Program Facilitators

Dr. Salim Afshar is a Harvard-trained surgeon and healthcare technologist with a background in advancing global health systems through innovation and technology. As Chief Medical Officer at Reveal HealthTech, he merges clinical expertise and healthcare systems knowledge with a profound grasp of engineering to aid healthcare entities in adopting and integrating technology effectively. After studying engineering and human physiology at Boston University, Dr. Afshar earned his medical and dental degrees from Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. His time at Harvard was instrumental, sparking an interest in the potential for software to transform healthcare delivery. He completed his medical and surgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and, following his residency, embarked on entrepreneurial ventures in healthcare technology. He later returned to Harvard to mentor at the Harvard Innovation Lab and joined Boston Children’s Hospital as a faculty surgeon. His multifaceted career encompasses roles in academia and entrepreneurship. As part of the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change, led by Drs. Paul Farmer and John Meara, Dr. Afshar has collaborated with various governments to strengthen health systems and harness emerging technologies. He is an active member of the United Nations Innovation Exchange and provides guidance to multiple companies as an advisor and board member. In his surgical career, he performed nearly 6,000 operations, specializing in rare pediatric head and neck conditions, and has developed a novel use of AI within his specialty. Dr. Afshar is also an author, with numerous academic and non-academic articles addressing AI's impact on global health, the democratization of healthcare, and the nexus of healthcare with technology, particularly in cancer care. He is deeply committed to enhancing healthcare by integrating clinical insights into software development and championing technology solutions that are both innovative and practical.

As Vice President of Business Development, Tonja has responsibility for the Ethicon Robotics and Digital Solutions business as well as Digital Solutions for JJMT.

Tonja joined Johnson & Johnson in 1997 as a manager in New Business Development at Cordis Corporation. Over the years she assumed diverse roles with increasing responsibility throughout the Franchise such as executing Business Development transactions, driving revenue as a Cordis Sales Rep and leading US Marketing for Cordis. Subsequently, Tonja held the position of Director, Strategy and New Business Development for the MD&D Group where she was responsible for supporting the overall strategy of the group and New Business Development activities. Most recently Tonja was the Vice President of Business Development for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.

Tonja earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Information Systems from Babson College and Masters in Business Administrations from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

Devang Parikh is a life sciences strategy and operations executive with experience in Research & Development, Medical Affairs and Commercial spanning pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. He brings diverse experiences from small and large companies to help build organizations, lead teams, seed new ideas, develop actionable strategies, and enhance productivity and efficiency to enable business growth. 

Devang was Vice President & Head of Global Medical Operations at Biogen where he was accountable for the overall leadership and strategy of multiple global functions critical to the operational excellence of Medical Affairs. Prior to Biogen, Devang spent 16 years at Pfizer in various leadership roles in Corporate/R&D Strategy and Clinical Development. He started his career as a management consultant with PA Consulting Group in their Life Sciences & Healthcare Practice.

Devang received a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University, MS in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Outside of work, Devang enjoys traveling and exploring new destinations with his wife, cooking, and is an avid sports fan and golfer.

Gauri heads Technology, Training and Innovation at Lifebox. Before joining Lifebox, she worked as a Commercial Manager at Equalize Health (formerly D-Rev) and Manager of Strategy & Market Development at Johnson & Johnson Medical. At Lifebox, she leads the development and dissemination of low-cost, accessible tools, technology and training for safer surgery and anesthesia; including the development of new innovations and devices.

She completed a Postgraduate Program in Management from Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and holds a Bachelor of Technology degree from U.P. Technical University.

David is the founder of Fairbridge Park with responsibility for investing and operating activities of the firm. Prior to Fairbridge Park, David was Partner at Emil Capital Partners, a pioneering investment firm in sustainability and health & wellness in the consumer space. At ECP, David sourced, managed, and realized value for many of the firm’s investments.

David started his career at Credit Suisse in Investment Banking and then as part of a Special Opportunities team focused on distressed opportunities of competitor banks.

David received a BA in Mathematics and Economics from Middlebury College and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

David is an active volunteer with local community organizations in New York. He enjoys writing, long-distance running, the performing arts, and supporting causes that promote human development.