Summit, IBM supercomputer is our recent hero in the fight against Covid-19

The looming threat of Covid-19 and the grim reality of the toll that novel coronavirus takes on humankind, makes it imperative that we find a way to prevent the spread faster and with less cost. Currently nine out of ten drug therapies fail mostly between phase 1 trials and regulatory approval. The estimated cost of developing a new treatment is around staggering US $2.6 billion.  While this article won’t address it, I want to mention that many bio/pharma companies are working with repurposed drugs to find a cure and at least 69 drugs have been identified as treatment possibilities. Drugs also have side effects and need to be tested for safety. Let us focus for a while on search for the vaccine.

Many companies including Moderna, CureVac and BioNTech are working on vaccines. With the help of  Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and other technologies the hunt for new pharmaceuticals and appropriate chemicals is expected to be quicker, cheaper and more effective. Novel coronavirus presents the most unprecedented challenge to date because of the speed with which it spreads. 

Who better than a supercomputer made by a company that has been on the cutting edge of innovation for over a century, to take on this speed challenge? IBM scientists instructed the world’s fastest computer to tackle this challenge at its Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Summit can run 200 quadrillion computations per second. The scientists ran thousands of simulations to analyse which drug compounds could stop the coronavirus from infecting the host cells. 

Summit, an IBM supercomputer equipped with the “brain of AI” identified 77 compounds (from over 8000 compounds) that could be efficacious in preventing coronavirus from spreading in the host.  This is promising news in humanity’s quest for an effective vaccine against the virus. These findings are published in the journal ChemRxiv and give us hope although road is still long to get there.

With increasing computer processing power and advanced algorithms, AI has been employed to analyze large data sets with greater efficiency and will likely lead to many exciting innovations.  While AI and ML show promise to change every industry sector for the better, artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning have become the most widely discussed topics in the healthcare sector and the excitement keeps growing.  

I will be looking forward to hearing about new innovations AI/ML at #TiEcon2020. Stay tuned for new dates for the conference at http://www.tiecon.org and on this blog.

Healthcare and High-tech combining to combat Coronavirus Covid-19

As coronavirus is raging on, entrepreneurs and scientists are called upon to come up with innovative ways to deal with this deadly virus. For instance, after 11 Israelis were quarantined after disembarking from a cruise ship in Japan, Israel has become a “Living Lab” for technologies to treat the virus.  Israel, which has a large digital health sector, put out calls to entrepreneurs for proposals for new solutions to contain and combat the disease. Meanwhile, China is also taking a lead in exploring how futuristic technologies powered by artificial intelligence can help identify coronavirus symptoms, find new treatments, and track the spread of the disease.  Chinese scientists sequenced its genome and shared around the world within weeks.

 

Unlike MERS, but more like SARS, Coronavirus is very contagious and has a long incubation period when people feel fine as they unknowingly walk around, infecting others. After identifying infected people, it is challenging to care for them while trying to contain the disease. Some healthcare workers who cared for coronavirus patients have themselves died of infection. We also heard that even after learning of highly contagious and deadly CD-19 coronavirus, some healthcare workers from the USA were “improperly deployed” when sent to assist in bringing home the patients infected in China.

 

In caring for coronavirus patients, human touch needs to be avoided and assistance should be provided remotely. Robots and automated technologies are of great help here. Robots are being used to disinfect rooms, take laundry items, help check for symptoms and disease progression, deliver medications and communicate with family and healthcare providers.  Robots help disinfect surfaces and help in killing viruses and bacteria by emitting ultraviolet light.  Drones and self-driving vehicles can deliver medications and supplies, petrol public places, spray disinfectants and do general surveillance. 

 

Silicon Valley’s largest entrepreneurship conference, TiEcon 2020 has a dedicated track on health technologies. Amidst growing fears of coronavirus becoming a pandemic, emerging technologies like drones, robots, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning Digital Health and TeleHealth are likely to be game changers. Investors and entrepreneurs alike are focusing on the space with great interest. There will likely be exciting conversations as entrepreneurs from several countries (depending on travel restrictions), converge at TiEcon 2020, at Santa Clara Convention Center in CA, on May 8 and 9. If interested, you can register for the conference at www.TiEcon.org  

 

TiEcon 2015 Tracks & Keynotes on Day 1

Scheduled keynotes for TiEcon 2015 are creating an exciting buzz.  On day 1, May 15, grand opening keynote guests are Jack Welch (ex CEO, GE) and Suzie Welch (co-author of “Real Life MBA”).  Following this dynamic duo, Aamir Hussain (EVP & CTO at Century Link), Tom Reilly (CEO, Cloudera), and Gary Gauba, (Founder & CEO Cognilytics) will discuss “Transformational Journey towards New Data Economy”.  If data has emerged as the new currency in this new economy, not all data is equally valuable.

Linking Open Data dataset cloud as of July 14th 2009 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Data economy track will explore aspects about hidden opportunities and challenges among cheaper and fast growing next-gen data stacks which are augmented by machine learning and advances in IoT and Cloud Computing.  Phil LIbin, founder & CEO of Evernote, http://bit.ly/1Dc2UVD, will give track opening keynote.  Various sessions will cover aspects such as, fast evolving Big Data landscape, extracting value from industrial data, data as a service, how to convert data to dollars and more.  Anthony Deighton, CTO at Qlik will give afternoon keynote.

English: Cloud Computing Image (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cloud and Security track will explore operational challenges of cloud infrastructure, business and technical challenges of migrating to cloud and solutions to overcome security issues. Mark Interrante (SVP, HP) will give track keynote.  Various sessions will discuss market trends around cloud infrastructure, around cloud architecture and technology, and around compliance and security issues.  Suja Chandrasekaran, SVP, CTO, CDO at Walmart will give afternoon keynote and the day will end with keynote by Sandy Carter (GM, IBM).

Much hyped up Internet of Things track will start with track keynote, Johan Lodenius from MediaTek http://bit.ly/1E03sQp.  Success in IoT begins with picking the right software and hardware components for the ecosystem.  Track sessions will evolve around “designing compelling IoT solutions”, to “internet enterprise of things” to “examining criteria for getting funded”.  Learn what’s making waves in this growing field and how to get there.  Jay Vijayan, CIO, Tesla http://bit.ly/1Fw2qgt, will give afternoon keynote and Anand Oswal, VP of Engineering at Cisco will give an ending keynote.

Not only there is much to choose from and worry about missing exciting sessions (unless you find a way to clone yourself), speakers and sessions will address inter-disciplinary innovation opportunities and outside the sessions, there will be endless opportunities to network with investors, speakers and other professionals.   But WAIT!  This is only Day 1; more excitement awaits on Day 2 http://bit.ly/1bhXFKg .  Register through this link  https://www.123signup.com/register?id=ygszb&ref=4182698 to get a $100 discount on the two-day conference at the non-member rate.  When prompted, enter the promo code VOL500 at checkout. .

Data Economy Creating a New Rule Book for Entrepreneurs

Toshiba TG01 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Entrepreneurs, will you thrive in the near future, that is under construction right now?  Experts say, if you want to scale your business in the new digital age, you need to get serious about data.  As consumers are going digital in nearly every area of their lives, data is expanding at an unprecedented rate.  Cheaper and faster next-generation data stacks, further augmented by machine learning capabilities, keep growing.

Inherent in the data driven economy are many opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs.  Digital technologies and access to data can help businesses connect with customers and markets and help reshape management systems.  It can even help in innovation of new products and services.

Success will depend on how well businesses meet the challenges.   These may pertain to source of data, where it is obtained from and how biased the data is.  Often data use has failed to deliver expected results and we need to better understand use, misuse, and non use of data.  Surrounding political and legal landscape may also influence data driven economic activities in unexpected ways.

Successful entrepreneurs will have to quickly digest the rules of the data driven economy.  Phil LIbin is co-founder of Evernote, a company launched just 5 years ago and now valued at over $5B.  Evernote is an electronic notepad that you can access on your mobile phone or computer and it now has over 90M users.  Libin will give a keynote address in Data Economy track at TiEcon 2015.  If you are an entrepreneur, don’t miss TiEcon 2015, largest entrepreneurship conference, in mid-May, in the heart of Silicon Valley.  Come to network, learn, and get inspired. Register at  https://www.123signup.com/register?id=ygszb&ref=4182698 to get a $100 discount on the two-day conference at the non-member rate.  When prompted, enter the promo code VOL500 at checkout:

Health Information Technology (HIT) – Hype or Promise of a Better Healthcare System?

Salim Kizaraly, Founder & SVP of Business Development at Stella Technology, a healthcare information technology start-up, talked about the promise of  Health Information Technology in solving care coordination, physician collaboration, and system integration challenges to improve healthcare, at a recent http://www.bio2devicegroup.org event.

Kizaraly began by sharing the known fact that the mounting and huge healthcare costs in the US, that do not result in significant improvement in health, are not sustainable.  According to some estimates, almost 18.3% of GDP in the US, goes towards healthcare expenditure.  If the cost of healthcare continues to rise at historical rates, the share of GDP going towards healthcare in the US, is projected to reach 34%, by 2040.  While the costs continue to rise, gains on health improvement do not keep pace.  For instance, life expectancy in the US is only 78.4 years and US ranks 27^th out of 34 industrialized nations.  In this study of industrialized nations, US had highest to near highest infant mortality rates.

Kizaraly discussed the three defining historical events that got the ball rolling on healthcare transformation.  In 2004, President Bush announced that in the next 10 years, by 2014, every American would have an access to electronic health records. We have a long way to go, but certainly we are moving in that direction.  In 2009, HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic & Clinical Health) Act, enacted as part of the ARRA (American Recovery & Reinvestment) Act, was signed into law, to promote the adoption and meaningful use of HIT and included incentives for faster adoption of EMR (Electronic Medical Records).  In 2010, the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, with its mandate to expand coverage, cemented the case regarding the need towards transformation.

Barack Obama signing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the White House (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Affordable Care Act’s most significant contribution is to creating ACOs or Accountable Care Organizations.  An ACO can be defined “as a set of health care providers, including primary care physicians, specialists, and hospitals that work together collaboratively and accept collective accountability for the cost and quality of care delivered to a population of patients”. There are incentives to keep patients out of the extreme settings of care, including hospitals and nursing homes.  Different models are emerging of how these organizations put this into practice.  Underlying issue is that hospitals have to get better at treating patients.  Hospitals are bracing for lower revenues as they get better at keeping patients out of hospitals.  Different models of care are emerging.  Technology will be a big enabler to change workflow, rethink care, as homes emerge as places of care.  Here is link to my article on Keynote by Dr. Toby Cosgrove, CEO of Cleveland Clinic, at 2014 J P Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco –http://bit.ly/1c3EyBB .  Cosgrove also said, that hospitals will not longer be epicenters of care, and while a few hospitals (e.g Cleveland Clinic) will be super high tech, they will partner and share resources with other care providers, to offset costs.  The disruptions will eventually enable us to “build a healthcare system that is humane, high quality, and sustainable”, said Cosgrove.

Kizraly discussed several national initiatives that are implemented or partially implemented to enhance collaboration among care providers and integration of information.  For instance, if a person experiences an emergency visiting New York, then eHealth Exchange will make it easy to get their health records from the state of their residence. Similarly, Blue Button makes it easy for Americans to get easy, secure, online access to their health records, with a single click.

Stella Technology is a self-funded health information technology services and product development company that focuses on care coordination, patient access, and information exchange projects.  Kizraly shared use cases and information on how Stella is helping providers, with great success, in integrating care.  Through aggregating data from a variety of sources, through identifying gaps in care, and with real-time, proactive analytics, Stella’s technology identifies care opportunities that can be improved and accordingly targets interventions.  In the long term these kinds of strategic technological interventions will enable care providers to curtail expenditure, while improving care. In the interim, we still have a long way to go and there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs to use technological advancements in big data, cloud, machine learning, (IOT) internet of things, and enable US healthcare system to become more efficient, with lower costs and improved outcomes.  Kizraly’s talk was followed by Q&A.

JOBS – May, 2013

For the opportunities below, please send resume at wd_darshana at hotmail dot com.  Please indicate in the email how closely the job description matches your background and identify gaps, if any.  Also, indicate your current compensation and compensation expectations.

Pharmacologist with Large Animal Survival Surgery Experience: San Jose, CA

A dynamic company, found by a veteran leader, involved in the development of drug-device combination products for treating chronic diseases, has an opening for a Biologist with large animals in-vivo experience.  This is once in a lifetime kind of an opportunity to work on exciting technology with game changing potential.

The candidate must have hands-on in vivo survial surgical research experience working with large animal models during their doctoral and post-doctoral training period.  A Ph.D. in Physiology/Pharmacology or any other related Biology discipline or a DVM working for either a mid-sized CRO or industry could be a good fit.  The individual is expected to have a breadth of experience in in-vitro and in-vivo biological research supporting various drug/ device development programs across multiple therapeutic areas including CNS, oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. ed CRO or industry could be a good fit.  A DVM working in an animal clinic would not be a good fit because research experience is required. Candidates describing in vivo experience in their resume with mainly small animals such as mice and rats would not be ideal either.

The applicant will support and work with external institutions including CROs and academic institutions especially for conducting in vivo studies in small as well as large animals. Additionally the applicant will set up and run a variety of routine in vitro research paradigms as needed such as isolated tissue and cell-based assays as well as quantitative assays for small molecules, peptides and proteins using techniques such as FTIR, HPLC, and immunoassay. The applicant will work with a multidisciplinary team of experts and provide biology support with minimal supervision on various ongoing projects. The position requires a strong background in cell biology, chemistry, biochemistry, immunology, physiology or a related area. Position, salary and benefits are commensurate with experience.

Machine Learning Specialist – San Francisco, CA

Revenue generating, remote health monitoring company, located in San Francisco, CA, tracking heart rate, sleep patterns and more has an immediate opening for a Machine Learning Specialist.

Requirements: Minimum 5 years experience in creating high-performance classifiers, preferably working on biological data.  Deep knowledge, skills and experience in machine learning techniques, in particular for processing large databases of biological information. Should be proficient and able to design, operate and validate intelligent systems from scratch. Excellent written, verbal and teamwork skills. Highly preferred: Relevant bio experience, such as working with biological signal databases; Experience in engineering for consumer devices/services; and Python expertise.

Responsibilities: Lead the development of algorithms based on the signals from our advanced multi-sensing device, both in real time and on databases of saved sensor data; Work on top secret projects pertaining to future product offerings; Work closely science and devices teams to integrate the work into our consumer products.

Python Programmer – Sunnyvale, CA

A contract engineering company has an immediate need for Programmer with Python expertise for about 40 hours of work.  An existing test program written in Python collects data and prints it.  The data needs to be written to an Access database residing in another computer on a network.  The company is looking for someone to make this change.  The right person needs to be experienced with Python and understand how to write data to a database from Python.  The author of the original program is available for assistance.

Analog Design Engineer –  Sunnyvale, CA

A Contract Engineering company located in Sunnyvale, CA has an immediate part-time contract opportunity for Analog Design Engineer, that is likely to become permanent in 3-6 months. Minimum 10 years of experience with analog circuit design, including amplifiers, ADCs, power supplies, and sensor signal conditioning is required. Also required, experience with digital design and ability to work with digital engineers to develop successful integrated products. Experience with signal integrity and/or RF design a plus.

The person must work well on a team, have good communication skills, and be able to adjust quickly in a fast paced environment where many designs are done simultaneously. This is a challenging and rewarding opportunity for the right person.

I Need You on the Job Every Day – NARA – 534704 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How Big Data helped Mr. Obama Win the Election – Rayid Ghani in Fireside Chat at TiEcon 2013 – Preview

“Share your story”, said Mr. Obama’s website, encouraging visitors to share why they wanted to be involved in his election campaign.  The mastermind behind this project codenamed the Dreamcatcher, was Mr. Obama’s “chief scientist”, Rayid Ghani.  He aimed to convert vast amount of data collected through large commercial databases, boutique lists, voter files, social media sites, and an unprecedented quantity of voter interviews it regularly conducted using paid phone banks and volunteer canvassers, into a source of valuable data to galvanize the campaign, with the use of analytics, algorithms, and machine learning.  The sophisticated algorithms were also used to predict views on particular issues like pro choice and pro life.  Armed with this information, the campaign was more focused in its message and its target and the result was vastly increased efficiency in fund-raising and in volunteer and voter mobilization.

Prior to joining Mr. Obama’s campaign, Ghani was a Senior Research Scientist and Director of Analytics Research at Accenture Labs.  At Accenture, Ghani mined tons of data collected on corporate consumer servers, to find statistical patterns that could forecast the future.  In one instance, he deployed algorithms that replaced health insurers’ random audits, to anticipate which of 50,000 daily claims were most likely to require individual attention.  In another instance, Ghani helped set the terms of price insurance marked to eBay sellers, by developing a model to estimate the end-price for auctions, based on each sale item’s unique characteristics.

Ghani’s interests span a whole gamut from general machine learning and data mining to privacy preserving data mining, text mining, semi-supervised learning, active learning, information retrieval, NLP, and knowledge management.  Most recently, his work has focused on developing and using machine learning and data mining algorithms to solve large-scale practical challenges in business, government organizations, and in politics, like helping Mr. Obama win the re-election.

Come and hear Mr. Ghani discuss the huge potential inherent in Big Data Analytics, in a Fireside Chat at TiEcon 2013 http://www.tiecon.org .

PS – I have a job opening for Machine Learning Professional and details can be found in JOBS category on my blog at http://www.darshanavnadkarni.wordpress.com .

Information about other TiEcon keynotes can be found at following links http://bit.ly/YYyOxd on Data Wizard D. J. Patil,  http://bit.ly/13HmSrQ on Bharat Desai Chairman of Syntel.  Register for TiEcon 2013 at http://www.tiecon.org .

JOBS – March, 2013

For the opportunities below, please send resume at wd_darshana at hotmail dot com.  Please indicate in the email how closely the job description matches your background and identify gaps, if any.  Also, indicate your current compensation and compensation expectations.

 

Machine Learning Specialist – San Francisco, CA

A revenue generating, remote health monitoring company in San Francisco Bay Area, has an immediate opening for Machine Learning Specialist.

Requirements: Minimum 5 years experience in creating high-performance classifiers, preferably working on biological data.  Deep knowledge, skills and experience in machine learning techniques, in particular for processing large databases of biological information. Should be proficient and able to design, operate and validate intelligent systems from scratch. Excellent written, verbal and teamwork skills. Highly preferred: Relevant bio experience, such as working with biological signal databases; Experience in engineering for consumer devices/services; and Python expertise.

Responsibilities: Lead the development of algorithms based on the signals from our advanced multi-sensing device, both in real time and on databases of saved sensor data; Work on top secret projects pertaining to future product offerings; Work closely science and devices teams to integrate the work into our consumer products.

 

Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Fremont, CA

Market leading company in providing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic products & services, located in Fremont, CA, has an immediate opening for Senior Manufacturing Engineer.  

Responsibilities: Provide manufacturing expertise in the area of transducer wafer fabrication, PZT wafer processing. Use hand on skills to perform engineering work typically including one or all of the following: process/product improvements, test of materials, preparation of specifications, process study, evaluation of process materials, product design, report preparation and ECO documentation. Develop methods and tools to create processes and designs that are robust and able to be manufactured economically. Implement process changes manufacturing capabilities, production schedules, and other considerations to facilitate production process and design releases in accordance with business goals. Implement statistical process controls, Six Sigma tools and methodologies.

Projects – Manufacturing Engineering in Transducer Production

• Plan and coordinate manufacturing development activities around the existing transducer manufacturing process and design
• Coordinate the installation of new process equipment for transducer manufacturing which includes IQ, OQ & PQ of equipment
• Support the manufacturing operation on a daily basis to assure production of product. Provide ongoing manufacturing support in order to help the team meet its business objectives of quality, output and costs
• Represent manufacturing engineering on a project, product, and/or process development activity by bringing forth the utilization of GMP and DFMA methodologies to ensure and improve efficiencies and product designs
• Execute the functional deliverables associated with the PDP/TDP, Project Management, and Quality Systems where applicable

Production Support

• Apply Six Sigma tools and methodologies within transducer manufacturing to reduce cost and improve yields
• Troubleshoot design and process issues, implement improvements, and support all other daily activities such as NCMR (non-conforming material review), re-work, and change orders
• Analyze processes and create methods for process and quality monitoring including development of and reporting of metrics.

Technical Documentation and Training

• Write and review documentation: Manufacturing Process Instructions (MPI’s) Test Process Instructions (TPI’s), test protocols, validation protocols, new processes as well as all applicable documentation
• Provide reference to technical resources (technicians, engineers and assemblers) to ensure drawings, work instructions, methods are fully defined and validated and able to be effectively conveyed to the production staff

Requirements: BS in Engineering plus 5-9 years experience as Manufacturing Engineer is required.  Also required, ability to assimilate technical concepts quickly and present technical information clearly; moderate to high level of computer proficiency including MS Office & SolidWorks; demonstrated expertise in a variety of process technologies and manufacturing environments; ability to lead & manage initiatives and small scale projects, experience & understanding of abrasive cutting process, wafer dicing and wafer back thinning; Ceramic or PZT processing experience; and some knowledge of acoustics.

 

Quality Engineer with Injection Molding Experience- Soquel, CA — permanent, full-time

Responsibilities: Write FEMAs, review and write protocols and reports for new products; Be involved with the design, procurement, validation and qualification activities including test, inspection and medical device contract manufacturing service processes, Maintain facility measurement equipment calibration program; Collate and analyze manufacturing data for warranty and nonconformance to determine and report product quality trends; Conduct analysis of inspection and tests of a routine degree of complexity & provide recommendations; Develop quality control inspection requirements & techniques to achieve measured improvement; Implement the Failure Analysis Process for internal and external nonconforming product to determine appropriate corrective action; Support receiving, in-process and final inspection of various components & subassemblies for medical device products to support quality compliance & shipment goals; Assist in development & implementation of quality systems processes; Attend product meetings with engineering, sales, support, marketing, and customers to address product requirements, customer concerns and training issues; Work toward & support Company/Department goals including QSR and ISO compliance, revenues, training utilization, customer satisfaction, and others as appropriate; Qualify and implement document changes involving product or process changes; Coordinate reporting, analysis, & resolution of material non-conformance incidences; Provide support in the timely resolution of product complaints and/or safety issues; Conduct quality audits and develop subsequent preventive action programs; Assist Regulatory Affairs Department in the preparation of audits and reports for regulatory agencies; Perform Supplier Quality Audits and as appropriate Internal Quality System Audits; identify root cause of non-compliance and ensure timely/ effective corrections and/or corrective / preventive actions are implemented; Drive effective root cause corrective action through internal and supplier surveillance and corrective action requests; Report MRB performance metrics and maintain corrective action database; Review and report in-process data from manufacturing processes and facilitate corrective and preventive actions.

Requirements: Bachelor of Science in Quality, Business, Mechanical Engineering, or related field, plus 5-7 years experience in Medical Device Quality, Regulatory, or Manufacturing environment is required. Also required, hands-on manufacturing experience in mechanical or medical device assemblies and working knowledge of desktop computer office software, Visio Tools, CAD software and e-mails. Experience as an ISO Lead Auditor and working knowledge of US and international medical device regulations, desirable and CQE, CQA certification, a plus.  Experience with plastics and injection molding a HUGE plus.

 

Digital Signal Processing Specialist with Time Series Signal Processing of Biological Data- SF, CA 

There is an opening for Digital Signal Processing Specialist, with excellent DSP skills to join a multi-disciplinary engineers, designers and experts from the entertainment, healthcare, research, and biotech industries – for revenue generating consumer oriented medical device.
Required Skills & Experience: Excellent skills and eagerness to expand knowledge around DSP for consumer products, the consumer health industry and wearable devices; Deep skill set and experience in DSP techniques, in particular for biological signal processing. A signal processing specialist with a minimum of 5 years experience in digital signal processing, preferably including experience relating to biological data; Proficiency in common DSP techniques including adaptive filters, noise cancellation and pattern recognition. Preferred skills include: Experience in algorithm development based on physiological parameters such as heart rate, temperature, GSR or body motion; Experience working with optical sensing technologies and engineering for consumer devices; and Python expertise.  Experience in time-series signal processing of relevant biological data is required.  Image processing with bio or medical experience without a time component is not sufficient.  Communication and A/V have the component, but are not biologically relevant and therefore not suitable for this opportunity.

Responsibilities: Lead the development of algorithms based on the signals from existing advanced multi-sensing device, both in real time and on databases of saved sensor data; Work on top secret projects pertaining to future product offerings; Work closely science and devices teams to integrate the work into consumer products.

 

Prototype Hardware/Firmware Design Engineer – SF

There is an immediate full-time opening for Prototype Hardware/ Firmware Design Engineer in San Francisco, CA to join a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, designers and experts from the entertainment, healthcare, research, and biotech industries. This opportunity requires MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering and excellent sensor design skills plus 5+ years extensive HW/FW design experience for consumer products in integrating and developing novel sensor applications, especially in wearable consumer or medical devices. Also required, expertise in design, prototyping and miniaturization of analog and digital circuits, and proficiency in development of embedded firmware and implementation of embedded DSP. Consumer health industry and wearable device experience, a huge plus.

Responsibilities include: Conceive of and prototype novel sensing technologies, and demonstrate proof-of-concept in wearable form factor; Design, assemble, test, analyze, debug, and rework prototype sensor circuits that interface with and/or include microcontrollers or other embedded processors; Capture schematic circuit diagrams, design printed circuit boards and facilitate their fabrication and assembly; Develop, prototype and debug embedded firmware and code architecture; Interact with device development team to productize new sensor technology.