Featured Alumni

Dr. Mark Cicero - Diagnostic Radiologist | Integrated Engineer | Co-founder and Co-CEO of 16 Bit

Mark Cicero presenting in Singapore

Photo: Mark Cicero pitching 16 Bit in Singapore on a trade missiong through a Canadian Technology Accelerator, May 2025

 

I am a radiologist and the co-founder of 16 Bit, a software medical device company that develops artificial intelligence software used to analyze medical images. In my clinical work, I interpret imaging studies such as X-rays, bone density studies, and ultrasounds to help diagnose disease and guide patient care. 
 
Alongside this, my work with 16 Bit focuses on conceiving, developing and deploying AI devices that can analyze routine medical images to identify patients at risk for diseases earlier than they would otherwise be detected. For example, our software, Rho, can analyze everyday X-rays to identify people at risk for osteoporosis, helping clinicians intervene earlier and potentially prevent fractures before they occur. To date, Rho is approved as a medical device in 5 jurisdictions and has screened over half a million patients.

 

As the co-founder and co-CEO, my key role today is to build the organization, oversee the processes that get our device deployed to the most number of people, and remove any barriers that stand in the way. In any given week, and often within a single day, I am on calls with distributors, customers, or collaborators across 5 different continents. Each week I engage in internal meetings with our technical team to discuss product sprints, our research and regulatory team to review publications and operations, and with my co-founder to discuss high-level business strategies and partnerships. 

 

What excites me most about this work is the opportunity to bridge medicine, engineering, and entrepreneurship to improve healthcare systems at scale. Integrated Engineering provided an incredibly valuable foundation for this path. The discipline teaches you to think from first principles with an emphasis on systems and the design process. I have found these skills are directly transferable to healthcare and entrepreneurship, where complex systems and massive amounts of information intersect every day.  
 
For students considering IE, one of the most powerful aspects of the program is its versatility. IE graduates can pursue careers in healthcare, energy, technology, finance, manufacturing, and many other sectors. In my case, it helped open a pathway that combines clinical medicine with technology development and global entrepreneurship. 
 

 

 

 

 

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