhD
Dr. Alan B. McMillan is a Professor of Clinical Health Sciences within the Department of Radiology and Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently the Lab Director of the Molecular Imaging/Magnetic Resonance Technology Lab (MIMRTL), where the team’s focus is to integrate advanced modeling, data science, and physics-based approaches to improve MRI and PET imaging techniques.