imaginostics

Tackling unmet clinical needs in non-invasive quantitative diagnostics

About Imaginostics

Imaginostics is a health tech startup developing a breakthrough longevity technology for precision medicine located in Lake Nona Medical City, Orlando, FL. The company’s QUTE-CE MRI methodology provides vascular imaging biomarkers that can non-invasively assay vascular structure and function in high resolution anywhere in the body, providing clinicians and scientists new endpoints for early detection and enhanced characterization of complex diseases.

Addressing the need for quantitative imaging biomarkers

There is a dearth of non-invasive diagnostic tools for the internal assessment of our body’s physiology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the safest, most non-invasive clinical imaging modalities, however it primarily provides clinicians with only qualitative, contrast-based images. No matter how much processing goes into it, even with artificial intelligence (AI), we will always be limited by the qualitative nature of the current imaging biomarkers. Until now, the few quantitative biomarkers for MRI are not reliable for single patient precision diagnostics, and there is a desperate need for reliable and accurate measurements of relevant internal physiology.


Dr. Codi Gharagouzloo is an MRI Physicist that has been inventing and developing Imaginostics' proprietary MRI-based quantitative vascular imaging technology since 2011, running preclinical and clinical studies. Together with his wife, Valerie, they created Imaginostics to translate this technology from bench-top to bedside.

TEAM

Codi Amir Gharagouzloo, MSc, PhD

Scientific Founder & CEO

Chairmen of the Board

Codi developed the technology as a Postdoctoral Fellow for two years at the Gordon Center for Medical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School before founding the company to translate the technology from bench to bedside. He invented the imaging modality while pursuing his PhD in Bio-Engineering and has an extensive background in imaging and engineering, holding a Master’s of Science degree in BioPhotonics and dual Bachelor degrees in Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering and Physics. He enjoys bike riding, the gym, and playing board games with his family. If given another lifespan, he would go on a space exploration adventure like Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek.

Valerie Aimee Gharagouzloo, Esq

Co-Founder & COO

Board Member

Valerie is a New York attorney. Her background is in International Human Rights Law and U.S. Immigration Law. She is an advocate for affordable medical care for all. Valerie’s youngest brother grew up with only one kidney and a rare uncurable disease of the peripheral nervous system, with unknown cause and symptoms similar to diabetic neuropathy. Valerie and Codi have been married for 13 years and have two beautiful children. In her role as COO, Valerie is outreaching to our first pharma clients to offer our services for accelerating drug development – especially for novel drugs that improve vascular biology. She is also reaching out to potential investors and partners to bring our breakthrough longevity technology to market.

Mike Lawson

CBDO & Founding Investor

Board Member

Our founding angel investor and Chief Business Development Officer, Mike brings a wealth of experience to Imaginostics. His multifaceted background in business development spans sales and marketing, managerial finance, process management, and investor relations. Beyond his role at Imaginostics, Mike is a dynamic force in the venture capital landscape, founding and managing two ad-hoc venture capital groups. His expertise extends to serving as an investor and advisor to several early-stage companies, showcasing a commitment to fostering innovation and growth within the broader tech and biotech startup community.

W. Scott Hoge, PhD

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

Scott earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. He served as an MRI physicist at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) for nearly two decades and is an expert in pulse sequence programming, image reconstruction and advanced signal processing and imaging analysis techniques. Scott has a love of art, an affinity for mathematics and technology, and found both in MRI. He is also mission-driven with a desire to understand and improve the human condition.

Chenguang Zhao, PhD

Senior MRI Physicist

Dr. Chenguang Zhao is a seasoned expert in biomedical engineering, with a PhD from Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. He spent five years as a postdoctoral researcher in multi-modal functional MRI and NMR spectroscopy before transitioning to industry roles. With 13 years of experience, he's designed two affordable MR systems and pioneered clinical solutions like free-breathing liver and fast spectroscopic imaging.
Driven by a passion for scientific innovation and engineering excellence, Dr. Zhao aims to deliver precise, fast, and reliable biomarkers to enhance patient care. His unique blend of academic and industry expertise spans the US, China, and Europe. Outside of work, he enjoys reading and exploring new destinations from his home base in Orlando, Florida.

Chris Majoy, MBA

VP Strategic Planning

Board Member

Chris Majoy was one of our earliest investors and brings over 40 years of leadership experience in Fortune 100 and medium-sized companies, excelling in sales, marketing, and executive management. He has a proven track record in developing successful operating models and market strategies, with a focus on creating dynamic workplaces and achieving growth objectives. Chris holds a Business Administration degree from The Ohio State University and an MBA from the Simon School of Business. An avid sports enthusiast, he enjoys boating on Lake Erie and Southwest Florida waters with his family. Chris is married to Marlene, with one son, Taylor, working in healthcare IT.

Joshua Leaston, BS

Neuroimaging Engineer

Josh is an MD/PhD candidate at Stanford University. He holds a BS in Neuroscience from Northeastern University. Josh worked 2.5 years at Imaginostics full-time developing neuroimaging data processing pipelines and publishing results, now he works part-time on analysis. He has 3 years of hands-on experience working on Bruker 7T preclinical scanners, with expertise in awake imaging obtained from the Center for Translational Neuroimaging (CTNI). 

Daniel Teper, PharmD, MBA

Board Member

Daniel is a seasoned corporate executive, industry strategist, and serial entrepreneur. Following an early career in pharma (Novartis, GSK, Sanofi), he advised leading companies on corporate strategy and development, portfolio prioritization and commercialization as a Partner at HAVAS Health, ISO Healthcare (now Deloitte) and Bionest (now Accenture). He was then the Chief Commercial Officer of Softwatch, one of the pioneers in digital health.
Daniel founded several companies including Immune Pharmaceuticals that he listed on NASDAQ, Cytovia Therapeutics and more recently NAYA Biosciences, currently in process to be listed on NASDAQ.
Daniel holds a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from Paris Saclay University and a Master of Business Administration at INSEAD. He recently completed executive programs at the Wharton School (Entrepreneurship) and at MIT (Artificial Intelligence).
Daniel is married to Nicole and has three adult sons.

Jonathan Polimeni, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Jonathan Polimeni is an esteemed neuroscientist specializing in advanced brain imaging techniques. Assistant Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, an assistant in Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts General Hospital, and affiliated Faculty, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, his research focuses on developing innovative MRI methodologies to better understand brain function and structure. Dr. Polimeni's work integrates high-resolution imaging and computational modeling, significantly advancing the field of neuroimaging. As a scientific advisor for Imaginostics, he brings unparalleled expertise in neuroscience, contributing to the development of cutting-edge imaging solutions that enhance the understanding and diagnosis of neurological disorders.

Kayvan R. Keshari, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Kayvan Keshari is a renowned expert in metabolic imaging and cancer research, currently serving as an Associate Member at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. With a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Keshari's work focuses on developing advanced imaging techniques to study metabolic alterations in cancer. His pioneering research utilizes hyperpolarized MRI to gain insights into tumor metabolism and treatment responses. As a scientific advisor for Imaginostics, Dr. Keshari brings invaluable expertise in metabolic imaging, driving the development of innovative diagnostic tools to improve cancer detection and patient outcomes.

Peder Larson, one of the board advisors of Imaginostics

Peder EZ Larson, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Peder Larson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at UCSF and a leading expert in 3D UTE MRI techniques. For over 15 years, he has been developing UTE sequences on GE scanners across 1.5T, 3T, 7T, and PET/MRI platforms. Dr. Larson excels in image acceleration and advanced image reconstruction techniques, with his work encompassing quantitative applications throughout the body, including brain, lung, cortical bone, tendons, and kidney imaging. As a scientific advisor for Imaginostics, he provides invaluable expertise in cutting-edge imaging technologies, enhancing disease detection and patient care.

Kevin Johnson, PhD

Scientific Advisor

Dr. Kevin Johnson is the inventor of Imaginostics' proprietary 3D UTE pulse sequence and plays a crucial role in developing the company's robust imaging software suite for diverse applications. As an Assistant Professor of Medical Physics and Radiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Johnson's expertise in MRI physics includes non-Cartesian sampling for motion-encoded pulse sequences, ultra-short echo time lung imaging, and quantitative angiographic imaging. He leads the technical development of research MRI methods, which have been utilized on thousands of subjects across over fifteen external sites globally. Dr. Johnson's contributions significantly enhance the precision and application of advanced imaging technologies.