YoungHeartValve was founded in 2020 after years of academic research pointed toward a clear clinical gap in structural heart therapy.
“YoungHeartValve was founded in 2020 when my long-time academic collaborator, Dr. Susan James, and I decided to translate more than a decade of research into a real clinical solution for patients,” Dasi recalled. “We were motivated by a clear unmet need; today’s heart valves either wear out too quickly or require lifelong anticoagulation. We believed a polymeric valve could fundamentally change that trade-off.”
The defining moment came after a six-month preclinical sheep study.
“Both of our prototype valves performed remarkably well: no thrombosis and no calcification, complications that are commonly seen in tissue valves,” Dr. James said. “The clinicians involved immediately recognized that this could represent a step-change in durability and patient safety. That result convinced us that the technology should not remain in the lab.”
Thus, the team filed multiple foundational patents.
“Dr. James developed the polymeric leaflet biomaterial, and I designed the stent-valve system and hemodynamic architecture. Together, these form the basis of the YoungHeartValve platform.”
The company’s roots trace back to more than a decade of NIH-funded research conducted across Colorado State University, The Ohio State University, and Georgia Tech. Dasi’s background is in cardiovascular biomechanics and predictive modeling, and he previously founded DASI Simulations to bring patient-specific treatment planning into clinical cardiology. Dr. James brings more than 30 years of experience in polymeric implants and previously translated biomaterials into commercial orthopedic devices through the company BioPoly.
