Meet the Team
SureAx Medical prides itself in having a great team that is on the forefront of the development of state-of-the-art innovative medical device solutions for lymphatic interventions with applications in other fields as well. The core team consists of the two founders Dr Ghassan Kassab and Dr Max Itkin, who combine their cutting edge expertise in medical device development with lymphatic interventional procedures to continuously develop new products that have a global impact. They are supported by Neil Drake, who runs the day-to-day development and production team within SureAx.
Dr. Ghassan Kassab, PhD (CEO)
Dr. Ghassan Kassab, PhD has 30 years of experience in research in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal biomechanics and engineering. He holds over 300 issued and pending patents and over 600 publications and proceedings. Ghassan is former Chair & Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Indiana/Purdue University and UCI and holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, an M.S. in Engineering Sciences and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (Summa Cum Laude).
Max Itkin, MD (CMO)
Dr. Maxim Itkin is a Professor of Radiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an attending interventional radiologist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is the Director of the Center for Lymphatic Imaging and Interventions and is internationally recognized as one of the leading pioneers in modern lymphatic imaging and image-guided lymphatic interventions.
Over the past two decades, Dr. Itkin has helped transform the diagnosis and treatment of lymphatic disorders through the development and clinical application of innovative minimally invasive techniques. His work has advanced procedures such as thoracic duct embolization, lymphatic embolization, liver lymphatic embolization, interstitial lymphatic embolization, and thoracic duct decompression. He also played a major role in popularizing intranodal lymphangiography, an ultrasound-guided method of accessing lymph nodes that made lymphatic imaging and intervention more accessible to interventional radiologists worldwide.
Dr. Itkin was instrumental in the development of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR lymphangiography, a technique that allows physicians to visualize lymphatic anatomy and flow in ways that were previously not possible. This work has led to major advances in understanding the pathophysiology of complex lymphatic disorders, including chylothorax, plastic bronchitis, neonatal lymphatic flow disorders, protein-losing enteropathy, congenital lymphatic abnormalities, and other lymphatic-related diseases. These discoveries have supported the creation of new percutaneous treatment strategies for conditions that were historically difficult to diagnose and manage.
In addition to his clinical innovation, Dr. Itkin is a prolific researcher, educator, and invited lecturer. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, reviews, editorials, and book chapters, and has presented extensively at major national and international medical meetings. His work has influenced the practice of interventional radiology, pediatric radiology, cardiology, pulmonology, and lymphatic medicine.
Dr. Itkin has received numerous honors for his contributions to medicine and interventional radiology. He is a Fellow of the Society of Interventional Radiology and has received the University of Pennsylvania Luigi Mastroianni, Jr. Clinical Innovator Award, the Award of Excellence and Innovation in Interventional Radiology from the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe, the “Nobility in Medicine” honor from the Lymphatic Education & Research Network, the Gold Medal of the Korean Society of Interventional Radiology, and Honorary Membership in the Asia Pacific Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology. Through his clinical care, research, teaching, and innovation, Dr. Itkin has helped establish lymphatic intervention as a rapidly growing and essential field in modern medicine