Forward Science® was founded by two engineers with a goal to change lives. The method to change more lives was to innovate current technologies for every day use by clinicians, in efforts to be used on many more patients. Forward Science's flagship product exemplified the vision of the founders, to create a simple, efficient and more affordable oral cancer screening device that can be used by more clinicians on more patients, thus changing more lives! The founders continue to evolve the product offerings as demand increases in other markets.
Robert J. Whitman | Co-Founder
Chief Executive Officer
Robert J. Whitman is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Forward Science. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering from Tulane University and began his career as a Clinical Engineer at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where his focus was developing advanced technology for early detection of cervical cancer. Fueled by a passion for early cancer diagnostics, Robert then went on to work in research and development at Remicalm LLC, where he worked on creating cancer-screening products utilizing fluorescence technology licensed from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Finally, in 2012, Robert launched Forward Science with fellow, former engineer, Brian M. Pikkula with the goal of developing innovative technologies for clinicians to advance oral cancer screening procedures. In addition to his role as CEO, Robert also serves as an adviser to startup medical technology companies on product development strategies at the Texas Medical Center and often speaks nationally on the topic of oral cancer and early discovery.
Brian M. Pikkula | Co-Founder
Chief Scientific Officer
Brian M. Pikkula is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder of Forward Science. He received his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Louisiana Tech University and his Ph.D. in bioengineering from Rice University. Brian has more than 15 years of biomedical research and medical device development experience. Brian’s career began at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as Co-Director of a multi-center clinical study, where he investigated the optical biopsy, a technology used to detect cervical dysplasia in real-time using fluorescence and reflectance imaging. He then went on to work as a Senior Development Scientist for Remicalm LLC, which had licensed much of the technology he previously worked with. He also previously worked as a Manager at Medical Metrics (a firm that provides imaging and radiographic consulting services to medical device companies) before launching Forward Science with fellow engineer Robert J. Whitman in 2012, with the goal of changing patients’ lives through innovative cancer screening technologies.
