MariHealth Solutions Team
Dr Sarah Carroll — Co-Founder & CEO
Sarah co-founded MariHealth Solutions in 2021, driven by a lifelong passion for animal welfare and the conviction that aquaculture deserves the same molecular tools transforming human health. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Cape Town. Sarah bridges the gap between complex scientific innovation and scalable business development — leading MariHealth's commercial strategy, investor relations, and client partnerships.
Prof. Vernon Coyne — Co-Founder & Chief Scientific Officer
Vernon is the scientific backbone of MariHealth, bringing over 30 years of pioneering research in marine biotechnology. He holds a PhD in Microbiology and serves as Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town. His expertise spans proteomic analysis, biomarker discovery, and the application of molecular biology to aquaculture health challenges.
Dr Julia Watson — Lead R&D Scientist
Julia drives the day-to-day research and development at MariHealth, with a focus on the diagnostic and therapeutic pipeline. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology from UCT, where her research focused on addressing welfare challenges in rainbow trout aquaculture across Southern Africa.
Dr Brandon Spolander — Partner & Veterinary Health Consultant
Brandon brings over 30 years of frontline experience as an aquaculture veterinarian. He holds a BVSc, an MSc in Aquatic Veterinary Studies, and a Certificate in Aquatic Veterinary Medicine (CertAqV), and is a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS). He is the Director of Aquavet Africa.
Tarryn Valle — Director
Tarryn specialises in investment readiness, financial model integrity, and capital strategy. She previously served as CFO at investFeed and held roles in capital raising and risk management at Blue Quadrant Capital Management. She holds a PhD in Finance and is a qualified CFA charterholder, both from UCT.
Nicolette Poulos — Director
Nicolette has held senior roles at Amazon Web Services as a Global Account Lead, at Accenture as a Senior Manager in Strategy, and at Deloitte as a Senior Consultant. She holds an MBA.
Dr Judith Hornby Cuff — Director, MariHealth Solutions B.V.
Judith is a director of MariHealth Solutions B.V., the company's Netherlands entity, bringing over 19 years of life-sciences leadership at the intersection of technology, molecular health science, and business strategy. She holds a PhD in Protein Chemistry, an MBA, and a PGDip in Genomic Medicine. She was Managing Director of the Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research (CPGR) in Cape Town and is currently Head of EU Projects at TASK Research International B.V.
Martin Bua Rønhovde — Advisor
Martin holds a Master's in Aquaculture from the University of Bergen. He is co-founder of Urban Ocean and works as a project manager at Blue Planet AS and Stiim Aqua Cluster. He serves as MariHealth's in-country advisor in Norway.
Björgolfur Hávardsson — Advisor
Björgolfur is an independent aquaculture advisor and founder of Vegvisir, with 38 years of experience in aquaculture spanning digitalisation, data sharing, fish health and welfare, R&D, and industry collaboration.
