Antony Fuleihan
Title: Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, CurveAssure
Age: 24
Florida native Antony Fuleihan says he and co-founder Evan Haas got the idea for their company when they recognized a flaw in chronic back pain treatment while studying at Johns Hopkins University.
CurveAssure, a spinal assessment tool for patients with chronic back pain, seeks to make spinal care more personalized, predictable and consistent. Through wearable technology and data feedback reports for clinicians, Fuleihan says CurveAssure can provide detailed information to help clinicians make better treatment decisions.
While serving as chief technology officer for the company, Fuleihan is pursuing a master’s degree in bioengineering innovation and design, with hopes of becoming a clinician at the intersection of medicine and innovative bioengineering.
The company, founded with just two original members, now includes several part-time employees, with plans to continue growing. In the past year alone, CurveAssure won the Hopkins FastForward U demo competition and was awarded funding through the President’s Venture Fellowship. The team will soon be conducting an on-patient study of their technology at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
With that boost and the help of the growing team, Fuleihan thinks CurveAssure can not only improve the gold standard of care but also expand who has access to that standard of treatment.
What motivated you to work on spinal care and chronic back pain?
Chronic back pain is not only the leading cause of global disability, affecting over 500 million people worldwide, but it also poses a particularly pressing challenge as populations age and become more geriatric. In our quest to identify unmet clinical needs that could benefit from technological innovation, we explored various medical specialties. It soon became evident that spine patients consistently faced unique and significant challenges from a lack of predictability and consistency in clinical care. Addressing this issue and improving the outcomes and experiences of those suffering from spine-related conditions has become not just a professional pursuit but a deeply meaningful mission.
How has your role as CTO changed as the company has grown and gained more recognition?
My primary responsibilities as CTO have evolved over the past two years, reflecting the dynamic nature of a small, growing company. In addition to my core focus on business and technical development, I've taken on various roles to address our priorities as needs change. For example, my recent work has ranged from exploring avenues for intellectual property protection to facilitating regulatory and reimbursement analyses. At present, a significant portion of my time is dedicated to overseeing and managing clinical studies and preparing grant submissions.
How has being at Johns Hopkins shaped the company’s vision?
Our tenure at Johns Hopkins has been nothing short of transformational. One of the most valuable aspects of our journey here has been the opportunity to engage with seasoned mentors, each bringing a wealth of experience and insight to the table. While we’ve had too many mentors to list, Dr. Nicholas Theodore, Dr. Youseph Yazdi and Josh Ambrose stand out prominently in our journey. Their guidance and contributions have been instrumental in shaping our company's trajectory and have proven invaluable as we navigate the complex landscape of medical device development.
Our receipt of the Johns Hopkins’ President’s Venture Fellowship has also been a game-changer that has enabled us to accelerate our progress toward achieving critical milestones. Moreover, our integration into the larger Baltimore ecosystem through the support of members of the local entrepreneurial community, such as [Towson University entrepreneurship director] Patrick McQuown, allows us to continue to explore new avenues for development and outreach.
What do you see as the long-term potential for CurveAssure’s technology?
I envision that CurveAssure’s core technology will evolve into an increasingly robust platform technology that will leverage big data and predictive analytics to provide patients and physicians with insights into treatment strategies. Through advanced data analysis, we aim to surpass the limitations of clinical heuristics and static imaging technologies. This heightened level of insight will empower spine surgeons and orthopedic specialists to personalize therapeutics with an unprecedented level of precision. By facilitating the identification of the most effective treatments for specific deformities, our technology ultimately seeks to advance outcomes for patients.
Furthermore, our commitment to innovation extends beyond spine surgery. We see the potential to apply similar principles and technologies to multiple orthopedic surgeries. By expanding our reach and adapting our platform to various medical disciplines, we aim to continually advance the field of orthopedics and enhance patient care.
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