Dr. Barkai graduated from Tel-Aviv University in physiology and extended his education at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology (Nutley, NJ) in cell biology. Recruited to Tel-Aviv University and Serlin Maternity Hospital, Dr Barkai’s research team developed techniques for human prenatal diagnosis and studied molecular cross talk between the uterus and the implanting embryo. Before moving to the biomed industry in 1998 he spent a sabbatical in the department of physiology and biophysics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr Barkai brings to the company more that 15 years of expertise in the biotech arena where he worked as director, manager and consultant of numerous companies. Part of his work focused upon molecular imaging (‘Spectrum Dynamics’), wound healing (‘Polyheal’) and clinical use of mesenchymal stem cells. In this area he participated as founder (‘Bonus Biogroup’) and CSO (‘Pluristem Therapeutics’). Most of his efforts, however, focused upon innovations in diabetes. In this field, Dr Barkai was a senior officer in three companies developing miniature and implanted cell-based glucose sensors (‘Carmel Biosensors’, ‘Glusense Medical’ and ‘Carmel StemSense’). During the past 6 years he is the CSO and head of islets department in Beta-O2 technologies.