Bradley Duerstock, Ph.D.

CEO of PreTech

Dr. Duerstock has a joint faculty appointment in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and School of Industrial Engineering. He is a member of the Center for Paralysis Research and has a courtesy appointment in the Dept of Basic Medical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. His research interests focus on restoring function to individuals with disabilities through the development of software- and hardware-based assistive technologies. He is the cofounder and Director of the Institute for Accessible Science (IAS), a national center to assist persons with disabilities in pursuit of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers through greater participation and independence in practical laboratory science and engineering activities. As a quadriplegic due to a cervical spinal cord injury, he has experience completing higher ed coursework, conducting biomed research, teaching veterinary medical and engineering courses from a motorized wheelchair with limited upper limb mobility.

Li Hwa Chong

CFO of PreTech

Li Hwa Chong is a certified public accountant (CPA) who has worked for Caterpillar company for five years prior to joining as the CFO of Prehensile Technologies, LLC. She is also a trained family therapist (masters degree in counseling from Purdue) and worked as a full-time social worker and counselor with families with low income for 6 years. She was selected as an Intern for Indiana through a Lily Endowment at the Purdue Research Park for a lean manufacturing and has six Sigma green belt certification in lean manufacturing and process improvement.