Who we are
Who we are
Our Story
Our project was born out of a glaring need and impracticability of available solutions encountered during our doctoral studies.
Ulysse’s research in artificial intelligence focused on creating an affordable human-machine interface for the control of a robotic arm through the precise measurement of muscle activity (EMG).
The problem? Sufficiently accurate surface EMG systems are sold in clinics for $20,000. This price point makes widespread use of EMG simply unrealistic. In addition, these systems are often cumbersome and require preparation before use, making the biosignals acquisition process more difficult than it needs to be. The only affordable alternative was a system that offered poor signal quality (and is further no longer available). So, we needed a solution.
At the same time, Gabriel’s research was focused on developing an ultra-small custom integrated circuit for optogenetic.
We realized that by combining our academic backgrounds and expertise, we would be able to create truly revolutionary biosignals acquisition system.
Our Mission
Making the new generation of affordable and high-quality wearable biosensor modules, to take biosignal research to the next step.
Our Core Values
Our company is built around 4 pillars which guide our every decision.
- Quality
- Innovation
- Sustainability
- Positive Social Impact
Team
Ulysse Côté-Allard, PhD
Co-Founder
Ulysse received his PhD at Laval University (Canada) and did his Postdoc at the University of Oslo (Norway). His PhD research focused on the development of a human-computer interface to control a robotic arm, based on the user’s muscle activity (EMG). During his postdoctoral studies, he worked within the mental health sphere to develop biosensor-based mood-state detection for Bipolar Disorder Type I. Throughout his research, he has been especially interested in how to apply transfer learning, unsupervised domain adaptation and domain generalization to address the inherent challenges of a biosignal-based human-computer interface. He recently received the 2022 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Prize Paper Award from the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.
Ulysse brings his expertise in biosignal processing using machine learning to best leverage the synergies of these different modalities to SiFi Labs.
Gabriel Gagnon-Turcotte, Engr., PhD
Co-Founder
Gabriel received his PhD from Laval University (Canada) where he specialized in integrated circuit design. His research led to the development of the first CMOS system-on-chip able to perform optogenetics and multichannel electrophysiological recording simultaneously. Since then, he has been involved in the design and development of virtually the full gamut of biosensors. Gabriel received the Governor General’s Academic Medal and the Mitacs Award for outstanding innovation.
Gabriel brings his expertise in both biosensor development and integrated circuit design to SiFiLabs, to push the boundary of what is possible in the world of wearable biosensors systems.
Benoit Gosselin, Engr., PhD
Co-Founder
Benoit obtained the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 2009, and he was an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2010. In addition of being a co-founder of SiFi Labs, he is a Full Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Université Laval, where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Smart Biomedical Microsystems. His significant contribution to biomedical microsystems research led to commercializing the first wireless electro-optic bioimplant to study the development of brain diseases in freely behaving animal models. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and has received several prestigious awards, including the NSERC Brockhouse Canada Prize.
Benoit brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to SiFi Labs, including his expertise in the development of biomedical microsystems and his skills in large project management in the medtech industry.