Who we are

The creation of « Cyberna » was, above all, the result of a remarkable human adventure that began in 2019 with the establishment of the first clinical platform for RNA chemistry analysis using mass spectrometry bringing together what would later become the founding team of this startup.

Shortly thereafter, the scientific team developed an analytical pipeline that combined multiplex analysis of chemical processes with artificial intelligence, enabling the stratification of patients with glioma (patent filed, Analytical Chemistry 2021). The power of this technology and its clinical potential were recognized by the awarding of a “2023 Innovation Trophy” from the University of Montpellier in the life sciences category, as well as inclusion in a maturation program by SATT AXLR (€850k). Building on this recognition, Cyberna was founded in December 2023 and was a laureate of the national iLab program in 2024.

Meet the Team

PATRICE GARNIER

PhD, CEO

Patrice Garnier has over twenty years experience in the creation and management of technology companies. He has founded several biotech and bioinformatics companies. He will assume the role of CEO at CYBERNA. Patrice Garnier holds a PhD in physics from Pierre et Marie Curie University (Paris VI), specializing in quantum physics.

AGNES MARTINEC

PhD, COO

With over 21 years of diverse experience in the development and production of in vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices, Agnès Martinec is passionate about driving operational excellence and innovation in the healthcare sector. As Chief Operating Officer at CYBERNA, she oversees strategic operations, ensuring the seamless development and market introduction of advanced diagnostic solutions, particularly in early cancer detection.

Throughout her career, she has led multidisciplinary teams, managed complex projects, and facilitated the transformation of organizations to meet stringent regulatory standards (ISO 13485, 21 CFR part 820 …). Her expertise spans product development, process optimization, regulatory compliance, and quality management systems.

She is dedicated to fostering an environment of collaboration and continuous improvement, ensuring that CYBERNA remains at the forefront of medical innovation, delivering high-quality diagnostic tools that improve patient outcomes globally.

ALEXANDRE DAVID

R&D – Expert
RNA chemistry / Oncology

Inserm Research Director (DR2) and Team Leader of the « Epitranscriptomics & Cancer Adaptation » group at Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM, U1194), Dr David is a leading researcher in cancer biology, focusing on RNA chemical modifications. He has contributed to groundbreaking research across basic and applied science, including the discovery of tRNA misacylation, the role of m6Am demethylation in colorectal cancer stem cell properties, and the identification of epitranscriptomic biomarkers for diffuse glioma diagnosis. Alongside Pr. Christophe Hirtz, he co-founded France’s first platform dedicated to RNA chemical mark studies, SMART, which has addressed national needs through numerous collaborative research projects since 2019. This platform supports innovative technologies and has fostered international collaborations with leading institutions. Dr. David holds multiple patents and leads a multidisciplinary consortium uniting biology, chemistry, and bioinformatics teams. He serves on national evaluation committees and is involved in European Networks such as MobiliTraIN and the COST Action TRANSLACORE.

ERIC RIVALS

R&D – Expert
Artificial Intelligence

After a PhD in computer science (Univ. Lille), Eric Rivals worked 3 years at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg in Martin Vingron’s bioinformatic lab. He was then appointed as research fellow by the National Scientific Research Center (CNRS) in France. Currently, research director in the Computer Science Dpt of the LIRMM, a joint CNRS – Univ. Montpellier unit, he focuses on algorithms for bioinformatics and their applications in genomics, transcriptomics, and cancer research. Besides algorithm design, he also developed software for bioinformatic analyses (ex : LoRDEC, Salmela & Rivals, 2014). He recently co-published and co-patented a diagnostic method for a brain cancer based on the detection of epitranscriptomic modifications on RNA (Relier et al. 2022). Eric served as Head of the Computer Science Dpt of the LIRMM (2007-2010), Head of the national network for molecular bioinformatics of the CNRS from (2010-2015), and Head of the Computational Biology Institute in Montpellier (2015-2019). Since 2016, he is also the scientific leader of the ATGC bioinformatic service platform.

CHRISTOPHE HIRTZ

R&D – Expert
Analytical Chemistry / Mass Spectrometry

Pr. Christophe Hirtz has been working on Clinical Proteomics since 2000 and was one of the first to publish the complexity of the human salivary proteome (Hirtz et al., 2005) using mass spectrometry. Since then, he is specialized in clinical assays and R&D activities in the field of clinical proteomics and neurodegenerative diseases since 2010. He is recognized as an expert in high resolution proteomics for identification and quantification of biomarkers (Bottom-up/Top-down), in targeted mass spectrometry for multiplexed and absolute quantification of biomarkers, and in multiplexed and ultra-sensitive immunodetection.

He is currently responsible of the Clinical Proteomics Platform of Montpellier hospital and Montpellier University, part of the Shimadzu European Innovation Center and considered as a key opinion in the field of the clinical mass spectrometry and clinical biomarkers. He coordinates an ANR in collaboration with Pierre Fabre in 2024. He published 160 international scientific articles (H factor: 36, >5500 citations, 3 international patent)