Eldin Rostom, Co-founder Diag-Nose.io.
Author | Carmelle Wilkinson
Changing the world may seem like an impossible feat, but for mechanical engineering graduate Eldin Rostom that dream is one step closer, thanks to breakthrough technology, which could change the lives of those suffering respiratory disorders.
After migrating to Australia 12 years ago from Mauritius (Africa) the recent Forbes 30 under 30 honouree was determined to solve problems that nobody else could, and there began his journey to make the world a better place.
As the CEO and co-founder of medical start-up, Diag-Nose.io, Eldin is now pioneering the way forward in the diagnosis of chronic respiratory disorders.
“Our ultimate goal is to find the right treatment for these patients, faster,’’ he said.
“This will eliminate the need for lengthy trials empirical treatments and hospital stays, ease pressure on our hospitals and reduce health care costs.
“But most importantly, it will greatly improve their quality of life.”
Eldin said overcoming his own health battles as a child and losing his father when he was just 18, ignited his passion for global innovation in healthcare.
“When my dad passed away that was huge moment of reflection and I knew from that moment on, I wanted to do something bigger than myself,’’ he said.
A young Eldin with his father.
Born with TORCH Syndrome (Congenital T. Gondii) a rare condition affecting less than 2 per cent of newborns worldwide, Eldin was left with blindness in one eye and spent extended periods of time in hospital managing a host of debilitating symptoms, including seizures.
Caused by parasites found in cat litter, undercooked meat and unwashed fruits and vegetables, the gondii infection can easily pass through a women’s placenta and onto her unborn baby – causing a range of significant health issues.
“Some children are born without the use of their limbs or severe complications with their speech or hearing, so in a way I count myself truly fortunate. It could have been so much worse,’’ Eldin said.
“Unfortunately, my mum contracted the infection when she was pregnant with me, and for a long time she blamed herself. But it could have happened to anyone. Growing up in a tropical climate, infections like this are quite prevalent.”
Eldin with his mum, dad, older brother and sister in Mauritius.
While Eldin was always fascinated with innovation, it wasn’t until he left university and completed a short stint at Stanford University, California, that the pieces of the puzzle finally came together.
“When I moved to Perth, I enrolled in mechanical engineering at Curtin,’’ he said.
“I have a huge passion for motorsports, and really enjoyed working with the Curtin motorsports team and building a race car from the ground up.
“Back then, the dream was to work for Formula 1.
“After graduation, I landed an interview with one of the Formula 1 teams. But unfortunately, things didn’t pan out and I was heartbroken.”
Eldin said while the knock back was a huge blow to his confidence, looking back he understands there was something bigger on the horizon for him.
In 2019, Eldin was invited to take part in an ENT Bio innovation program at Stanford University, and it was here that he met his co-founders of Diag-Nose.
Eldin with colleagues.
Together they plan to address treatment failures for chronic respiratory disorders (a leading cause of hospitalisation and deaths worldwide) by precisely matching treatments to each patient’s unique biological makeup.
The world-first technology recognised that while respiratory disorders such as asthma, nasal congestion (allergies/infection) may appear symptomatically similar, they are quite complex and in fact biologically different.
With one-in-three people in Australia suffering from chronic respiratory disease, Eldin hopes to help sufferers breathe a little easier.
“For many of these people current treatment isn’t targeted to them specifically, and for others whose condition is quite severe, they often don’t respond to treatment at all and keep trying different medications over the years,’’ Eldin said.
“Our device aims to diagnose understand their underlying biology and then find the right treatment that works for them right away, greatly improving their quality of life.”
Graduating with first-class honours, Eldin played a pivotal role in the Perth medical innovation community through Perth Biodesign and at Curtin by supporting medical spin-out startups Rex Ortho and EarBuddy.
Now based in Melbourne with his young family, Eldin makes time to support his local church and migrant and refugee entrepreneur groups.
“I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who deep inside doesn’t want to help others,’’ he said.
“Even those who say I want to be a billionaire and just live on my yacht, will come to a point where they would get bored and need greater fulfilment by helping those in need. After all, we were made for community.”
While pivoting into the health space had come with its challenges, Eldin has never looked back.
“It’s not easy, and some days the late nights and fast pace of the work can be overwhelming,’’ he said.
“But the key to success is to be deliberate about what you want and stay focused.
“My team and I are committed to creating technology that touches people’s lives and helps humanity on a global scale, and this conviction is what gets us out of bed everyday.”
Author | Carmelle Wilkinson
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