A Dynamic and Expert Team
HawkCell team members
Our diverse team, representing 12 different nationalities and bringing together experts from various fields and backgrounds, collaborates to create impactful products.
CEO
Founder, CSO, PhD
Chief of Staff
Preclinical Director
Image Processing / AI Engineer
Research Engineer, PhD Student
Data Scientist
Junior Image Processing and AI Engineer
MRI Network Director
Junior Marketing Manager
Sales Consultant
CEO Advisor
CEO
Alexis GIRIN supports Private Equity and Venture Capital firms active in Digital & Deep Tech to accelerate their business overseas and bring their first-hand funded companies to the next level. Passionate about disruptive technologies and their positive impact on industries and people’s lives, his purpose is also to forge partnerships by taking a stake or investing in promising ventures. Before taking the role of CEO of Hawkcell, Alexis has served in different executive positions in IT, e-Commerce, Artificial Intelligence, and Satellite Communication for high-growth technology corporations owned by Private Equities. Used to managing complex multi-million dollar partnerships, Alexis is a visionary and fast-paced leader who defines ambitious accurate go-to-market strategies by leveraging his negotiation expertise gained over the past two decades. Thanks to his strong understanding and respect of various cultural and business customs, he has gained a truly global experience with a successful recognized track record in EMEA, the US, and APAC.
Alexis holds an MBA and an Engineering Degree from L’Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, France. From a multicultural background (French / Japanese), he has lived in APAC for nearly 10 years and is now based in Lyon, France.
He is married with four children and is an accomplished Ironman triathlete with 3 participations in Ironman 70.3 World Championships. His favorite motto is “Anything is Possible with Focus, Determination, and Excellent Talents Harmony”.
Contact: alexis.girin@hawkcell.com
Founder, CSO, PhD
Hugo Dorez is the founder of the HAWKCELL solution and the CSO and COO of the company.
He’s a passionate scientist who’s been working in the imaging field for a decade. As a PhD student in MRI physics at Université de Lyon, France, he carried out translational research between animals and humans, which led him to realize that MRI had the potential to transform preclinical research but required some modifications to fit animal morphology.
He spent 3 years strengthening his expertise and knowledge in MRI around 3 axes:
– MRI coils development for small animals and optical bench for fluorescence imaging on animals
– Post-processing algorithms for quantification of pathologies with T1 and T2 mapping, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, fractal analysis, graph analysis
– Expertise in MRI sequences development, protocol design, and MRI scans on Bruker, Siemens, and GE Healthcare platforms.
In 2018, Hugo partnered up with the Pulsalys incubator in France to develop a technology that would bring the power of MRI to animals, accelerating preclinical research and improving the general welfare of animals. After 2 years of development, HawkCell was born, and with it, the ambition to bring the best of human MRI to animals for veterinarians and preclinical research.
Hugo has published research articles throughout his Phd, among which:
Multimodal endoluminal MRI-optical imaging for in vivo characterisation and staging of colorectal tissue anomalies, 2016
Endoluminal high-resolution MR imaging protocol for colon walls analysis in a mouse model of colitis, 2016
Machine learning-based classification of the health state of mice colon in cancer study from confocal laser endomicroscopy, 2019
Hugo is the father of two little girls and living in Annecy next to the Alps. His motto in life is “don’t look back, you’re not going that way!”, a philosophy that keeps him moving forward, be it as part of the leadership team at HawkCell or in his passion for mountain biking and mountaineering.
Contact: hugo.dorez@hawkcell.com
Chief of Staff
I joined the HawkCell team on April 22, 2024, and since then, I’ve had the opportunity to develop new skills, embrace challenges, and expand my potential.
As the Chief of Staff (CoS) I act as the right hand to the CEO and plays a key role in driving organizational efficiency and effectiveness. This position is responsible for streamlining operations, coordinating strategic initiatives, and improving communication and collaboration across departments. My day-to-day work involves a variety of tasks such as managing financial (BP, P&L) and operational aspects (product roadmap, ongoing project management) as well as performance management (customer satisfaction, sales, HR, etc).
As a freediver, I know that hostile environments and bodily impulses can sometimes be mastered and offer one of the best sensations of all: self-control.
My guiding principle is simple yet powerful: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Contact: antonin.alberti@hawkcell.com
