A Bioelectronic Medicine Company

advancing the treatment of autoimmune disease.

About Us

Boomerang Medical is a women-led bioelectronic medicine company on a mission to disrupt the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The company is developing a bioelectric neuromodulation technology, which has been granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA for the treatment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The technology is being evaluated in a multi-center, single-arm clinical trial at leading IBD centers in the US.

Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley on the campus of El Camino Hospital, Boomerang is a Company-In-Residence at the prestigious Fogarty Innovation incubator–the only healthcare-focused incubator/accelerator of its kind in the US–giving us access to the brightest minds and expertise in the medical technology industry.

Our Focus

The rate of autoimmune diseases in the U.S. population has been increasing for several decades. Recent research estimates that 51 million people in the U.S. (16% of the U.S. population) may be affected by a full-clinical or pre-clinical autoimmune disease. While the etiologies of most autoimmune diseases remain unknown, it has been well described that once triggered, the body is unable to balance its immune response. The body begins to mistake its own healthy tissue as foreign, and mounts an inappropriate attack against itself. In a normal immune state, the nervous system and immune system act in harmony to defend the body from pathogens and then return the body to stability, otherwise referred to as homeostasis. When there is an inability to appropriately regulate an immune response, homeostasis is lost and an autoimmune reaction triggered. Over time, this hyperimmune state can lead to chronic inflammation and subsequent tissue damage. The result of this process is manifested in a variety of disease states, such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) and rheumatoid arthritis. Bioelectronic medicine focuses on electric signaling within the nervous system to assist the body in restoring homeostasis, with the goal of obviating chronic inflammatory pathways.

Does Inflammatory Bowel Disease disrupt your daily life?

Researchers in the BOOM-IBD Clinical Trial are exploring whether nerve stimulation, a therapy already approved by the FDA to treat other conditions, can be effective for treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Join the trial

Meet the Team

Simonsen

President & Chief Executive Officer

Heather Simonsen

For 30 years, Heather has pursued her passion for solving the puzzle of bringing new medical technologies from bench to bedside. She is the former President of PQ Bypass, which was acquired in 2021 in one of the highest value vascular device transactions in recent history.

Chief Operating Officer

Pharoah Garma, MEng

Pharoah is a former FDA Senior Lead Reviewer and operational leader with a 20-year track record of leading high-performing teams to execute speed-to-patient strategies. She is a recognized expert in Class III medical devices and device/drug combination products.

Chief Medical Officer

Amy Lightner, MD, FACS

Amy is a colorectal surgeon/scientist and an internationally-renowned expert in inflammatory bowel disease. She has practiced at Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic.and has been the primary investigator on >20 clinical trials for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Senior Director, Clinical + Field Operations

Malea D'Amico, CCRA, CCRP

Malea has spent 21 years on the front lines of clinical research in over 70 medtech and biotech clinical trials. An expert in clinical study quality assurance, her experience crosses all phases clinical trials including benchwork, QA, monitoring, field support and patient outreach.

Senior Director, Therapy Development

Trent Mengel, MSc, LSFA, CFA

Trent has 35 years of experience in medicine, as both a cardiac and vascular surgery clinician and a medtech clinical leader. An expert in therapy development, Trent draws on his clinical experience and passion for adult learning and instructional design and development.

Project Manager, Clinical + Regulatory Affairs

Grace Booth

Grace is a Regulatory expert with 22 years of experience in implantable medical devices. From Design Dossiers and Technical Files to breakthrough devices, her experience with FDA, notified bodies, and international agencies covers the full product lifecycle.

Consulting Director, Clinical Programs

Tina Portz

Tina has 25 years of clinical research experience in product development, strategy, and execution of clinical trials for medical devices with a focus on creative clinical trial designs and real-world evidence strategies.

Director of Finance

Mariela Baughman

Mariela is a finance and accounting expert with over 30 years of experience working for startup medical technology companies. Previously, she was the Director of Finance and Human Resources at PQ Bypass.

Board of Directors + Advisors

Boomerang Medical is proud to be a portfolio company of Arboretum Ventures and Hatteras Venture Partners, as well as a Company In Residence at Fogarty Innovation