TEAM
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Our SparkHealth team possesses a balanced knowledge of healthcare and technology expertise. The team is recognized as leaders in healthcare innovation and open platforms around Bigdata, AI, Security and Compliance.
DEEPTI PANICKER
Dr. Panicker is Founder and CEO at SparkHealth B.V.
Dr. Panicker is a medical doctor who ran her clinics in Mumbai, India. Having accrued five years of experience in hospital and clinical medicine, she moved to the Netherlands and obtained a Master’s in International Health from the Vrije University (VU) in Amsterdam. Since this graduate degree was offered across tropical-education member institutions, Dr. Panicker honed her skills in shaping strategy and implementation in public health across several European universities besides VU Amsterdam; namely, the University College of London (UCL, United Kingdom), the Rupert-Karls University in Heidelberg (Germany) and the University of Bergen (Norway).
In 2012, Dr. Panicker founded, in the Netherlands, the Monad Health Consultancy in public health with special focus on Corporate Social Responsibility in middle- and low-income countries, largely for India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Her work involved services to public-health NGOs from Southeast Asia and select countries in Africa and to agencies such as Unilever, FHI360, Algeos, Agha Khan Foundation, Save the Children, UNFDP and the World Bank. Her projects included policy debates in health sectors, international development, public-private partnerships in Asia, advanced planning, monitoring, evaluation and SMART analysis in healthcare programs.
As project coordinator and facilitator, Dr. Panicker has partnered with the Ministry of Health in India and academic hospitals in designing field trials for point-of-care screening in infectious diseases and big-data analytic studies. She is a member of the editorial board of the Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health.
Dr. Panicker is Founder and CEO at SparkHealth B.V.
Dr. Panicker is a medical doctor who ran her clinics in Mumbai, India. Having accrued five years of experience in hospital and clinical medicine, she moved to the Netherlands and obtained a Master’s in International Health from the Vrije University (VU) in Amsterdam. Since this graduate degree was offered across tropical-education member institutions, Dr. Panicker honed her skills in shaping strategy and implementation in public health across several European universities besides VU Amsterdam; namely, the University College of London (UCL, United Kingdom), the Rupert-Karls University in Heidelberg (Germany) and the University of Bergen (Norway).
In 2012, Dr. Panicker founded, in the Netherlands, the Monad Health Consultancy in public health with special focus on Corporate Social Responsibility in middle- and low-income countries, largely for India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Her work involved services to public-health NGOs from Southeast Asia and select countries in Africa and to agencies such as Unilever, FHI360, Algeos, Agha Khan Foundation, Save the Children, UNFDP and the World Bank. Her projects included policy debates in health sectors, international development, public-private partnerships in Asia, advanced planning, monitoring, evaluation and SMART analysis in healthcare programs.
As project coordinator and facilitator, Dr. Panicker has partnered with the Ministry of Health in India and academic hospitals in designing field trials for point-of-care screening in infectious diseases and big-data analytic studies. She is a member of the editorial board of the Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health.
ADRIAAN LIGTENBERG
Dr. Ligtenberg is Founder and Chairman at SparkHealth B.V.
Adriaan was the founding CEO at Akiri, a Silicon Valley based company that is creating the first ever private and open subscriber network for healthcare in a 360 degree network of trust for secure and compliant transport of all sorts of healthcare data.
He was also Managing Director at Health2047, the innovations studio of the American Medical Association (AMA).
Dr. Ligtenberg is a proven Silicon Valley executive with a track record in founding, building and exiting breakthrough technology-based companies. During his tenure at Bell Labs he worked on JPEG and MPEG compression standards and also lectured in computer architecture at Princeton University.
Adriaan went on to found Bay Area successes including C-cube and Storm Technology, and subsequently joined Cadence Design as Sr VP WW Services, setting up the first, secure virtual CAD work platform. He was CEO of SpinCircuit, a joint venture between Cadence and FLEX. He founded and chaired BMEYE BV, a cardiovascular medical device monitoring business, later sold to Edwards Life Sciences. In 2015, he founded AllMobile, a seed-stage investment fund focusing on startups in the mobile, data and AI fields.
Adriaan is on the boards of multiple health and technology companies both in the Netherlands and in the United States. He holds several patents and received his PhD in Computer Science from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.
Dr. Ligtenberg is Founder and Chairman at SparkHealth B.V.
Adriaan was the founding CEO at Akiri, a Silicon Valley based company that is creating the first ever private and open subscriber network for healthcare in a 360 degree network of trust for secure and compliant transport of all sorts of healthcare data.
He was also Managing Director at Health2047, the innovations studio of the American Medical Association (AMA).
Dr. Ligtenberg is a proven Silicon Valley executive with a track record in founding, building and exiting breakthrough technology-based companies. During his tenure at Bell Labs he worked on JPEG and MPEG compression standards and also lectured in computer architecture at Princeton University.
Adriaan went on to found Bay Area successes including C-cube and Storm Technology, and subsequently joined Cadence Design as Sr VP WW Services, setting up the first, secure virtual CAD work platform. He was CEO of SpinCircuit, a joint venture between Cadence and FLEX. He founded and chaired BMEYE BV, a cardiovascular medical device monitoring business, later sold to Edwards Life Sciences. In 2015, he founded AllMobile, a seed-stage investment fund focusing on startups in the mobile, data and AI fields.
Adriaan is on the boards of multiple health and technology companies both in the Netherlands and in the United States. He holds several patents and received his PhD in Computer Science from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.
Gé Bijvoet
Gé Bijvoet is Director Communications at SparkHealth
Gé is an innovative entrepreneur and teacher at the Hogeschool voor Kunsten Utrecht. Gé addresses all the nuances of design, graphics and communications apart from being insightful on how we present our ecosystem partners. 85% of all successful collaboration is about how we communicate with our colleagues and partnering companies and at SparkHealth - our ecosystem partners come from myriad backgrounds. Gé ensures that we pay attention to detail by nurturing our communications side.
Apart from his role at SparkHealth, he is also an iconic Jazz Pianist. He is also dedicated to ensuring that innovations make the correct impact in our lives. " Why should the innovation benefits be confined to one industry alone? Bringing healthcare and innovations together so that peoples lives are directly impacted for the better - is a challenge I love to tackle!"
Gé Bijvoet is Director Communications at SparkHealth
Gé is an innovative entrepreneur and teacher at the Hogeschool voor Kunsten Utrecht. Gé addresses all the nuances of design, graphics and communications apart from being insightful on how we present our ecosystem partners. 85% of all successful collaboration is about how we communicate with our colleagues and partnering companies and at SparkHealth - our ecosystem partners come from myriad backgrounds. Gé ensures that we pay attention to detail by nurturing our communications side.
Apart from his role at SparkHealth, he is also an iconic Jazz Pianist. He is also dedicated to ensuring that innovations make the correct impact in our lives. " Why should the innovation benefits be confined to one industry alone? Bringing healthcare and innovations together so that peoples lives are directly impacted for the better - is a challenge I love to tackle!"
DR. SANJEEV KHANNA, MD
Dr. Sanjeev Khanna is Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Sanjeev Khanna, MD, is a consulting gastroenterologist and physician, with over forty years of experience. Based in Mumbai, Sanjeev has worked extensively with all the top clinical institutions in India and abroad and served as faculty at many National and International Gastroenterology Seminars and as a delegate at many conferences. Presently he is engaged as a consulting gastroenterologist-physician at leading hospitals in Mumbai, namely at the Lilavati, Holy Family and Cooper Hospitals.
Sanjeev’s current interest is in the field of applications of endoscopy in pancreatology. He is actively involved in research on Hepatitis C, Luminal Gastroenterology, Newer Proton Pump Inhibitors – with the Quintiles Research (India) Private Limited. Sanjeev is always eager to implement innovations in healthcare and especially in his fields of interest to improve the efficiency and outcome of healthcare decision making and delivery of patient centric treatment.
Dr. Sanjeev Khanna is Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Sanjeev Khanna, MD, is a consulting gastroenterologist and physician, with over forty years of experience. Based in Mumbai, Sanjeev has worked extensively with all the top clinical institutions in India and abroad and served as faculty at many National and International Gastroenterology Seminars and as a delegate at many conferences. Presently he is engaged as a consulting gastroenterologist-physician at leading hospitals in Mumbai, namely at the Lilavati, Holy Family and Cooper Hospitals.
Sanjeev’s current interest is in the field of applications of endoscopy in pancreatology. He is actively involved in research on Hepatitis C, Luminal Gastroenterology, Newer Proton Pump Inhibitors – with the Quintiles Research (India) Private Limited. Sanjeev is always eager to implement innovations in healthcare and especially in his fields of interest to improve the efficiency and outcome of healthcare decision making and delivery of patient centric treatment.
ALAIN PAUL MARTIN
Alain Paul Martin is Advisor at SparkHealth
As a 2012 Harvard Fellow (Advanced Leadership), Alain Paul Martin teamed up with leaders whose mission is to “change society and its institutions, individually and collectively making a difference on global, national, and community problems."
Today, he strives to fulfill that mission as inventor and Chief Architect of Harvard University Global System™, the framework for complexity reduction, productivity and innovation (acceleration, quality, scaling and sustainability). He continues to serve as a thought leader in exemplary leadership, innovation, strategic alliances and foresight work. He also coaches the director of Applied Research & Technology at Teck, Canada's largest diversified resource firm.
For 10 years, he has assisted Desjardins' CEO rebuild and scale North America’s fastest-growing casualty insurer and craft the vision and strategic direction of the "world's second strongest bank" (according to Bloomberg). He advised two prime ministers (4 years) and UNESCO's head for whom he authored “Overhauling the UNESCO and Strengthening Its Essence”. He spearheaded, with Dr. Brian Morrissey, the creation of Canada's Food Inspection Agency. He addressed complex technology and environmental issues from the Arctic Circle (Canada, Sakha Republic) to Africa.
Alain led capital projects (Bombardier, Du Pont, World Bank); taught negotiation to graduate students, risk management to nuclear-power engineers and executives and led leadership workshops for executives at Bertelsmann, Boeing, Cap-Gemini, E.ON, GE (USA, Canada and Europe), Harvard University and Skanska.
Alain was selected by Harvard Business School for the 3-year part-time Owner/President Program (OPM) for leading CEOs owning 51% of their firm and generating $5 million+ (now $10 million+).
Active in civil society and inspired by Dr. Paul Farmer, Alain led the creation of Partners in Health Canada. He was recognized by Harvard University's and Alumni Association's presidents for his
“Leadership, Vision and Service” and PMI for his “outstanding contribution to project management's state-of-the-art”. His book "Harnessing the Power of Intelligence” earned praise from scholars and business leaders.
Alain Paul Martin is Advisor at SparkHealth
As a 2012 Harvard Fellow (Advanced Leadership), Alain Paul Martin teamed up with leaders whose mission is to “change society and its institutions, individually and collectively making a difference on global, national, and community problems."
Today, he strives to fulfill that mission as inventor and Chief Architect of Harvard University Global System™, the framework for complexity reduction, productivity and innovation (acceleration, quality, scaling and sustainability). He continues to serve as a thought leader in exemplary leadership, innovation, strategic alliances and foresight work. He also coaches the director of Applied Research & Technology at Teck, Canada's largest diversified resource firm.
For 10 years, he has assisted Desjardins' CEO rebuild and scale North America’s fastest-growing casualty insurer and craft the vision and strategic direction of the "world's second strongest bank" (according to Bloomberg). He advised two prime ministers (4 years) and UNESCO's head for whom he authored “Overhauling the UNESCO and Strengthening Its Essence”. He spearheaded, with Dr. Brian Morrissey, the creation of Canada's Food Inspection Agency. He addressed complex technology and environmental issues from the Arctic Circle (Canada, Sakha Republic) to Africa.
Alain led capital projects (Bombardier, Du Pont, World Bank); taught negotiation to graduate students, risk management to nuclear-power engineers and executives and led leadership workshops for executives at Bertelsmann, Boeing, Cap-Gemini, E.ON, GE (USA, Canada and Europe), Harvard University and Skanska.
Alain was selected by Harvard Business School for the 3-year part-time Owner/President Program (OPM) for leading CEOs owning 51% of their firm and generating $5 million+ (now $10 million+).
Active in civil society and inspired by Dr. Paul Farmer, Alain led the creation of Partners in Health Canada. He was recognized by Harvard University's and Alumni Association's presidents for his
“Leadership, Vision and Service” and PMI for his “outstanding contribution to project management's state-of-the-art”. His book "Harnessing the Power of Intelligence” earned praise from scholars and business leaders.
HUUB SAVELKOUL
Prof. Dr. Ir. Huub F.J. Savelkoul is Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Savelkoul is a cell biologist and immunologist with a wide and longstanding experience in health related research, consultancy and teaching. He is head of the department of Cell Biology and Immunology at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. He has a solid scientific output and network based on the connection of new developments in animal and human health monitoring, and innovative technologies for relevant biomarker measurements. He is specialist in improving disease resistance and immune competence by lifestyle, including nutritional factors. He has a keen interest in the immunochemical interaction between rationally improved immune health and the protective immune responses.
He holds a PhD from the medical faculty of the Erasmus University Rotterdam and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at DNAX Research Institute in Palo Alto California.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Huub F.J. Savelkoul is Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Savelkoul is a cell biologist and immunologist with a wide and longstanding experience in health related research, consultancy and teaching. He is head of the department of Cell Biology and Immunology at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. He has a solid scientific output and network based on the connection of new developments in animal and human health monitoring, and innovative technologies for relevant biomarker measurements. He is specialist in improving disease resistance and immune competence by lifestyle, including nutritional factors. He has a keen interest in the immunochemical interaction between rationally improved immune health and the protective immune responses.
He holds a PhD from the medical faculty of the Erasmus University Rotterdam and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at DNAX Research Institute in Palo Alto California.
DR HARI SHARMA
Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Sharma is a Biomedical Professor and Scientist at the VuMC, Amsterdam
Dr. Sharma was selected through UPSC Board to work as a Clinical Biochemist at the Armed Forces Transfusion Centre, Delhi (6 months) before moving to Germany to the prestigious Max-Planck Institute in March, 1985 and served as Max-Planck Fellow (3 years) and group leader (5 years). In early 1993, he moved to the Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands as an Assistant Professor and conducted research and medical teaching. In 2010, he joined VUmc, Amsterdam as a senior faculty. Dr. Sharma holds Visiting Professorship at the Leuven University, Belgium and CSM Medical University, Lucknow, India. His area of research include: ‘Role of growth factors, cytokines and vasoactive agents in the pathogenesis of Heart and Lung diseases’. Dr. Sharma has obtained a number of research grants, published 332 peer reviewed papers/book chapters/abstracts and cloned several genes including porcine VEGF and FGF-1. He has more than 28 years of teaching experience of Molecular & Cell Biology, Pharmacology and Laboratory Techniques to Medical/Master/PhD students. He has supervised 14 MD/MSc and 10 PhD students for their theses. He has organized 25 international conferences/symposia and has delivered 206 invited lectures worldwide. Dr. Sharma has been bestowed with numerous awards/medals including young Investigator Award of the International Society of Hypertension (Australia, 1994), Distinguished Service Award of Heart Care Foundation (India, 1998), Medal of Merit at the World congress of International Society of Heart Research (Canada, 2004), Masters of Indo-European Intervention Council (Netherland, 2010), Excellence in Research & Innovations Award of AMITY University (India, 2012). He serves as editor, editorial board member and referee for many reputed journals and funding agencies. Dr. Sharma is the founder president (emeritus) of the Indian Academy of Biomedical Sciences, executive board member of Netherlands India Association, and chair for Science & Technology council of GOPIO and member of several Indian, European and International scientific societies.
Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Sharma is a Biomedical Professor and Scientist at the VuMC, Amsterdam
Dr. Sharma was selected through UPSC Board to work as a Clinical Biochemist at the Armed Forces Transfusion Centre, Delhi (6 months) before moving to Germany to the prestigious Max-Planck Institute in March, 1985 and served as Max-Planck Fellow (3 years) and group leader (5 years). In early 1993, he moved to the Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands as an Assistant Professor and conducted research and medical teaching. In 2010, he joined VUmc, Amsterdam as a senior faculty. Dr. Sharma holds Visiting Professorship at the Leuven University, Belgium and CSM Medical University, Lucknow, India. His area of research include: ‘Role of growth factors, cytokines and vasoactive agents in the pathogenesis of Heart and Lung diseases’. Dr. Sharma has obtained a number of research grants, published 332 peer reviewed papers/book chapters/abstracts and cloned several genes including porcine VEGF and FGF-1. He has more than 28 years of teaching experience of Molecular & Cell Biology, Pharmacology and Laboratory Techniques to Medical/Master/PhD students. He has supervised 14 MD/MSc and 10 PhD students for their theses. He has organized 25 international conferences/symposia and has delivered 206 invited lectures worldwide. Dr. Sharma has been bestowed with numerous awards/medals including young Investigator Award of the International Society of Hypertension (Australia, 1994), Distinguished Service Award of Heart Care Foundation (India, 1998), Medal of Merit at the World congress of International Society of Heart Research (Canada, 2004), Masters of Indo-European Intervention Council (Netherland, 2010), Excellence in Research & Innovations Award of AMITY University (India, 2012). He serves as editor, editorial board member and referee for many reputed journals and funding agencies. Dr. Sharma is the founder president (emeritus) of the Indian Academy of Biomedical Sciences, executive board member of Netherlands India Association, and chair for Science & Technology council of GOPIO and member of several Indian, European and International scientific societies.
THIJS COHEN TERVAERT
Thijs Cohen Tervaert is Advisor at SparkHealth.
Thijs is a medical doctor and graduated from Leiden University. He has also co-authored several scientific papers. During graduation, Thijs was a strategy consultant for six years at the Boston Consulting Group with a focus on health care and technology. He worked on projects for pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurers as well as digital transformation projects at retail companies and financial institutions
During a one year secondment in 2014, Thijs helped to establish the Amsterdam Health and Technology Institute, a collaboration between the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and Duke University.
Since 2016, Thijs is at INKEF, a venture capital firm based in Amsterdam. At Inkef, Thijs focuses on Health Care, with a particular focus on digital health. Thijs is a board observer at ViCentra, a company that has developed a new insulin patch pump for Diabetes.
Thijs Cohen Tervaert is Advisor at SparkHealth.
Thijs is a medical doctor and graduated from Leiden University. He has also co-authored several scientific papers. During graduation, Thijs was a strategy consultant for six years at the Boston Consulting Group with a focus on health care and technology. He worked on projects for pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurers as well as digital transformation projects at retail companies and financial institutions
During a one year secondment in 2014, Thijs helped to establish the Amsterdam Health and Technology Institute, a collaboration between the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and Duke University.
Since 2016, Thijs is at INKEF, a venture capital firm based in Amsterdam. At Inkef, Thijs focuses on Health Care, with a particular focus on digital health. Thijs is a board observer at ViCentra, a company that has developed a new insulin patch pump for Diabetes.
DR. HARSHAD THAKUR
Dr. Harshad Thakur is Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Harshad Thakur, MD, is Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Scienes (TISS) for over fifteen years. At TISS, he started the Masters of Public Health (MPH) programme. He is an expert in guiding research projects of PhD, M.Phil, MPH, MHA and DHA students. He has also organized and conducted various national / international workshops, seminars and training programmes. Research interest of Dr. Thakur includes any area which falls under broad spectrum of Public Health and Epidemiology. He has carried out research projects under health financing, workforce analysis, development of quality clinical indicators, user fees, menstrual hygiene etc. He has also carried out research studies for various disease conditions like Tuberculosis, Leishmaniasis, Diabetes, effects of nuclear radiation, etc..
Dr. Thakur currently teaches courses like Basic and Advanced Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Epidemiology of Communicable diseases. He had also taught in the past courses like Introduction to Public Health, Principles of Health Services Management, and Health Planning, etc.
Dr. Harshad Thakur is Advisor at SparkHealth
Dr. Harshad Thakur, MD, is Professor at the Tata Institute of Social Scienes (TISS) for over fifteen years. At TISS, he started the Masters of Public Health (MPH) programme. He is an expert in guiding research projects of PhD, M.Phil, MPH, MHA and DHA students. He has also organized and conducted various national / international workshops, seminars and training programmes. Research interest of Dr. Thakur includes any area which falls under broad spectrum of Public Health and Epidemiology. He has carried out research projects under health financing, workforce analysis, development of quality clinical indicators, user fees, menstrual hygiene etc. He has also carried out research studies for various disease conditions like Tuberculosis, Leishmaniasis, Diabetes, effects of nuclear radiation, etc..
Dr. Thakur currently teaches courses like Basic and Advanced Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Epidemiology of Communicable diseases. He had also taught in the past courses like Introduction to Public Health, Principles of Health Services Management, and Health Planning, etc.
TEAM INDIA:
SAMEER TALELE
Sameer Talele is Advisor at SparkHealth.
Dr. Talele, is accomplished in clinical medicine and presently running his own clinics in India. Sameer brings to our team good balance between understanding innovative technology and clinical medicine. Sameer is great at setting priorities and has a clear vision on how to tackle the problems plaguing healthcare through introducing the AI and bigdata analytics tools within the ecosystem.
"A sound understanding of the standpoints of the researcher, the physician and the patient is incomplete without the correct technology to help strengthen the ecosystem where they perform best."
Sameer Talele is Advisor at SparkHealth.
Dr. Talele, is accomplished in clinical medicine and presently running his own clinics in India. Sameer brings to our team good balance between understanding innovative technology and clinical medicine. Sameer is great at setting priorities and has a clear vision on how to tackle the problems plaguing healthcare through introducing the AI and bigdata analytics tools within the ecosystem.
"A sound understanding of the standpoints of the researcher, the physician and the patient is incomplete without the correct technology to help strengthen the ecosystem where they perform best."
In memoriam DR. RAJENDRA K. PACHAURI
Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Laurate and former Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was our Advisor from 2018 to 2020.
Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Laurate and former Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was our Advisor from 2018 to 2020.
