Antonio Esquivel Gaytan
Physician-Scientist (MD, MSc, PhDc)
Bridging clinical research and responsible AI in healthcare.
Professional Profile
Physician-scientist (MD, MSc, PhD candidate at UMCG) with core expertise in heart failure and cardiorenal research and practical experience applying LLM-based tools in clinical research and laboratory workflows.
I have co-designed AI-assisted solutions for protocol-to-visit extraction, investigational product inventory, and structured clinical reporting; and initiated my own tools including an offline RAG system for heart failure guidelines, an AI-assisted patient prioritisation MVP, a discreet adherence companion concept, and a local SOP-based lab assistant. My work prioritises safety, traceability, MDR/GCP-conscious design, GDPR-aware data minimisation, and real-world usability — bridging clinicians, technical teams, and decision-makers.
- Pangaea Oncology: Led AI-assisted visit schedules, inventory automation, and structured clinical reporting with strong human-in-the-loop governance.
- QGuard-Med (MVP): Co-founder of an AI-assisted cardiovascular patient prioritisation system; finalist at Break The Gap 2025.
- Offline & Local-first Tools: Built and designed privacy-preserving assistants (offline RAG, SOP-based lab support) focused on auditability and constrained outputs.
- Open to: roles in AI in healthcare, clinical research, translational programs, advisory work, and AI literacy workshops in the Netherlands, Spain, and EU.
Professional Experience
Jun 2025 – Sep 2025
Clinical Research Investigator & AI Project Lead
Pangaea Oncology — Barcelona, Spain
Supervised an AI-assisted visit management system converting trial protocols into structured visit schedules. Developed LLM-based draft clinical reporting with structured prompts and systematic audits. Designed workflows that achieved a substantial reduction in clinically relevant hallucinations.
2024 – 2025
Co-founder — QGuard-Med (MVP), AI Patient Prioritisation
Groningen / Barcelona
Co-developed an MVP for an AI-assisted prioritisation system for cardiovascular patients, integrating waiting time, symptoms, clinical criteria, and biomarkers. Considered fairness, explainability, and regulatory implications from the start.
Nov 2018 – present
PhD Researcher — Experimental Cardiology
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Netherlands
Investigated 5-oxoproline/OPLAH, oxidative stress, and cardiorenal interactions in heart failure. Developed high-throughput screening assays, nanoparticle-based AMP delivery concepts, and biomarker analyses.
Selected Projects
QGuard-Med (MVP)
AI-assisted cardiovascular patient prioritisation
Co-founded and co-designed a transparent prioritisation system integrating clinical criteria, biomarkers, symptoms, and waiting time.
Offline RAG for Heart Failure Guidelines
Local guideline assistant (MVP)
Built a local retrieval-augmented assistant for HF guidelines using open-weight models and on-device retrieval. Ensured no PHI leakage.
Digital Health & Lab Assistant Concepts
Adherence & SOP-centric assistants
Designed discreet, privacy-aware concepts for medication adherence support and a local, SOP-based lab assistant with checklists.
Education
PhD in Biomedical/Medical Sciences
University of Groningen / UMCG, NL (2018 – present)
MSc Nanotechnology & Regenerative Medicine
University College London (UCL), UK (2016 – 2017)
MD (Physician)
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México (UNAM), MX (2009 – 2016)
Core Skills
Languages
Publications
404-error “Disease not found”: unleashing the translational potential of -omics approaches...
European Journal of Heart Failure
Glutathione deficiency and heart failure: a systematic review...
ESC Heart Failure
A translation re-initiation variant in KLHL24 also causes epidermolysis bullosa simplex...
British Journal of Dermatology
Personal Interests
CrossFit
Strength, conditioning, and long-term performance.
Artificial Intelligence
LLMs, responsible AI, and practical tools for care and research.
Travel
Exploring cultures, systems, and healthcare environments.
Animal Welfare
Ethical practice and reduction of animal use in research.