The Team
The 2025/26 Team
The Board
Noè Margni
PresidentBackground:
- Materials Science and Engineering
Leonard Rieger
Vice President of TechnologyBackground:
- Mechanical Engineering
Leonardo Conti Rossini
Vice President of ResearchBackground:
- Mechanical Engineering
Elias Margni
TreasurerBackground:
- Mechanical Engineering
THE TEAM
Pump Development
The Pump Development team designs the core of our total artificial heart: the blood pump that takes over the work of the natural heart. From first concept to tested prototype, we combine mechanical design with fluid and structural simulation to deliver the flow the body needs. Hemocompatibility guides every design choice, because a pump is only as good as it is gentle on the blood passing through it.
Mario Liguori
Background:
- Mechanical Engineering
Defne Tekbulut
Hemocompatibility SpecialistBackground:
- Health Science and Technology
Costanza de la Fuente Scanu
Background:
- Mechanical Engineering
Sara Ramos Herman
Mechanical Design EngineerBackground:
- Mechanical Engineering
THE TEAM
Testing & Simulation
The Testing and Simulations team is dedicated to the rigorous validation of our prototypes as we prepare for the 2026 HeartHackathon. Our core expertise involves bridging the gap between design and clinical application by utilizing advanced physical and virtual testing methodologies. This includes engineering and operating a sophisticated mock circulatory loop hybrid system to accurately simulate the human cardiovascular environment.
Julia Oesterle
Team LeadBackground:
- Health Science and Technology, and Physics
Samantha Grillenzoni
Mechanical Design EngineerBackground:
- Biomedical Engineering
Natasha Barreno
Mechanical Design EngineerBackground:
- Health Science and Technology
Adam Lauvergne
Mechanical Design EngineerBackground:
- Mechanical Engineering
THE TEAM
Control & Electrical
The Control and Electrical team develops the electronics and software that bring the heart to life. We integrate sensors, drive the actuators and design a reliable power supply, so that the device can sense what the body needs and respond to it. A central goal is physiological control: algorithms that adapt the heart's output to the patient's activity and detect faults early, while keeping power consumption low.
Hadrien Legros
Team LeadBackground:
- Electrical & Micro-engineering
Emma Jonsson
Software EngineerBackground:
- Electrical Engineering
David Niu
Biosensing SpecialistBackground:
- Biomedical Engineering and Material Science
THE TEAM
Integration & Biocompatibility
The Integration and Biocompatibility team bridges the gap between advanced device engineering and the complex biological environment of the human body. Our current focus is the development of a next-generation driveline designed to reduce mechanical stress at the tissue interface, thereby lowering the incidence of driveline infections (DLI), a major challenge in TAH systems. By rethinking both materials and interface design, we aim to enable safer, more reliable, and patient-friendly solutions.
Adriano Airaldi
Background:
- Biomedical Engineering
Aurel Gerber
Background:
- Material Science
Sabina Zuliani
Background:
- Health Science and Technology
Tito Collenberg
Background:
- Medicine