Working-class roots drive North East graduate's AI healthcare effort
A Northumbria University graduate is building AI that shrinks cardiovascular diagnosis from 30+ minutes to under 3. For Jack Parker, CEO and co-founder of AIATELLA, the mission is personal-his father had a heart attack while waiting for a scan to be read. Faster reads mean faster treatment decisions and fewer patients slipping through the cracks.
The problem clinicians see every day
In the North East, health outcomes vary sharply within a few miles. Limited cardiovascular health education leads to higher risk, earlier symptoms, and late presentation-clinicians meet the disease when it's already advanced.
During hospital work experience, Jack watched a doctor spend an hour manually measuring vessels on an MRI-"the worst video game ever invented." That moment clarified the bottleneck: time-consuming measurement, not lack of intent or skill.
The solution in practice
AIATELLA's software automates measurement and analysis to support faster, consistent decisions. Current focus includes conditions where minutes matter:
- Acute and chronic aortic syndromes
- Carotid stenosis linked to stroke risk (NHS overview)
The company is running clinical evaluation with three NHS trusts across the North East-Northumbria, Newcastle, and Sunderland-comparing the AI's outputs with cardiologists and radiologists.
Equity and access: screening where it's needed
AIATELLA is partnering with community groups in the UK and Finland to bring prevention-focused screening to people who usually get missed. Work with the Apna Ghar Women's Centre in South Tyneside has already flagged individuals needing immediate intervention, including stroke-preventing medication.
The team is also investigating the gender health gap in cardiovascular disease-women are frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated. The goal is straightforward: get accurate screening to more people, earlier.
From Walker to Northumbria-and back to the clinic
Jack grew up in Walker, Newcastle, and was one of just nine students from his school to go on to university. He completed a foundation degree to access Northumbria's accredited Biomedical Science programme, graduating in 2017.
"I chose Northumbria University because of its hands-on, practical approach," he said. "It's not just about passing the exam. It's about being proactive, actually using all of the knowledge you gain through a degree."
Academic and clinical ties
Beyond AIATELLA, Jack serves as a Visiting Professor at St. George's University, Northumbria's partner medical school. A joint research project is planned throughout 2026 to validate AI prevention capabilities alongside medical advancements.
Building with support
Northumbria University's Incubator Hub supported AIATELLA on corporate governance for a Finland-based company applying for UK grants, and opened doors to the Department of Business and Trade. Those connections helped accelerate clinical and community partnerships.
"Through AIATELLA, Jack is pioneering solutions that could fundamentally transform how people access vital healthcare services," said Graham Baty, Head of Enterprise Development at Northumbria. "We're proud to have supported his vision from the early stages."
For healthcare teams: why this matters
- Time: Move from manual vessel measurement to automated outputs in minutes.
- Consistency: Standardised analysis to support decision-making and reduce variation.
- Throughput: Faster reads free clinicians for complex cases and direct patient care.
- Equity: Community screening reaches patients earlier, before crisis points.
Northumbria's track record in start-ups
Northumbria University ranks in the UK's top 10 for graduate start-ups by aggregate turnover for the last 16 years, and top five for 13 of those years (HEBCI Survey 2023/24). The pipeline is strong, and the intent is clear: support students and graduates who build solutions that matter.
Find out more about the support available for students interested in studying at Northumbria University.
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