Meet the team

Meet the people driving HAWK Biosystems forward

Meet the team

We have a great multicultural and interdisciplinary team working at HAWK Biosystems to translate our innovative ideas into technologies that will benefit researchers, clinicians and patients alike.

Fernando Aguirre

Chief Executive Officer, CEO

Fernando Aguirre

Chief Executive Officer, CEO

MSc in Physics, Fernando has more than 25 years of new business launch leadership across business development, internationalization and M&A, both as an entrepreneur (he has founded 5 companies so far) as well as in global management position in multinational companies such as Ericsson or Hewlett Packard. Fernando is also partner of Hasten Ventures and member of the board of various technology and biotech firms such as Osatek SA., Irisbond SL., Prospero Biosciences SL. or Nito Inc.

Veronique Calleja (PhD)

Chief Scientific Officer, CSO

Veronique Calleja (PhD)

Chief Scientific Officer, CSO

Veronique Calleja obtained her PhD in 1999 in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis (INSERM U145) in France. From 1999 to 2021 she was integrated in different academic laboratories affiliated to Cancer Research UK in London. She started her post-doctoral studies at the London Research Institute (LRI) and Imperial College to work on the RAS/PI3K/Akt signalling pathway in cancer. Later in the Cell Biophysics Laboratory at the LRI she used FRET-FLIM quantitative technology to investigate the molecular mechanisms of PDK1/Akt structure and function. In 2016 she was appointed Principal Laboratory Research Scientist in the laboratory of Prof Peter Parker at the Francis Crick Institute in London, where she investigated an oncogenic mutation of PKCα using a genetically modified mouse model. She is a member of the Editorial Advisory board of the Biochemical Journal in Signal Knowledge Environment since 2011.

Borja Gómez

Chief Financial Officer, CFO

Borja Gómez

Chief Financial Officer, CFO

Borja has a Degree in Economics and Business Studies, Msc in Finance and Ma in Health Administration and Management. He has more than 20 years of experience in the Finance sectors such as Technology, Chemical and Automotive in small companies and multinationals such as Ericsson, Sun Chemical or Megatech Group.

Juan Gumuzio (PhD)

Chief Operations Officer, COO

Juan Gumuzio (PhD)

Chief Operations Officer, COO

Dr Juan Gumuzio obtained his PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of the Basque Country. His research has focused on breast cancer stem cell biology and 3D cell culture applications for drug development against cancer. He has gained experience in R&D and customer project management at the biotechnology start-up Stemtek Therapeutics. He has been a project manager and advisor at BIOEF (Basque Foundation for Health Innovation and Research).

Jose María Gracia

Chief Technology Officer, CTO

Jose María Gracia

Chief Technology Officer, CTO

Jose Maria has a degree in Industrial Engineering. He has 25 years of experience working in engineering departments, as an employee in manufacturing environments (ABB Trafo), installation engineering (Lantek) or as head of the engineering department (Sercoin - a company dedicated to the maintenance and installation of fire protection). He also worked as a freelancer creating an architectural and engineering company for building installations for 10 years. In 2022 he joins the Hawk team for the industrialisation development of the Violet 3.0 microscope and its QF-Pro® software as CTO.

James Miles (PhD)

Product Manager

James Miles (PhD)

Product Manager

James undertook an industrial cotutelle PhD between Hawk Biosystems, the University of the Basque Country and the University of Bordeaux. During his doctoral studies, he sought to elucidate PD-1/PD-L1 as a prognostic biomarker in a range of solid tumours. James graduated in 2022 with his PhD and continued his full-time role as our Product Manager. Having worked with the QF-Pro® technology since 2015, he is well placed to oversee our current QF-Pro® product line, including Violet 3.0 and our QF-Pro® software and reagent kits.

Margarita Arenas

Quality and Regulatory Affairs Manager

Margarita Arenas

Quality and Regulatory Affairs Manager

Margarita Arenas joined HAWK Biosystems in mid-2024. She brings extensive experience as Regulatory Compliance and Quality Manager in medical device manufacturing companies in the Basque Country and Colombia. Margarita specialises in Medical Device Regulation, with a focus on MDR and IVDR, from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. She graduated cum laude in Law from Universidad Santo Tomás de Bucaramanga and recently completed her master’s degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management (MBAe3) at University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), where she received a mention of excellence. Joining HAWK Biosystems, Margarita stated "I am thrilled to join HAWK at such a pivotal time, marked by the achievement of ISO 13485, UKCA, and CE certifications, essential for launching our product into the market. It is a privilege to contribute to this significant step for the company."

Elena Castellano (PhD)

Research Partnerships

Elena Castellano (PhD)

Research Partnerships

Elena obtained her PhD in Molecular Bioscience from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in Spain. She conducted her PhD studies on small extracellular vesicles and prostate cancer at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO). Prior to her doctoral thesis, Elena gained extensive scientific knowledge and molecular biology research skills by working in oncology-related laboratories at NYU Langone Health in New York and the Medical Research Council in London. After more than six years in the academic research field, she pursued a Master's degree in Medical Affairs from Talento-EPHOS to transition into the pharmaceutical industry. In 2024, Elena joined Hawk Biosystems, beginning her industry career in the Research Partnerships department.

Marc Tarrus (PhD)

Sales Manager

Marc Tarrus (PhD)

Sales Manager

With over 8 years of experience driving revenue, fostering business growth, developing new product pipelines, and establishing profitable partnerships, Marc has played pivotal roles as a Sales Manager in leading technological companies such as INDIBA and QUANTIUM MEDICAL. In these positions, he successfully led teams of sales professionals, overseeing the generation of new business and the sale of medical device products across Europe and LATAM territories. Since 2023, Marc has been serving as the Sales Manager at Hawk Biosystems. In this role, he is tasked with creating and maintaining new business relationships with international distributors, with the primary goal of introducing our technology into various markets.

Sandra Leal (PhD)

Sales Manager

Sandra Leal (PhD)

Sales Manager

Sandra is a Sales Manager with over 25 years of experience in Research, Sales, and Marketing in companies such as GSK, MSD, Abbive, Shire, Sanofi and AstraZeneca, and brings a wealth of expertise to her role. With a PhD in Molecular Biology, Sandra possesses a deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, allowing her to swiftly deliver results. Throughout her career, she has excelled in driving marketing and sales strategies for multinational companies in the LATAM region, consistently surpassing sales objectives and providing top-notch products to patients and clients alike. Known for fostering innovation and high performance among her teams, Sandra's comprehensive business perspective enables her to secure successful commercial agreements with a keen focus on ensuring end customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Jaione González

Marketing Manager

Jaione González

Marketing Manager

Jaione joined as the Marketing Manager at HAWK Biosystems at the end of 2023. She boasts a diverse career trajectory marked by roles such as Brand Marketing Manager at a dental laboratory group in London and Senior Marketing Executive in the semiconductor industry in Cambridge, United Kingdom. With expertise in brand management, digital marketing, and event coordination, she brings a dynamic background and extensive experience to her role. Holding a master’s in marketing from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge and a Bachelor's in Tourism from the University of Deusto, Jaione strategically combines creativity with insight to drive brand growth. Joining HAWK Biosystems, Jaione stated “I am delighted to be joining the company at such an exciting time for the business. I am looking forward to work with the team in the disruptive potential of QF-Pro®”

Laura Camacho (PhD)

Senior Scientist

Laura Camacho (PhD)

Senior Scientist

Laura Camacho obtained her PhD in 2011 in Cell Biology from the Complutense University in Madrid, where she worked on developing mice models of breast cancer. She moved to the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston (Texas, USA) to work as a post-doc in the Breast Cancer Centre, where she worked on projects involving exosomes and the effect of obesity in breast cancer. After 4.5 years she came back to Spain to join the Cancer Cell Signalling and Metabolism Lab in CIC bioGUNE to work on a project in collaboration with the sphingolipid metabolism lab in the University of the Basque Country. After more than 15 years working on cancer research in academia, in 2023 she jumped to industry, joining the scientific department at Hawk Biosystems.

Cristina Cacho (PhD)

Senior Scientist

Cristina Cacho (PhD)

Senior Scientist

Cristina has over 8 years of experience in cell biology, signalling and fluorescence microscopy, acquired by working in different research institutes from CSIC (Higher Council for Scientific Research). She obtained her PhD in 2020 from the UAM (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) and worked as a post-doc in a COVID-19 project at the CBMSO (Severo Ochoa Centre for Molecular Biology) in Spain. Cristina joined the R&D team of HAWK Biosystems in December 2022, where she focuses on the discovery of immune-oncology biomarkers and the development of reagents. Cristina says, “Being at HAWK gives me the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary team aiming to apply biotechnology research to clinics to improve diagnostic and patients’ life”.

Markel Rementeria

Junior Scientist

Markel Rementeria

Junior Scientist

Markel, a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate from the University of the Basque Country, pursued a master’s in Research, Development, Control, and Innovation of Medicines at the University of Granada. During this time, he served as a Scientific Researcher at GENYO, an oncology research centre, focusing on developing advanced therapies for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), known as the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Currently, he contributes as a Junior Scientist at Hawk Biosystems, continuing to drive innovation in the field.

Jon Agüero

Software Engineer

Jon Agüero

Software Engineer

Jon, a mechanical engineer by training, has expanded his self-taught knowledge in fields such as electronics, software and mechanical manufacturing. His work experience spans from prototype manufacturing, projects in computer vision and machine learning, industrial automation, and research and development in diverse sectors such as steelmaking or toy manufacturing. When joining the team, he stated “What I like about this project, in addition to its social impact, is that I'm involved in the product development from its inception to its market release, which I find very enriching.”

Baterdene Batmunkh

Software Engineer

Baterdene Batmunkh

Software Engineer

Bat has a degree in Informatics Engineering and a master's degree in Computational Engineering and Intelligent Systems from the University of the Basque Country. During his degrees, he focused on searching and elaborating different artificial intelligence models. Bat joined Hawk Biosystems in 2022 as a software engineer. Bat says, “I am glad to be working in Hawk, as I enrich my knowledge and I gain more experience working over a complete project taking into consideration every area.”

Nicole Quimi

Laboratory Technician

Nicole Quimi

Laboratory Technician

Nicole finished her studies in Clinical and Biomedical Laboratory in 2021 while completing an internship as Laboratory Technician at IMG. After the internship, she joined HAWK Biosystems in 2021 as Laboratory Technician. As part of the team, she contributes to the experiments, oversees the laboratory stock and is in charge of procurement. “HAWK helped me joining a working environment while developing my career in a multicultural young team” Nicole says. Currently, she is studying to start her degree in Nursing.

Ane Mendibil

Mechatronics Engineer

Ane Mendibil

Mechatronics Engineer

Ane joined Hawk Biosystems in 2022 as part of an internship while completing a degree in mechatronic engineering in the University of Mondragon. Within the engineering department, she actively contributes to the development of the QF-Pro® Software and is also involved in its quality control processes. Post-graduation, she has plans to further her education by pursuing a master's degree. In the words of Ane, “Hawk Biosystems are working on a very interesting project which fully aligns with my professional and academic aspirations.”

Board of Directors

Our leadership team bring a wealth of expertise from different research, biotechnology and business backgrounds, helping to ensure the commercial success of our innovative technologies.

Prof. Antonio Ferrer

Prof. Antonio Ferrer

Prof. Antonio Ferrer Montiel holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Alicante. He was appointed as full Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the University Miguel Hernández (Elche) in 2007, and Director of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology since 2011. His work has focused on the field of sensory neurobiology, principally on the molecular and cellular mechanisms contributing to chronic pain, with a particular interest in cancer and chemotherapy-induced pain. He is also involved in entrepreneurial activity, is the co-founder of 2 spin-offs and 2 start-up companies, and the inventor of 20 patents. He currently has 2 products in clinical development (Phase II) and one in pre-clinical. He was elected President of the Spanish Society of Biophysics in 2014, and he has been the coordinator of the Spanish Network on Ion Channels since 2008. He was also elected as a member of the University Miguel Hernández Governance Board in 2015.

Prof. Peter J Parker

Prof. Peter J Parker

Professor Peter Parker was awarded a DPhil in Biochemistry from Oxford in 1979. Following post-doctoral fellowships, and tenure-track appointment, he became a Principal Scientist at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (to become Cancer Research UK) in 1990, and has held a joint appointment with King’s College London since 2006. His research work in cancer, along with the co-founding of companies, has led to broad interests and expertise in the dysregulation of cellular controls, in drug discovery and in biomarkers pertinent to oncology. He was elected to the European Molecular Biology Organisation in 1997, to the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2000, he was awarded the Morton Prize in 2004, elected to the Royal Society in 2006 and elected to the European Academy of Cancer Sciences in 2011. Peter is currently Director of the CRUK KHP Cancer Centre at King’s College London and is a Senior Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute.

Dr. Antonio Parente

Dr. Antonio Parente

PhD in Chemistry, MBA from ESADE business school. In 1987, Antonio Parente cofounded the Grupo Lipotec, which was sold years later in one of the biggest transactions of the Spanish biotech sector. Antonio has also created other 5 additional companies (DiverDrugs, Primaderm, Lipofoods, BCN Peptides and GP Pharm). Having been the promoter and, for many years, President of Catalonia Bio / BioCAT (Catalan Association of Biotechnologies Companies), nowadays, Antonio is leading GP Pharm and BCN Peptides.

Fernando Aguirre

Fernando Aguirre

Scientific Advisory Board

Prof. Peter J Parker

Prof. Peter J Parker

Prof. Ola Soderberg

Prof. Ola Soderberg

Starting in the field of Chemistry and obtaining a BSc in 1991 from Uppsala University, Ola Söderberg then moved on to Biochemistry and obtained his PhD in 1997 in the Department of Pathology on “Regulation of Growth, Differentiation and Survival of B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells”. After completing several placements as post-doctoral researcher at IPATIMUP (Porto, Portugal) and Linköping University (Sweden) he returned to Uppsala in 2001. There, he was appointed Associate Professor in 2007 and then Senior Lecturer in 2013. In 2016 he became Professor in Molecular Proteomics and moved in 2017 to the department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences at Uppsala University, where he is now Professor in Pharmaceutical Cell Biology. His research mainly focuses on the development of new methods for visualization of protein activity in single cells. He is author of more than 100 scientific papers and inventor of 6 patents among them several versions of proximity ligation assay (PLA).

Prof. Alfredo Carrato

Prof. Alfredo Carrato

Prof. Alfredo Carrato, MD and PhD Head of the Medical Oncology Unit at the Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal (Madrid, Spain). His work is developed in the field of the clinical and basic research, especially in the area of digestive tract tumours (TTD), being a prominent member of the Spanish Group for Research in TTD with more than 200 publications. He is president of the Spanish Association for Research on Cancer (ASEICA).

Dr. Raj Mehta

Dr. Raj Mehta

BA in Natural Sciences by the University of Cambridge, Raj is a serial entrepreneur with over 20 years´ experience in identifying, nurturing and fundraising for immunology and oncology focused technologies. Business development professional having built lasting partnerships. Extensive experience gathered along the way in pre-clinical drug discovery, diagnostics, biological and cell-based therapeutics. Today, Raj is Entrepreneur in Residence at the Venture Capital firm Apple Tree Partners in London.

Prof. Erick J Dufourc

Prof. Erick J Dufourc

Prof. Erick J Dufourc holder of PhD in Biophysics from the University of Ottawa/National Research Council, Canada. 1998 he was among the founders of the European Institute of Chemistry and Biology (IECB). In 2006 he created and directed the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Membranes and Nanoobjects (CBMN), an interdisciplinary institute gathering 200 chemists, physicists and biologists in Bordeaux. Currently is the Deputy Scientific Director of Institut de Chimie CNRS – Paris France.

Careers

Are you interested in joining our diverse and successful team? If so, head over to our careers page to see our current job vacancies. If none of our positions are suited to you, don’t worry, just send us your CV and we will contact you for suitable positions.

Careers

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