Alexandra Boussommier-Calleja

Founded ImVitro, a VC-backed deeptech digital health company that uses AI to tackle infertility and increase the number of succesful IVF assisted pregnancies for millions of would-be parents across the world. - Built a team of up to 18 interdisciplinary ImVitro-ers - Raised 4M$ with more than 5 VC funds in Europe & was awarded 1.3M$ in non diluting funding from BPIFrance - Published 5 peer-reviewed papers in the best journals in embryology - Developed 5+ AI algorithms showing either clinical superiority or time gain - Deployed our SaaS platform in 20 labs in and outside of Europe - Initiated commercialization with up to 10 paying customers and more than 2000 patients using our secure platform

Wrote articles about cell culture & microscopy for Technology Networks, including: Will microfluidics cell culture fulfill its long-awaited potential? https://www.technologynetworks.com/cell-science/articles/will-microfluidic-cell-culture-fulfill-its-long-awaited-potential-302926 Cell culture quality control: blissful ignorance? https://www.technologynetworks.com/cell-science/articles/cell-culture-quality-control-blissful-ignorance-305829 Imaging in Biology: How Many Words are Cell Images Worth? https://www.technologynetworks.com/cell-science/articles/imaging-in-biology-how-many-words-are-cell-images-worth-307782 Microfluidic diagnostics: Could doctors soon be obsolete? https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/articles/microfluidic-diagnostic-tools-could-doctors-soon-be-obsolete-310402 Advancing Disease Research with High-Content Analysis [Flipbook] https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/lists/advancing-disease-research-with-high-content-analysis-flipbook-311995 How live-cell analysis can benefit your existing research workflows http://go.technologynetworks.com/how-live-cell-analysis-can-benefit-your-existing-research-workflows 7 tips for succesful development of 3D cell culture assays: https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/how-to-guides/7-tips-for-successful-development-of-3d-cell-culture-assays-306667 10 tips for succesful development of cell culture assays: https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/how-to-guides/10-tips-for-successful-development-of-cell-culture-assays-306823

I was awarded an Individual Fellowship from the European Research Institute Marie Curie H2020 in 2017 to carry out a project that I proposed called TrueCell. With this fellowship, the aim was to start a biotech startup to facilitate 2D and 3D cell culture as a means to accelerate drug discovery. This ended being a stepping stone for the startup I founded in 2019, called ImVitro.

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I joined Prof. Kamm's lab in February 2014 and obtained the prestigious CRI postdoctoral fellowship in July 2014 to fund my postdoctoral work for three years. I proposed to study the role of macrophages in cancer using microfluidic models developed in Prof. Kamm's lab. More specifically, I use microfluidic devices to replicate the vascularized micro-environment of cancer-cells during metastasis to investigate immune-cancer cell interactions. and whether we can block this process pharmacologically to prevent metastasis. This research has enabled me to gain skills in 2D and 3D cell culture, primary cell isolation (macrophages from mice), cell isolation from human blood (monocytes), microfluidic cell culture, cell biomechanics, confocal imaging, immunology, and flow cytometry. As a result, i authored or co-authored 5 peer-reviewed articles, including two first-authored, based on my original work in the journal Biomaterials (PMID:29548546): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29548546), along with a review on cancer-immune cell interactions (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26858990; PMID: 26858990). I co-authored other papers on cancer cell biomechanics (PMID: 28494958; 27872091, 34333365).

Graduate research assistant in Dr. Overby's laboratory for 3 years. I obtained several scholarships, including that of entente Cordiale, from the British Council. During my PhD, I studied the biomechanics of mouse eyes in the context of glaucoma. I was a graduate teaching assistant for a semester, teaching Heat and mass transport for undergraduate students in bioengineering (year 2) at Imperial College London. I mentored 3 MSc students during their MSc projects, and authored or co-authored 7 peer-reviewed publications, including 3 first author papers and co-authored four others (PMID: 25028360;22039240; 21169533, 32845955). I obtained funding from Santander to visit Dr. Sharpe's laboratory in Barcelona, Spain to use his OPT machine to visualize mouse eyes in 3D. More generally, I gained valuable skills in biomechanical testing of tissue, imaging techniques, assay development and image analysis techniques.

Private lessons in London in english or french for students from secondary school, or high school in Mathematics, Biology and Physics

- 3D reconstruction of rat neurons observed under a confocal microscope. - Collection of morphological data from the modeled neurons for PhD students.