Revolutionizing the Practice of Incisionless Surgery

Brian Edge is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Aurora Medical Technologies Corporation. With over a decade of experience in gastroenterology medical devices, Brian brings to Aurora Medical Technologies Corporation thought-leadership spanning roles of increased responsibility at Boston Scientific, Intersect ENT, Medtronic, and Organon.

Brian is a medical device executive with global operations, marketing, innovation, and business development acumen with expertise in product development, commercialization, and strategy. In particular, Brian has grown complex medical technology portfolios spanning North America, Europe, and Asia.

His in-depth understanding of medical device concept-through- commercialization strategy and market complexity is complemented by studies at Purdue University, in Biodesign at Stanford, Regulatory Science at USC, and an MBA at MIT.

Under Brian’s leadership, Aurora Medical Technologies seeks to transform flexible endoscopic surgery.

Vivek Kumbhari M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board at Aurora Medical Technologies, and Professor of Medicine and the Chair of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Prior to 2021, he was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University.​

As a physician scientist, Dr Kumbhari has a national and international reputation as one of the leading researchers in advanced endoscopy and endoscopic innovations. His h-index is 50 with over 270 publications and his work has been cited over 8000 times in the last 7 years alone.

Dr. Kumbhari’s expertise includes all aspects of flexible endoscopic surgery which include managing complications of surgery and minimally invasive, non-surgical therapies to facilitate weight loss and the treatment of obesity-related diseases. His PhD is on the influence of the gastric mucosa in the weight dependent and independent benefits of bariatric surgery.

Petros Benias, MD is Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Aurora Medical Technologies. He is a board certified Gastroenterologist based in New Jersey serving as Co-Chief of Endoscopy, Associate Professor of Medicine, VP of GI Clinical Operations, and Director of Endoscopic Surgery at Rutgers.
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Dr. Benias is a leader in his field and his clinical research consists of 89 co-authored peer-reviewed publications spanning various diseases in gastrointestinal disease management. His passion for innovation and solving unmet needs drives his desire to advance transmural endoscopy.

Christopher J. Gostout, MD, is an Emeritus Staff member at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and serves as a scientific advisor for Aurora Medical Technologies. Internationally renowned for his expertise in interventional endoscopy, Dr. Gostout has been a pioneer in endoscopic surgery, contributing to the development of innovative minimally invasive tools and procedures. He also held the prestigious position of President of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Most recently, Dr. Gostout served as Chief Medical Officer of Apollo Endosurgery, which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 2022.

Alex Lubinski is the Head of Technology at Aurora Medical Technologies. Alex has over 18 years experience in medical device R&D, with over a decade in GI endoscopy medical devices.

With a robust portfolio of devices brought to market, patent disclosures, and industry awards, Alex has demonstrated his ability to create novel solutions for unmet clinical needs and make them a reality. Combining exceptional technical acumen with a strong understanding of the clinical space, Alex excels in leading innovative projects and driving team success.

Alex’s ability to manage complex projects and guide cross-functional teams to success make him a key driver of innovation in the field. His career is marked by a strong track record in both technical excellence and leadership, setting new standards in advancing medical technology and improving patient outcomes worldwide.

Dr. Silvana Perretta is an upper gastrointestinal surgeon and the Chief of the Foregut and Advanced Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Division. She also serves as the Director of IHU Education and the Surgical Endoscopy Fellowship Program since 2014. In June 2019, she was elected Vice President of IRCAD France. Her areas of expertise include upper gastrointestinal surgery, gastrointestinal physiology, bariatric surgery, interventional endoscopy, surgical education, and innovation.

Dr. Perretta has been a strong advocate for surgeons performing interventional endoscopy in Europe and has been actively involved in the development of endoscopic platforms and flexible robotics.

A pioneer in Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES), hybrid surgical endoscopy procedures, endoscopic simulators, and MOOC-based medical education worldwide, Dr. Perretta has authored 146 peer-reviewed publications, with an h-index of 46. She has also delivered lectures in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and surgical innovation. Dr. Perretta holds 9 patents and, since 2011, has led the Business Engineering and Surgical Technologies (B.E.S.T.) program—an innovative educational program designed for engineers, medical students, and young professionals interested in driving medical innovation.​

In 2011, she received the SAGES Career Development Award. In 2016, Dr. Perretta was granted €1.2 million by the French government to develop e-learning and education initiatives in surgical endoscopy, image-guided therapy, and MedTech innovation. In 2020, she became only the second woman in 20 years to be elected the SAGES STORZ Lecturer and was appointed Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor on January 1, 2021.​

In March 2022, Dr. Perretta was the MGH-John Hopkins Visiting Professor. She was elected Chair of the EAES Flexible Endoscopy Committee and serves as an advisor for the American College of Surgeons Committee on Emerging Surgical Technologies and Education (CESTE). Most recently, Dr. Perretta was honored with the 2025 Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Pioneer in Surgical Endoscopy Award.

Christopher (Chris) Rowland has over 35 years of successful, results-oriented experience in general management, sales, and marketing within the medical device industry. He has more than 15 years of experience as President and CEO in multicultural business environments. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Board for two MedTech companies and is an active board member or advisor for five additional MedTech companies.

Chris has a proven track record in revenue growth, realignment, and turnarounds in challenging competitive environments. He has experience in managing small, mid-cap, and large global multinational companies. His significant international experience includes managing organizations in the US and abroad, with several expatriate assignments and as a CEO of US, Israeli, and Chinese-held corporations.

Chris holds over 20 patents that have generated more than $1 billion in revenue. He has a strong history of identifying new opportunities, launching new products, and developing new markets. Previously, he served as CEO or President of companies acquired by Covidien/Medtronic, Teleflex, and a Chinese strategic investor.

Chris earned a B.Sc. in Marketing from Southern Illinois University and completed the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School and the Executive Management Program at Columbia Business School.

Scott Dowd is Co-Founder of and Head of Corporate Relations at Aurora Medical Technologies. Scott has over 14 years of experience in gastroenterology medical devices with a focus in launching new technology and developing key markets.

He has held sales management, training, and market development roles at Steris Endoscopy, Medtronic, EndoGastric Solutions, Ambu and 3D Matrix.

Scott builds customer relationships vital in launching early technologies and driving utilization within community and academic medical centers.