Blackthorn — 
Precision AI for biotech & beyond

Alex Gurbých, PhD in AI, has over 15 years of experience turning advanced research into practical systems for global companies including Google, Shell, and Bayer. He has published in Nature, presented at NeurIPS, and received multiple awards for AI research.

Alongside industry work, Alex spent 8+ years teaching AI and mentoring engineers, building a rare mix of scientific depth and hands-on execution that shaped the vision for Blackthorn AI.

Natalya Shakhovska is one of Ukraine’s leading scientists in artificial intelligence and data systems. With more than 350 scientific publications, 9 monographs, and 6 textbooks, she has shaped the direction of research in NLP, big data, and distributed systems for decades.

At Blackthorn AI, she brings deep scientific rigor to product development, ensuring that every solution stands on a solid foundation of validated methods and scalable data-driven architectures. Her work as CSO connects frontier research with practical business impact, making complex AI systems reliable for high-stakes industries.

Dmytro Krasnienkov is a geneticist and bioinformatics researcher with over a decade of experience in epigenetics and aging science. As Head of the Laboratory of Epigenetics at the D.F. Chebotarev Institute of Gerontology, he has led studies on genetic regulation and its impact on longevity. At Blackthorn AI, Dmytro applies his expertise in genomics and computational biology to design AI-driven pipelines for multi-omics data analysis and biomarker discovery. His background bridges academic research and applied biotech, ensuring that scientific rigor translates into scalable AI solutions for healthcare and life sciences.

With over two decades of international experience, Werner leads Blackthorn AI’s business development across the DACH and MENA regions. His background spans market access, strategic partnerships, and growth acceleration for tech and innovation-driven companies. Before joining Blackthorn AI, Werner built a strong track record guiding organizations through complex market landscapes in Europe and the Middle East – helping them translate strategic vision into measurable results.
At Blackthorn AI, he focuses on expanding enterprise collaboration, bridging global opportunities, and driving AI adoption within regulated and high-impact industries.

Serhiy Protsenko is an accomplished researcher and engineer with over a decade of experience in AI, data science, and machine learning. Holding a Doctor of Sciences degree, he has led research teams and guided large-scale data-driven projects across academia and industry.

At Blackthorn AI, Serhiy drives the development of production-ready ML systems, bringing together deep technical expertise with a clear business vision. His work spans from advanced model design and scalable infrastructure to aligning AI initiatives with client goals in highly regulated industries.

Ivan Izonin is an accomplished researcher and educator in Artificial Intelligence with a strong track record in applied machine learning, data-driven modeling, and intelligent systems. As Associate Professor at Lviv Polytechnic National University, he has authored over 300 scientific works, led international research collaborations, and supervised multiple PhD students in AI and data science. His expertise spans neural networks, big data analytics, and biomedical applications of AI. At Blackthorn AI, Ivan provides strategic scientific guidance, ensuring that cutting-edge AI methods are rigorously applied to high-impact industry challenges.