Led by Clinicians

Doctor Shahzada Ahmed, MBChB, FRCS (ORL-HNS), is a globally recognized ENT surgeon specializing in rhinology and skull base surgery. He serves as Clinical Director at University Hospitals Birmingham and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. Dr. Ahmed is the clinical mind behind Airolign™ and leads its application development, drawing from over two decades of surgical expertise and deep insight into patient needs. He is a widely published academic, keynote speaker, and mentor for future ENT innovators.

He began surgical training aiming to be a vascular surgeon, but a three-month ENT rotation changed everything and he “immediately fell in love” with the field. He completed advanced ENT training across the West Midlands and earned competitive fellowships in Cape Town, Pittsburgh, Zurich, Hanover, and Nottingham gaining cutting-edge experience in rhinology and skull base surgery.

In 2010, Dr. Ahmed was appointed Consultant Rhinologist and Skull Base Surgeon at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), the nation’s fourth-largest NHS trust, where he helped shape the ENT service into a leading tertiary and quaternary-referral center. He leads one of the UK’s most selective Rhinology Fellowship programs and serves as Clinical Director for Tertiary Services, reflecting his role in clinical innovation.

Dr. Ahmed’s commitment to excellence extends beyond clinical care. He earned his PhD in Chronic Sinus Disease in 2013, supervised numerous academic degrees, authored 170+ peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and frequently reviews for journals including The Laryngoscope. In 2017, he performed a world-first endoscopic pituitary surgery under local anesthesia, preserving an elderly patient’s eyesight.

An accomplished educator and KOL, Dr. Ahmed lectures globally, chairs national ENT panels, and hosts an annual international surgical masterclass. He’s an active trustee for head-and-neck cancer charity Get Ahead and sits on prestigious bodies like the Royal Society of Medicine’s Rhinology Council, British Skull Base Society, and Midlands Institute for Otology.

In late 2023, driven by his deep understanding of structural nasal disease and the limitations of traditional septoplasty, Dr. Ahmed co-founded Aperture Medical Technologies. As the clinical mind behind Airolign, he envisioned a safer, simpler, and more intelligent way to correct septal deviation and turbinate hypertrophy. His experience in both high-volume ENT practice and advanced skull base surgery informed the design of Airolign’s anatomy-sensitive balloon — a device that combines mechanical precision with smart technology to improve outcomes for patients and workflow for surgeons. Under his guidance, Aperture aims to redefine ENT care by bringing innovative, intuitive tools into every operating room.

Saleem Elmasri began his career at PwC, working with Fortune 500 clients in Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical industries, before transitioning to lead advisory practices at boutique consulting firms specializing in transaction and complex accounting advisory. As a CPA, Mr. Elmasri brings over 15 years of experience in financial & healthcare management consulting.

Shannon Trozzo is an accomplished Operations Executive with experience in high-level management and oversight within the medical technology industry.

With 10+ years in management and operations, she excels in strategically positioning team members to drive the company’s success and her work focuses on creating measurable performance outcomes.