Dr Justina Ugwah is a biomedical researcher, MedTech innovator, and R&D Programme Coordinator at University College Cork. She leads digital transformation initiatives in healthcare diagnostics and education, with a decade of experience translating research into real-world impact. Dr Ugwah spearheads the CLISTEPROBE project, an inclusive innovation.
As Co-Founder and Commercial Lead of CLISTEPROBE, she led the development of a bioimpedance-enabled biopsy device for real-time cancer detection, securing €750K in Enterprise Ireland funding and achieving clinical feasibility through ex vivo human tissue studies in breast and prostate cancer. Her expertise spans sensor development, clinical study design, and regulatory compliance across ISO 13485, ISO 14155, and MDR frameworks.
Currently, Dr Ugwah contributes to the Virtual Labs HCI P3 Initiative, a national collaboration transforming chemistry education through immersive digital platforms. She works with VR companies and enterprise partners to gamify laboratory training, enhance accessibility, and reduce onboarding time for students entering STEM careers.
A certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and NSF I-Corps alumna, Dr Ugwah is passionate about gender-responsive innovation, stakeholder engagement, and empowering women in science. She also serves as a student summer grant reviewer for the Irish Cancer Society, advocating for equitable, data-driven healthcare solutions across Ireland and beyond.