Dr. Joel Dunning Joins Qaelon’s Scientific Advisory Board

Renowned Thoracic surgeon to steer real-time leak detection and localization clinical development

STRASBOURG, France, Sept. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Qaelon Medical, a pioneer in real-time surgical leak detection and advanced insufflation technology, today announced the appointment of Joel Dunning, M.D., MBBS, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). As a renowned leader in thoracic and robotic surgery, Dr. Dunning will help guide clinical development of Qaelon's platform for real-time detection and localization of surgical leaks in minimally invasive surgery, including thoracic and robotic surgery applications. Dr. Dunning joins existing SAB member Andrew Storm, M.D., FASGE, Chair of Endoscopy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, announced last month.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Dunning to our Scientific Advisory Board," said Eran Shlomovitz, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Founder of Qaelon Medical. "His global leadership and expertise in thoracic surgery, and his track record of advancing breakthrough technologies in minimally invasive and robotic surgery will be invaluable as we fine-tune our technology to detect and precisely pinpoint surgical leaks during complex procedures."

Dr. Dunning is a thoracic surgeon at James Cook University Hospital in the UK. He specializes in minimally invasive thoracic surgery and proctors teams in robotic thoracic surgery for Intuitive and Cambridge Medical Robotics. An Oxford University medical graduate with a PhD from Manchester University, he has been Editor in Chief for CTSNet for the past two years and has co-authored numerous key guidelines over his career that influence global cardiothoracic surgery. Additionally, Joel created the Cardiothoracic Advanced Life Support (CALS) course, which holds 600 courses worldwide per year. He has led heart surgery humanitarian missions to Ghana since 2019 and runs Pace4life, a charity that implanted 200 reconditioned pacemakers last year.

"I am honored to join Qaelon's Scientific Advisory Board, and I look forward to guiding the development of their real-time leak detection, precise leak localization, and advanced insufflation technologies with evidence-based rigor to enhance safety and outcomes in thoracic procedures," said Dr. Dunning. "Prolonged air leaks are one of the toughest challenges in thoracic surgery. They are hard to find with devastating complications for patients. In particular, Qaelon's real-time, quantifiable data and enhanced insufflation perfectly aligns with the evolving shift toward less invasive thoracic surgery. I look forward to collaborating with other SAB members to improve patient outcomes using the Qaelon technology."

"Our ambition is to make real-time leak detection and pinpoint localization an integral, data-driven component of every minimally invasive procedure," said Liam Burns, CEO of Qaelon Medical. "With guidance from leading experts like Joel Dunning we're moving the standard of care from reactive safeguards to proactive insights—ushering leak detection fully into the digital surgery age and setting new standards for safety and efficiency."

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