Meet Our Founders
Verónica Toro, MD
Verónica Toro, MD
Verónica Toro, MD
MIT Bioengineer| Stanford MD
Olympic Rower
Cardiac Surgery Resident, Cedars Sinai
An alum of Stanford Biodesign and MIT Medical Device Design, Verónica brings deep experience in problem identification, concept ideation, and the design and prototyping of multiple surgical devices. A former Olympic rower, she applies the same drive, discipline, and resilience to surgical innovation. Sitting at the intersection of engineering and frontline clinical care, she plays a pivotal role in identifying unmet needs, translating real-world surgical challenges into actionable solutions, and guiding clinical validation.
Natzem Lima, PhD
Verónica Toro, MD
Verónica Toro, MD
MIT Mechanical Engineer | Optics PhD
Founder, EMI Optics
An expert in mechanical and optical engineering, Natzem brings nearly a decade of experience consulting across product design, R&D, and advanced manufacturing. His strengths in precision engineering, rapid prototyping, and scalable development are key to the company’s technical execution. An alum of MIT’s Medical Device Design program with prior experience in surgical innovation, he leads engineering strategy and product development at Nattoro Surgical.
Joanna Chikwe, MD
Verónica Toro, MD
Joanna Chikwe, MD
Oxford Medical Sciences
Chair of Cardiac Surgery, Cedars Sinai
Editor-In-Chief, The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
As Chair of one of the nation’s top-ranked heart surgery programs and Editor-in-Chief of the field’s leading journal, Dr. Chikwe brings unmatched expertise in clinical outcomes, surgical innovation, and healthcare delivery. A globally recognized leader in cardiac surgery, she plays a critical role at Nattoro Surgical, providing strategic clinical guidance and driving adoption of the company’s technology across both cardiac and thoracic surgery.