AI-Guided Ultrasound Elastography for Assessments of Chronic Liver Diseases

Caitlin has spent over 15 years advancing ultrasound and elastography technology, working across applications ranging from robotically controlled probes for laparoscopic surgery to quantitative assessment of fibrosis in transplant kidneys. She completed her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia in 2017 and has been with Sonic Incytes since, playing a central role in translating research-stage innovation into clinically validated technology.

As Clinical Director, Caitlin bridges the technical and clinical dimensions of the Velacur platform, leading the Company’s clinical research programs supporting commercializations and product development, physician engagement, and the ongoing refinement of Sonic Incytes’ diagnostic capabilities. Her passion for moving technology from academic research into the hands of clinicians is at the heart of the company’s mission.

As a founding team member of Sonic Incytes, Julio has been instrumental in shaping the company’s technology and guiding product development from early concept through commercialization. He leads the company’s R&D function, overseeing engineering, product development, and design control activities while ensuring alignment with quality and regulatory requirements across the full development lifecycle.

Julio brings nearly 15 years of medical device and medtech experience spanning radiation therapy simulation, surgical robotics, and quantitative ultrasound systems. His ability to translate complex technologies into clinically impactful products has been central to the development of the Velacur platform. Julio holds a Master of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics from the University of British Columbia.

Kevin is a senior commercial and sales leader with more than 15 years of experience driving revenue growth and market adoption for innovative medical technology companies. He specializes in scaling early-stage and growth-phase organizations, building high-performing sales teams, and commercializing disruptive technologies within complex healthcare systems.

Kevin’s background includes building commercial operations from the ground up, accelerating revenue growth at Summit Clinical Research, and driving over $31 million in strategic growth at Echosens through national pharmaceutical partnerships and government health system engagements. As an experienced thought leader in MASH and MASLD, he brings a strong network across hepatology, medtech, and clinical research ecosystems. At Sonic Incytes, Kevin leads the North American sales organization with a focus on driving Velacur adoption across academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, and specialty physician practices.

Richard is an experienced CFO and strategic finance leader with deep expertise in scaling growth-stage companies through capital formation, international expansion, and complex strategic transactions. He combines financial discipline with commercial acumen, having guided companies through pivotal inflection points including equity and debt financings, M&A integration, and public market preparation.

Most recently, Richard served as CFO of Alpha Foods, where he led corporate strategy, fundraising, and operational scaling through to the company’s acquisition by the LiveKindly Collective. Prior to that, he built global tax and treasury operations at Hootsuite during a period of rapid international expansion. He began his career at Ernst & Young in international tax and audit, developing a rigorous foundation in financial governance and cross-border transactions.

As CFO of Sonic Incytes, Richard brings extensive board and investor relations experience to the company at a critical stage of commercial growth, supporting the financial strategy that underpins Velacur’s global market expansion.

Barry brings a rare combination of visionary leadership and operational discipline built across decades of company-building in diagnostics, medical imaging, financial services, consumer products, and deep tech. He has founded, scaled, and exited multiple ventures, with a consistent track record of creating durable enterprise value.

As Founding CEO of VSM Medtech, Barry grew the company to over 250 employees and a $400 million valuation on the Toronto Stock Exchange. As Founding CEO and Chair of Zolo Ventures, he scaled the business to 900 employees before a successful exit to a major financial institution. He has also served as CEO of Urodynamix and PureWeb, both achieving successful exits.

A committed ecosystem builder, Barry established and funded BC Excels — a medical incubator generating over $1 billion in enterprise value — and served as Entrepreneur in Residence for Ventures West, managing in excess of $1 billion in assets. He has served as Chair and Director of Orpyx Technologies, Medical Ventures, and NeoVasc, and remains actively engaged across a portfolio of private and public boards. A frequent speaker and lecturer on innovation and entrepreneurship, Barry has mentored with Creative Destruction Labs (CDL) for years, championing the next generation of transformative founders.

As CEO of Sonic Incytes, Barry leads the company’s mission to make non-invasive liver diagnostics the global standard of care — advancing better outcomes for patients and delivering value for investors.

Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu is the President and Chief Executive Officer of First Samurai Consulting, LLC, a firm specializing in health consulting focused on public health systems and policies, “putting the patient at the center of everything we do.”

Dr. Moritsugu is the former Vice President for Global Professional Education and Strategic Relations for Johnson & Johnson’s Diabetes Solutions Companies, and former Worldwide Chairman of the Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institutes (JJDI). He retired from Johnson & Johnson in 2013.

Rear Admiral Moritsugu was the Acting Surgeon General of the United States, in 2002 and again from July 2006 until his retirement from the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service (USPHS) in September 2007. As Acting Surgeon General, he served as the nation’s top doctor, communicating the best available science and information to the American people to help protect, promote, and advance their health and safety. He was the operational commander of the 6,500 Commissioned Corps health professionals. A career officer in the USPHS for 37 years, he served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the United States from 1998. In these roles, he was responsible for the development and issuance of twenty major documents from the Office of the Surgeon General.

Dr. Moritsugu was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. After attending Chaminade College for two years, he received his Baccalaureate Degree with Honors in Classical Languages from the University of Hawaii in 1967, his MD from the George Washington University School of Medicine in 1971, and a Master of Public Health in Health Administration and Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1975.

Dr. Moritsugu has been a leader in the physician assistant profession since his tenure as Director of the Division of Medicine of the DHHS, from 1978 through 1983, when he supported the emerging group of new health professionals with grants for PA programs. As the Director of the National Health Service Corps from 1983 through 1987, he assigned PAs to NHSC sites including community health centers, as integral members of the health care team. Subsequently, as the Assistant Bureau Director and Medical Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, he was instrumental in establishing the key role of physician assistants in correctional health. He was responsible for the commissioning of the first PA in the US Public Health Service in 1989. He was appointed a Lifetime Member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants in May 1997. In May 2000, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Veterans Caucus of the AAPA, and was designated a Lifetime Member. In May 1993, he received the President’s Award from the AAPA. After several terms on the board of the Physician Assistant Foundation, he received the distinction of Emeritus Trustee in 2002. In his role as Deputy Surgeon General, and Surgeon General of the United States, he continued to champion and to advance the concept of the PA in local, community, and national venues.

A member of Alpha Omega Alpha, Delta Omega, and Omicron Delta Kappa, Dr. Moritsugu is Board Certified in Preventive Medicine; holds Fellowships in the American College of Preventive Medicine, the Royal Society of Public Health, the Royal Society of Medicine, and the National Academy of Public Administration; and is a Certified Correctional Health Professional. He is an Adjunct Professor of Global Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health, and Adjunct Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Dr. Moritsugu resides in Great Falls, VA with his wife, Lisa R. Kory. He has two daughters, Erika Lizabeth Moritsugu, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in Washington, DC; and Emily Renee Moritsugu.

To watch an interview by Dr. Moritsugu, please click here.

Acknowledgments: This biography was prepared by Dr. Moritsugu, with editorial assistance by Alfred M. Sadler Jr., MD, and submitted to the PA History Society in August 2016. The photo is courtesy of Dr. Moritsugu.

When using information from this biography, please provide the proper citation as described within the PA History Society Terms of Use.

Natalie Dakers is a leading figure in the Canadian health sciences sector. Natalie has been the founding CEO of several high impact and first-of-its kind national organizations including Accel-Rx Health Sciences Accelerator, the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) now Admare BioInnovations, and the commercial arm of CDRD, CDRD Ventures. She co-founded Neuromed Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company in the neurological space developing drugs for chronic pain and epilepsy. Early in her career she enabled the technology transfer for over a dozen start-ups while at the University of British Columbia (UBC)’s Industry Liaison Office. Natalie is an Adjunct Professor at UBC’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Ms. Dakers has served on many public and private boards including BIOTECanada, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Genome Canada, Genome BC, LifeSciences BC and others. She currently serves on Augurex, BioTalent Canada, Pender Private Investments Inc., Sonic Incytes, and Stemcell Technologies.

Natalie has continued to support the health sciences ecosystem as a mentor to early stage innovation companies through programs provided by the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), eUBC, LifeSciences BC, SFU Venture Labs, and WXN.

Among her many awards are BIV BC500 (2021), LifeSciences BC Milton Wong Award for Leadership 2019, Startup Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2015, WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and Business in Vancouver’s Most Influential Woman 2016, 2018 and Industry Leadership BIOTECanada 2009.

Paul brings over 25 years of experience as a seasoned entrepreneur in the medical device sector, having successfully founded and led three companies. With more than two decades as a successful angel investor, Paul’s unique operator background, extensive industry knowledge, and vast network have made him one of British Columbia’s most sought-after angel investors.

He is a trusted first call for aspiring ventures, particularly in the health technology space, providing him exceptional access to promising early-stage companies. His refined heuristic and deep market insights enable him to identify opportunities with the potential for substantial long-term returns.

Nezam H. Afdhal, MD, DSc, is the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. He is also Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Afdhal received his MD degree in 1981 from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and did fellowship training at University College Dublin and at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Afdhal’s clinical expertise focuses on the management of the complications of liver disease, including cirrhosis and portal hypertension. His research has been on liver fibrosis, hepatitis B and C. Dr. Afdhal has served on multiple State, National and International advisory boards for liver disease. He has served as on the Editorial Board and as a reviewer for multiple journals in Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases. He has published more than 250 original manuscripts, reviews and editorials in journals such as New England Journal of Medicine, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Gut, and Journal of Hepatology, as well as 40 book chapters and 2 books. He has received many awards, including the American Liver Foundation Award for Excellence, a Fullbright Scholarship and an Honorary Doctor of Science from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Naim Alkhouri, M.D., is the Director of the Fatty Liver Program and Medical Director of Research at the Clinical Research Institute of Ohio (CRIOH).  He also severs as the VP of Academic Affairs, Chief of Transplant Hepatology, and Director of the Fatty Liver Program at Arizona Liver Health (ALH) in Phoenix, AZ. Prior to joining CRIOH and ALH, Dr. Alkhouri served as the director of the Metabolic Health Center at the Texas Liver Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatric at the University of Texas (UT) Health in San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Alkhouri completed his Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology training at the renowned Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH where he was also appointed Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director of the Metabolic Liver Disease Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute. Dr. Alkhouri is a key opinion leader in the field of NASH therapeutics and an advisor/ consultant to many pharmaceutical and biomarker development companies.  He is Principal Investigator on several multicenter global NASH trials and a member of the AASLD NASH Special Interest Group (NASH SIG).

Dr. Alkhouri has been published in over 200 publications and presents his work at both national and international medical conferences. Among many research awards, Dr. Alkhouri received the American College of Gastroenterology Junior Faculty Development Award to study the analysis of breath volatile organic compounds to diagnose nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Dr. Alkhouri’s specialty interests include nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic liver diseases, viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, and liver transplantation.