Meet the Team
We measure our impact by lives saved and improved quality of life.
At Certus Critical Care, we are driven by the clinical needs we see everyday–by the patients we save and those we’ve lost. Together, we are more than researchers and innovators; we are engineers, statisticians, bioinformaticists, physicians, and entrepreneurs. This unique mix of roles and expertise gives us personal and professional insight into the products we create, ensuring that our technologies aren’t just good–they’re the tool we’d reach for in a critical situation. Our team leverages intellect, creativity, and experience to develop products that we can use to help the patients we treat everyday.
Certus Founders
Meet the innovative, determined physician-scientists who created Certus Critical Care.
Austin Johnson, MD, PhD, FACEP
Chairman, President, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Johnson is an entrepreneur, physician and translational researcher with extensive experience in automated critical care, clinical study design, and clinical statistical analysis. With his research focus on novel devices and techniques for resuscitation and his background in neuroscience, Johnson brings a unique perspective to the company’s study of trauma injury. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City, Utah, specializing in emergency medicine. His insights into the clinical need for innovation in resuscitation paired with his depth of expertise in translational research make him an excellent leader for Certus.
Timothy Williams, MD, RPVI, FACS
Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Williams is a surgeon-scientist who combines research expertise in vascular physiology and tissue engineering with a deep background in mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. He is an Associate Professor of Vascular Surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in Winston-Salem, NC. As a vascular surgeon in the Air Force, he treated wounded soldiers and civilians alongside Dr. Neff, and those experiences led him to innovate new methods to treat critical injuries in difficult circumstances. With his combined experience and expertise, Williams is largely responsible for building the novel, lab-grade test equipment and initial prototypes used in Certus’s research.
Lucas Neff, MD, FACS
Chief Business Development Officer
Dr. Neff specializes in trauma, pediatric surgery, and regenerative medicine and has extensive research experience across multiple institutions, including developing new therapies with the goal of commercialization. Neff is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Brenner Children’s in Winston-Salem, NC. His interest in developing new critical care technologies stems from his time in the Air Force, when he treated military and civilian casualties during a deployment in Afghanistan, and has grown over his many years of treating children with traumatic injury or illness.
Jason Adams, MD, MS
Founder
Dr. Adams specializes in the research and treatment of critical illnesses, particularly septic shock and respiratory failure that require mechanical respiration. He is an Associate Professor and Director of Data and Analytics Strategy at UC Davis Health in Sacramento, CA. Adams uses his expertise in pulmonary medicine, critical care and health informatics to conduct highly-collaborative, team-based research to improve treatment for his patients and provides crucial insight into Certus’s technologies.
Certus Development Team
Kobi Iki, MS
Chief Operating Officer
Iki has more than 20 years of experience in the research and development of medical devices, as well as extensive experience in the regulatory process and commercialization of medical devices.
Stephen Spencer
Chief Financial Officer
Spencer is a senior financial manager with a background in financial analysis, internal controls, financial reporting, consolidations, technical accounting, and SEC reporting. Trained as senior auditor by PwC, he brings his passion for streamlining accounting processes and making improvements to his work.
Daniel Fong, PhD
Director of Software Development
Dr. Fong excels in electrical and firmware engineering and has a deep interest in creating medical devices that impact the real world. He leads the team that develops software for all Certus technologies, as well as research tools needed for testing and development.
David Poisner
Director of Engineering
Poisner has more than 30 years of experience in electrical engineering, including formerly holding the position of senior principal engineer at Intel Corporation. He also has a long track record of innovation, with more than 100 U.S. patents to his name.
Nidhi Sullivan, MSc
Director of Quality
Sullivan’s experience in the medical device industry includes work on products that range from hand-held devices to capital equipment. As a ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, she directs quality assurance processes and standards, resulting in high-quality products that comply with national and international requirements.
Patrick Kolbay, PhD
Mechanical Engineer
Dr. Kolbay is a biomedical engineer, offering expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as a regulatory and quality background. He specializes in the creation of testing rigs for verification and the manufacturing process.
Roy Daniel
Software Engineer
Daniel provides more than 20 years of firmware and advanced graphic user interface construction to the team.
Mike Drues, PhD
Consultant, Regulatory Specialist
Dr. Drues is a world-renowned medical device regulatory consultant, specializing in vascular devices. He assists Certus in developing FDA-compliant technologies.
Advisory Board
Maria Aboytes, PhD
Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Medina Medical, Inc.
Dr. Aboytes is an internationally-recognized engineer and serial entrepreneur in stroke-related medical devices.
John Blood, MBA
Chief Financial Officer at Axcient
Blood is an experienced entrepreneur and has served as chief financial officer for multiple medical device companies and distributors.
Colonel Joseph Dubose, USAF, Ret., MD, FACS, FACCM
Professor of Surgery, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin
A triple board certified vascular surgeon, trauma surgeon, and surgical intensivist, Dr. Dubose is an international leader in endovascular resuscitation and management for trauma.
Sean Harrington, MBA
Chief Executive Officer, Optimus Ride
Harrington is a serial entrepreneur and has more than 10 years of leadership experience in a variety of tech companies.
Robbie Lendrum
Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Consultant, London’s Air Ambulance
Lendrum is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and endovascular resuscitation researcher with expertise in critical care and pre-hospital care.
William Mavity
Board Member, FesariusTherapeutics
As a serial entrepreneur and chief executive officer of multiple medical device companies, Mavity has extensive experience with company formation, mergers and acquisitions, and initial public offerings.
Sam Sadek
Team Lead, Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), London Air Ambulance
Sadek is an emergency medicine physician and endovascular resuscitation researcher with expertise in pre-hospital care.
JD Simpson
Vice President of Marketing, Insightec
Simpson is a serial entrepreneur and provides the team with deep expertise in endovascular device sales.
David Upchurch, MBA
DigiLIfe Angel Fund U.S. and Vice President of Technical Operations, Angion
Upchurch has more than 30 years of experience in the life sciences industry, concentrating in pharmaceuticals and associated supply chains. He is also an active investor in medical device and digital medicine companies, with an interest in advancing access to care.
Board of Directors
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![Austin Johnson, MD, PhD]()
Austin Johnson, MD, PhD
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HEALTH / FOUNDER, CERTUS CRITICAL CARE
As Certus President and Chairman of the Board, Dr. Johnson leverages his insights into development, the regulatory process, commercialization, and fundraising to guide the company.
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![Cynthia Tsai]()
Cynthia Tsai
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, TANA SYSTEMS
Tsai is a serial entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in finance, including deal structuring and fundraising.
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![Bobba Venkatadri]()
Bobba Venkatadri
DIGILIFE ANGEL FUND U.S. / GENERAL PARTNER, VENTUREAST
Venkatadri brings his past experiences as the head of development for multiple pharmaceutical companies and as the current head of a subsidiary of the largest venture capital group in India to his position on the board.
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![Lucas Neff, MD]()
Lucas Neff, MD
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, ATRIUM HEALTH WAKE FOREST BAPTIST / FOUNDER, CERTUS CRITICAL CARE
Former USAF surgeon and practicing surgeon, Dr. Neff specializes in non-dilutive funding mechanisms and directs corporate strategy for development and commercialization.
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![Brigadier General Larry Lunt, UTANG, Ret.]()
Brigadier General Larry Lunt, UTANG, Ret.
LUNT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
Lunt brings a wealth of contacts and organizational leadership experience to the board from both his service in the Utah Air National Guard and from managing a successful private wealth management firm.
Our Story
You’ve met the team. Now get to know the company and learn where our founders got their passion.
Our Research