O'Shaughnessy Ventures Awards $100,000 Fellowship Grant to Biotech Entrepreneur Aiming to Revolutionize Microbiome Health Monitoring

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Jun 28, 2024, 08:32 ET

Dr. Mariam Elgabry Will Use Her Grant to Build Nurfy, the First AI-Powered Device to Bring Microbiome Health Monitoring into the Home

GREENWICH, Conn., June 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC (OSV), an investment firm that empowers creators, has awarded an O'Shaughnessy Fellowship to Dr. Mariam Elgabry, an entrepreneur, scientist, and athlete based in Athens, Greece.

Dr. Elgabry will continue to build Nurfy, an AI-powered device designed to bring at-home microbiome health monitoring to users.

Our microbiome is the collection of all microbes–such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes–that naturally live on and inside the body, whose health significantly impacts our own health and wellbeing. Nurfy will combine advanced biosensing technology with gamification principles to bring a sense of community to microbiome health, with users receiving AI-powered insights on their health status and ways to improve it.

After finalizing her prototype, Dr. Elgabry will plan for a pilot launch to gather user feedback, collect data, and refine the AI algorithms for microbiome analysis.

OSV's founder and CEO, Jim O'Shaughnessy, commented, "In the coming years, AI-powered technologies will have a profound effect on our ability to monitor and improve our health. We are immensely impressed with Mariam's experience and expertise in the field, and we look forward to supporting her vision for a healthier world."

"I am beyond excited to be selected for the O'Shaughnessy Fellowship," said Dr. Elgabry. "We don't have to imagine a world where we interact with our health through everyday biotech–we're building it. And Nurfy is just the beginning."

About Dr. Elgabry

Dr. Elgabry is an entrepreneur, scientist, and athlete on a lifelong mission to understand the relationship between technology and health. She holds a Ph.D. in biotechnology from University College London and an M.Sc. in Theoretical Systems Biology from Imperial College London, and was previously a Fellow at Johns Hopkins University and Cyber Fellow at Yale University.

As an inventor and researcher, Dr. Elgabry has both entrepreneurial and academic expertise, with a patent and publication record from award-winning projects at AstraZeneca and Microsoft.

Dr. Elgabry is founder and CEO of the cyber-biosecurity company Bronic, where she is combining her expertise in biotechnology with her passion for running track in order to transform how individuals interact with their health, while her research on the future of biotechnology has been recognised by the UK Parliament Joint Committee on National Security and the United Nations.

Outside of work, Dr. Elgabry is an avid kite surfer and accomplished sprinter, who has represented the Greek National Team in the 100- and 200-meter races.

More information about Dr. Elgabry is available on her website.

About the Fellowship Program

OSV launched the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships in 2023. It is a one-year program for ambitious people who want to build something great. Fellows receive a $100,000 grant and access to OSV's network of founders, investors and experts to support them in bringing their projects to life. More information about last year's Fellows is available on OSV's website.

In 2024, OSV will award ten $100,000 Fellowships. Applicants for the Fellowships will also be considered for its sister program, the O'Shaughnessy Grants. Under this program, OSV will make twenty additional $10,000 grants to promising creators, who will also be provided with access to OSV's network.

Applications for the 2024 Fellowships are now closed and will reopen on January 1, 2025. Creators interested in learning more can visit OSV's website.

About O'Shaughnessy Ventures

OSV is a creative investment firm that empowers and inspires creators to bring their ideas to life. Founded by Jim O'Shaughnessy, a pioneer in quantitative investing, founder of O'Shaughnessy Asset Management, and author of four books on investing, OSV aims to provide financial support and to partner in growing the next life-changing creative ideas.

OSV combines Jim's deeply rooted interest in all things art, science, investing, and tech with his long-held desire to establish scenarios designed to help promising creators and their inspiring ideas succeed, regardless of age, location, job history, or level of education. For more information, visit https://www.osv.llc.

Media Contact:
Ena Gong
O'Shaughnessy Ventures LLC
(917) 355-7420
[email protected]

SOURCE O'Shaughnessy Ventures