Vice President of R&D Mireille Akilian on Women’s Health and What’s Next for GYN Surgical Innovation
When Mireille Akilian began her career designing optics for space telescopes, she didn’t expect to one day be helping to advance technologies that treat gynecologic conditions affecting millions of women.
Today, as Vice President of Research & Development for Surgical Solutions at Hologic, Akilian leads teams working to improve care for women facing abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) and symptomatic fibroids.
Advancing care in women’s health
Many conditions that affect women have historically been overlooked or underdiagnosed. AUB and uterine fibroids are two conditions that can go untreated for years due to a lack of awareness and education around symptoms and treatments, perceived stigma surrounding these issues and other factors.
“Too often, women who suffer from heavy periods or other uterine issues are led to believe it’s just something they have to live with,” Akilian said. “But it’s not. There are treatments that can improve a person’s quality of life.”
Depending on a patient’s unique situation, treatments vary and may include an intrauterine device (IUD), hormonal birth control, surgery, or minimally invasive options such as radiofrequency ablation or other gynecologic procedures.
Akilian’s work in R&D sometimes brings her face-to-face with women who benefit from the solutions Hologic develops. During one hospital visit, Akilian observed a patient undergoing minimally invasive treatment using a device her engineering team had developed. The woman had struggled for years with extremely heavy menstrual bleeding that affected her daily life.
“It took over a decade before she was able to find someone who could help her, and unfortunately that’s a reality for so many women,” said Akilian.
The procedure itself took only minutes, and was followed by meaningful relief for the patient.
“Moments like that stay with you,” Akilian said. When our teams face tough challenges during development, I remind them why we do this work. There are real people waiting for these solutions.”
Building quality into innovation
In medical technology, innovation and quality are inseparable, according to Akilian.
“When quality is built into the process from the beginning — through design controls, risk management and strong documentation — you can move faster,” said Akilian. “You’re developing the right product under the right regulatory framework from the start. Integrating quality early in the product lifecycle is essential to delivering safe, effective technologies to patients while still keeping pace with the market.”
Since joining Hologic in early 2026, Akilian has been encouraged by the company’s collaborative culture and commitment to continuous improvement.
“People here are open about challenges and eager to solve them,” she said. “That mindset is what allows organizations to grow.”
What’s next for gynecologic surgical technology
Looking ahead, Akilian sees several opportunities to transform gynecologic care.
She expects new technologies that improve imaging in hysteroscopy — and help physicians interpret what they see — to have a positive impact for physicians and patients.
“For a long time, the standard of care was to do ‘blind’ procedures on women, which can limit precision and diagnostic accuracy,” said Akilian. “Now, we have more advanced imaging for visualization, but there can be inconsistencies in how the images are interpreted. The question then becomes, how can we simplify the concept of imaging so providers know exactly what they're looking at and then can quickly make an informed decision?”
Artificial intelligence will also play an expanding role in medical technology. On the development side, Akilian sees potential for AI to analyze more data, improve software development, streamline documentation and help engineers explore new design possibilities.
Over time, AI may also assist physicians in interpreting imaging, similar to the impact it is making in areas like cervical cancer screening and mammography, and performing procedures more efficiently. That kind of support could become increasingly important. In many regions, the number of practicing gynecologists is declining while demand for care continues to grow.
Quote from Mireille Akilian
"How do you introduce AI in a way that can simplify procedures for a gynecologist so they can actually use that time to see more patients effectively and continue to upgrade that standard of care?”
Outside of technology innovation, Akilian believes care for AUB and fibroids could look very different in the next decade. She envisions a future where women can be diagnosed and treated in a single visit. Using advanced ultrasound tools, clinicians could quickly identify the cause and, if appropriate, provide a minimally invasive, incision‑free medical treatment during the same appointment — making care faster, more accessible and centered around the patient’s life instead of the other way around.
For Akilian and her team, improving women’s health comes down to one goal: giving physicians better tools to help more patients.
And for the engineers building those tools, the mission remains clear.
“At the end of the day,” she said, “this work is about improving lives.”
The content in this piece is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice. Please contact your medical professional for specific advice regarding your health and treatment. This information is not intended as a product solicitation or promotion where such activities are prohibited. Because Hologic materials are distributed through websites, eBroadcasts and tradeshows, it is not always possible to control where such materials appear. For specific information on what products may be available in a particular country, please write to womenshealth@hologic.com.