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SOUND LEADERSHIP
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Qualia Oto's top-level leadership boasts diverse and accomplished backgrounds, from university research and teaching, to clinical practice, to international business management and legal experience.
Our collective advanced education includes masters degrees, PhDs, MDs, MD-PhDs, MBAs, and a JD.
Co-founder
Dr. Walter Voit (PhD, Georgia Tech) holds an associate professorship at UT Dallas where he explores the thermomechanics of shape memory polymers (SMPs), 3-D printing, flexible bioelectronics, next generation neural interfaces, degradable polymers, and the effects of ionizing radiation on polymers. In addition to Qualia Oto, Prof. Voit co-founded Syzygy Memory Plastics, Adaptive 3D Technologies, Ares Materials, Pascalor, and Polycraft World. Dr. Voit is an International Atomic Energy Agency consultant in the field of radiation crosslinked SMPs, as well as a DARPA Young Faculty Awardee and DARPA Director’s Fellow.
Co-founder & CEO
Connie Manz (MS, MIT & UTD) leverages her technical background and consulting experience to commercialize flexible bioelectronics based on softening substrate technologies. Prior to her position with Qualia Oto, Ms. Manz was the lab finance manager for the Advanced Polymer Research Laboratory and Center for Engineering Innovation at UT Dallas. Past experience also includes conducting research at MIT, The Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology in Singapore, and Draper Labs, as well as business strategy consulting experience with Mars & Co.
Co-founder & CMO
Dr. Kenneth Lee earned his MD-PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology from Boston University School of Medicine, and he completed his residency at Washington University and a fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Lee is a Professor in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at UT Southwestern, Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology and Service Chief of Surgery at Children’s Medical Center Plano, and Director of the Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program at Children's Medical Center Dallas and Plano.
CTO
Stuart Cogan (ScD, MIT) a professor of bioengineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, has significant industry and academic experience. Dr. Cogan spent three decades with EIC Laboratories, becoming Vice President where he oversaw the company’s projects in neural stimulation and recording. He left the corporate world in 2014 when he accepted a position at UT Dallas to continue his research.
He holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters degree in Materials Science from Duke University, as well as a doctoral degree in Materials Science from MIT.
CFO
Benedict Voit (MBA, Michigan) has a decade of professional experience in financial analytics, client consulting, strategic development, and internal management. Before joining Qualia Oto, he served as a financial Director leading the accounts of multi-billion dollar credit unions, consulting these institutions on investment and loan purchases, balance sheet strategies, policies, and governmental examinations. Other experience includes management for hospital collaboratives, start-up research, and computer programming. Mr. Voit earned his undergraduate degree, Summa Cum Laude, from UT Dallas.
Sr. Engineer
Dr. Jimin Maeng (PhD, Purdue) has a decade of research experience in the field of implantable medical devices. As Senior Research Engineer, Dr. Maeng currently oversees the technical development of Qualia Oto’s polymer substrates and softening neural interfaces. Prior to joining Qualia Oto, he completed his postdoctoral training at Purdue and UT Dallas where he explored and developed a broad range of materials and devices for bioelectronic applications, including neural electrodes, electronic contact lenses, implantable supercapacitors, and softening thin-film diodes and transistors.
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Sr. Researcher
Vindhya Danda received her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Michigan. As a Research Engineer, Vindhya assists the technical team with design, fabrication, packaging and electrical characterization of devices on shape memory polymers. In her previous work, she was fabricating silicon probes and PCR sensors, as well as packaging them using novel techniques like flip chip bonding for an engineering services company. She was also supporting the fabrication team in making infrared and X-ray detectors for multiple missions at NASA.
Qualia Oto also maintains a strong medical and engineering advisory from major international institutions
Hear your calling?
Qualia Oto is open to new hires, new medical and academic advisors, and new investors.
To be part of reshaping this industry, reach out to us today: info@qualiaoto.com
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