Beyond the Device

On this weeks’ episode of Beyond the Device we are joined by Thais Sala, whose story began in São Paulo where she grew up with a rare sense of clarity about what she wanted from life. From a young age she was driven by the idea of using science to improve lives. That purpose guided her through competitive public universities, long hours in neuroscience labs, and the belief that research was the path she was meant to follow.

But early in her career, a series of setbacks forced her to reconsider everything she thought her future would look like. One major disappointment changed the direction of her academic journey. Another pushed her to take a leap few people would take. She left Brazil, left her master’s, and moved to Ireland with no clear plan, only the need to start over.

What happened next came from a moment that looked insignificant at the time. It set off a chain of events that brought her into the medical device industry and eventually into roles across technical services, quality, regulatory and post market surveillance.

Along the way, another unexpected turning point tested her resilience and forced her to find stability in the middle of uncertainty. Those experiences shaped how she works today. They taught her to trust the process, to stay adaptable, and to accept that the most important opportunities often arrive sideways rather than straight ahead.

Her story is a reminder that you cannot plan every step. You can only connect the dots looking back, and the moments that feel accidental often become the ones that define you.

How does someone end up as Head of Diagnostics and Medical Devices at the MHRA? In this episode, Joseph Burt takes us through the path that led him into one of the most influential regulatory roles in the UK

Joseph grew up in a house filled with science and engineering, which shaped him from an early age. He talks about being a practical kid who loved building things, later discovering a love for maths, and eventually studying both applied mathematics and biomedical engineering.

Joseph reflects on the period straight out of university where, after years of structure and constant learning, he found himself unemployed for months in the middle of an economic downturn. He describes this period honestly. The loss of purpose, the depression that followed, and the moment he realised he needed a plan to move forward. That period taught him resilience, independence, and the value of planning with intention.

We also talk about the human side of a public-facing regulatory role. Joseph opens up about dealing with criticism, the mental toll of public scrutiny, and how he uses reflection and practical work to process pressure. He explains why feedback hits hard, how he compartmentalises it, and the importance of context, humility, and emotional intelligence.

This conversation is a rare insight into the person behind the policy. A story of structure, uncertainty, mentors, planning, purpose, and a desire to leave behind something meaningful for the next generation.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, we sit down with Ana Burman, a digital health and SaMD leader whose story spans continents, careers, and profound personal change.Ana grew up in rural Brazil in an academic household, surrounded by education, curiosity, and a strong sense of possibility. She moved from early interests in technology into software, then cyber security, and later completed a PhD in health informatics. Her career path reflects a pattern of exploring new areas with confidence, learning quickly, and choosing opportunities that stretched her thinking.But the most defining chapter of her life was not a career shift. It was the sudden loss of her husband of 25 years. She speaks openly about the shock, the emptiness, and the need to find a way through when the world as she knew it disappeared overnight. Ana channelled her grief into a goal, completing a solo Land’s End to John O’Groats ride that became a source of focus and strength at a time when everything felt impossible.This conversation is about courage, identity, reinvention, and the belief that even in heartbreak, there is a way forward through connection, service, and the choice to keep going.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, we’re joined by Jacqui O’Connor, founder and Managing Director of MedScan3D, a company pioneering medical 3D printing in Ireland.

Jacqui’s turning point came when she became a mum twice in quick succession. With two under two, she began reassessing how she spent her time and what she wanted her career to look like. During her second maternity leave, the idea for MedScan3D emerged.

But Jacqui is clear: this wasn’t a call for women to start businesses on maternity leave. Her situation was unique - the right timing, strong support at home, and a natural pull toward a new challenge.

She talks openly about the reality behind the highlight reel: imposter syndrome, exhaustion, carving out thinking time, and how exercise, therapy, and coaching have become essential. She also reflects on raising three girls, and how that shapes her drive and her perspective on time.

This is an honest conversation about balancing ambition and family, trusting your instincts, and building something meaningful without missing out on what matters most.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, we’re joined by Nicholas Hitchins - an award-winning biomedical engineer, board member at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, and MedTech leader whose career has spanned surgical, respiratory, and drug delivery devices.Nick’s story began with an early fascination for how things move - cars, planes, and machines - shaped by a dyslexia diagnosis that pushed him toward the precision of maths, physics, and engineering. But his most defining lessons came years later, when he launched his own MedTech start-up just months before the pandemic.As the business collapsed around him during lockdown, Nick found himself consumed by anxiety, sleepless nights, and isolation - bottling everything up and convincing himself that no one would understand. In the years since, he’s learned the power of sharing instead of shouldering it alone. Through therapy and the support of his partner, he’s rebuilt not just his perspective, but how he approaches challenges altogether.This conversation traces that transformation - from the engineer who once internalised every problem to the person who now values openness, vulnerability, and self-awareness as much as technical excellence.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, we’re joined by Matthew Wictome - VP of QARA at Trinity Biotech, Managing Director of his own consultancy, and co-author of Transforming Quality Organizations and Untangle: Building Simpler Organizations.

Matthew’s story reaches far beyond his professional achievements. Once an anxious child, he found direction thanks to a teacher who spotted his potential and sparked a lifelong interest in science. That early influence led him into a career in diagnostics and quality leadership - but the most defining lessons came much later.He speaks openly about 2019, a year when life unravelled through redundancy, divorce, injury, and dependence on alcohol. What followed was a period of rebuilding - giving up drink, starting a business, and writing down the ideas that would shape his next chapter. His work today focuses on helping organisations simplify complexity and build quality systems that genuinely work for people.

Throughout the conversation, Matthew reflects on perspective, personal accountability, and the value of slowing down to think clearly. It’s an honest and grounded discussion about rebuilding confidence, finding balance, and learning that even when everything falls apart, there’s always a way forward.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, we sit down with Dr. Erica Conway, a globally respected regulatory leader whose career journey spans pharmaceuticals, IVDs, notified bodies, and now precision medicine at GSK in Los Angeles. But Erica’s story behind the titles is one of change, sacrifice, relocation, and motherhood, all while refusing to compromise on the career she wanted.Erica shares how pivotal decisions reshaped her path. She reflects on the guilt, the trade-offs, and the constant recalibration required to balance ambition with family life.From building a career around nursery schedules, to protecting her identity as a working mother, to now embracing a new adventure in the US as her children grow older - Erica’s story is a powerful reminder that careers aren’t linear.This conversation is for anyone who has ever thought: Can I still do both? Can I be present at home and still pursue something bigger? Erica shows that you can — but it takes partnership, boundaries, and the courage to embrace uncertainty one step at a time.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, hosts Duncan Cameron and Nathan Puxty sit down with regulatory leader Jim Baker, whose nearly 30-year career in medical devices has been shaped not only by technical expertise but by a moment of self-realisation that changed everything.

Jim opens up about the day a manager quietly called him out for a careless comment - a moment that exposed how he’d been drawn into a negative culture and made him question the kind of colleague and leader he wanted to be. That honest conversation became a catalyst for change, prompting him to leave a role that no longer aligned with his values and ultimately leading him to a company that reignited his passion for the industry.

He reflects on the lessons that followed: the importance of empathy, integrity, and self-awareness; the courage to move on when something no longer feels right; and the grounding power of walking, nature, and keeping perspective outside of work.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, hosts Duncan Cameron and Nathan Puxty sit down with Mike Karim, a health tech leader whose 30-year journey through the medical device world has been driven by resilience, curiosity, and an unwavering belief in people.

Mike opens up about breaking barriers, overcoming prejudice, and how early experiences shaped his mindset on empathy, inclusion, and trust. He reflects on what it means to lead through uncertainty, build teams across cultures, and carry forward the lessons of great mentors.

From the challenges of self-belief to the power of saying “yes” when others say “no,” this is an honest and uplifting story of a man who turned obstacles into opportunity and continues to give back to the next generation of medtech innovators.

In this episode of Beyond the Device, we sit down with Sean Coombs, Technical Director at PM Group, whose 40+ year career spans engineering innovation, telecoms, and medical devices.

Sean shares how a challenging childhood and strict family environment forged resilience, but also led him to bury emotions and lean heavily on work as a coping mechanism. From pioneering one of the first VoIP-based trading systems to developing neurosurgical devices that save lives, Sean’s career has been marked by technical excellence and relentless drive.

But behind the success lies a deeply personal story of family conflict, resilience, and the hard lessons learned about balance, vulnerability, and seeking support.