About Us

BioStable Science & Engineering is a cardiovascular device company focused on developing and commercializing proprietary valve repair technologies that provide an alternative to valve replacement for patients with aortic valve disease. The company’s HAART Aortic Repair Technologies are designed to simplify and standardize aortic valve repair, enabling surgeons to offer the recognized clinical benefits of valve repair to patients undergoing surgical correction of aortic insufficiency or aortic root aneurysm.

To learn more about BioStable Science and Engineering, visit www.biostable-s-e.com.

Management

John Wheeler joined BioStable Science & Engineering as President & CEO in September 2015. Under John’s leadership, BioStable has obtained regulatory approvals and initiated a successful commercial launch of its technologies in the U.S. and Europe. Over his 25 year career in the medical device industry, john has held numerous leadership roles in both start-up and leading global medical device corporations. From 2005 to 2013, John served as Director of Product Development and Marketing for Austin, Texas based start-up Spinal Restoration, Inc. where John helped lead the company from early preclinical development to completion of a Phase 3 Investigational New Drug study. Prior to Spinal Restoration, John was the Director of U.S. Knee Marketing for Zimmer and held various marketing and product development roles during his 8 year career at Sulzer Orthopedics. John has extensive business strategy development and new technology commercialization expertise. John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Business Administration from Baylor University.

Julie Thomas has over 29 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device fields. She spent 20 years with Johnson & Johnson advancing through positions in quality, manufacturing and engineering, and ultimately served as plant manager for the McNeil Consumer Healthcare facility in Round Rock, TX. During her J&J career, she launched over 17 new products and managed the start-up of a new manufacturing technology in both the Austin and Puerto Rico plants. Julie has held quality and regulatory positions at several medical device start-up companies developing products for IVD, vision and spine applications. Since April 2011, Julie has served as an independent consultant supporting regulatory and quality initiatives for clients in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries. She has a BS degree in chemistry and biology from Stephen F. Austin State University and an MS in Manufacturing Management from Kettering University. She is a Certified Quality Engineer and holds six sigma black belt certification.

J. Scott Rankin, MD is currently Professor of Surgery at the West Virginia University Heart & Vascular Institute. Dr. Rankin is Board Certified with the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He is a member of the STS, AATS, ACS, and AHA. Dr. Rankin received a B.S. degree from Middle Tennessee State University and his M.D. from the University of Tennessee. He trained at the University of Alabama under John W. Kirklin MD, and in general and cardiothoracic surgery at Duke University under David C. Sabiston Jr MD. He has served on the faculties of surgery at Duke University, University of California San Francisco (Professor and Chief, Cardiothoracic Surgery), and Vanderbilt University. His current primary research goal is expanding application of valve repair procedures to all cardiac valves.

Board of Directors

Dave has worked with the partners of Solas BioVentures Fund since 2004 and was a founding member of the fund in 2014. He currently focuses on investments in medical device and therapeutic companies. Board certified in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Hypertension, with special expertise in Critical Care, Dave is a long-time physician, educator, administrator, innovator, and biotech/med-tech investor with nearly 20 years of experience in angel and venture investing. Dave recently retired from his position as Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Dave also retired from clinical practice after a 30 year career. Dave received a BS in Biology from Morehead State University, where he is Hall of Fame member, is a recent graduate from University Tennessee Chattanooga with his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare and earned his medical degree from the Joan C. Edwards College of Medicine at Marshall University in 1990. He completed residency at the University of Florida Health Science Center and Fellowship training at Wake Forest University.

Joe Cunningham is Managing Director and founding partner of Santé Ventures, an early-stage life science and healthcare venture firm in Austin, Texas. Prior to founding Santé, Joe was a healthcare Venture Partner with Austin Ventures and was previously the Vice Chair of the Ascension Health Ventures investment committee. He is also the former Chief Medical Officer of the Providence Health System and Executive Director of the 300-physician Providence Health Alliance, both of which belong to the Ascension Health system. He has extensive management experience and is recognized nationally for his expertise in healthcare delivery systems, physician associations and compensation models. Joe currently serves on advisory boards for both Health Services Corporation (BC/BS) and United Healthcare. He is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Quality Assurance and Peer Review. Joe received his BS and MD degrees from Texas A&M University and his MBA from Baylor University.

David Strong became president and CEO of Orlando Health on April 9, 2015. Orlando Health is one of Florida’s most comprehensive private, not-for-profit healthcare organizations. Since 1918, Orlando Health has been part of Central Florida, growing from a single hospital into an award-winning organization with $5.6 billion of assets under management. The system spans nine Florida counties with nearly 450 locations that include 13 wholly-owned or affiliated hospitals and emergency departments; rehabilitation services, cancer centers, imaging and laboratory services and wound care centers; more than 300 physician offices for adults and pediatrics; and 11 urgent care centers in partnership with CareSpot Urgent Care. With nearly 20,500 employees, it is one of the region’s largest employers.

Orlando Health continues to receive some of the most prestigious national accolades in healthcare, including Best Hospital awards from U.S. News & World Report and Fortune Magazine, Top Hospital awards from the patient safety advocates at The Leapfrog Group and Beacon Awards for excellence at the patient bedside from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
The organization also owns Orlando Health Strategic Innovations, an innovation platform that includes a corporate venture fund that invests in promising early-stage healthcare companies from around the world.

David currently serves as a vice chair of the Christus Health Board in Dallas, TX, chairing the Finance and Strategy Committee, and serving on the Executive and Governance Committees. He is vice chair of the Teaching Hospital Council of Florida and chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s Central Florida Regional Board. In addition, David is on the boards of BioStable Science & Engineering, Inc. in Austin, TX, the Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida (also serving on the Executive Committee), the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Hospital Association.

John Wheeler has more than 20 years of experience in the medical device industry having held numerous leadership roles in both start-up and leading global medical device corporations. From 2005 to 2013, John served as Director of Product Development and Marketing for Austin, Texas based start-up Spinal Restoration, Inc. where John helped lead the company from early preclinical development to completion of a Phase 3 Investigational New Drug study. Prior to Spinal Restoration, John was the Director of U.S. Knee Marketing for Zimmer and held various marketing and product development roles during his 8 year career at Sulzer Orthopedics. John has extensive business strategy development and new technology commercialization expertise. John earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Business Administration from Baylor University.