Bioengineering with creativity

Meet Mariam! Mariam is the CEO of Bronic, and uses her creativity to explore new innovations and inventions in the bioengineering industry.

Hello, I'm Dr. Mariam Elgabry, founder and CEO of Bronic. I'd argue the start of my engineering career was when I was very young, building ornaments and jewelry from wire and various scraps that I found in the house, trying to repurpose them. I used to call it wearable art at the time, along with drafting my first few patents on useful tools, or what I thought was pretty useful at the time.

What I love most about my job is the opportunity to create things that I wish I had as well. Each day, I tackle challenges with the belief that every problem has an infinite amount of possible solutions. It's this motto and its inherent beauty that really keeps me motivated and truly inspired.

I'm super excited about the current project that I'm working on, which is this unique AI-powered device that redefines wellness and wellness practices by integrating microbial monitoring from the comfort of your home. It’s based on the knowledge that the first two years of a little one's development really define their health for life. It's during this time that the gut microbes populate and shape their immunity. However, there isn't a simple way to monitor this development, leading to a continuous rise of chronic conditions now reaching 40% of school-age children in the U.S. alone.

Nurphy is finally giving new parents a fun and playful way to keep track of their baby's microbial development, providing peace of mind and health milestones through different developmental stages, from lactation to weaning—sort of like collecting new Pokémon along the way. It’s really humbling to see that my work makes a difference in people's lives, especially through Bronic.

Bronic is the first cyber biosecurity company, which not only identifies emerging threats in this space but also pioneers a groundbreaking approach to the concept of everyday biotech. We are spearheading an interactive health ecosystem that merges cutting-edge technology with playful, social, and experiential elements.

My advice to a young person considering engineering as a future career would be to immerse yourself in diverse experiences. This could mean exploring short internships across various industries or engaging in projects like hackathons at the boundaries of disciplines—what I like to call anti-disciplines. That’s where the true magic happens. Innovation is born at these cross-sections of disciplines.

Another piece of advice is to find mentors whose work you admire or aspire to emulate. Having the guidance of someone with experience is invaluable. If you don't have a single mentor in mind, surround yourself with a group of peers with whom you can brainstorm and share ideas, discussing all those wacky, quirky concepts that you may have.

Embrace challenges wholeheartedly, laugh at yourself along the way, and remember not to take yourself too seriously. Enjoy every challenge with open arms.