# Mireille Akilian on Women’s Health & GYN Surgical Innovation | Hologic
Canonical URL: https://biopharmsignal.com/news/AGIO/mireille-akilian-on-women-s-health-gyn-surgical-innovation-hologic-f5dedd97
Ticker: AGIO
Company: Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Source: Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Published: 2026-07-08 15:00 EST
Original Source URL: https://www.hologic.com/about/newsroom#919596667-879840993
## Summary

Mireille Akilian, Hologic's VP of R&D for Surgical Solutions, on advancing women's health and the future of gynecologic surgical technology and care.

## Article Body
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.
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