At vivaLAB, we believe your health journey should be guided by your unique biology, not by passing trends. We are founded on a simple yet powerful principle: the most profound health insights don't come from an influencer's feed; they come from within you. Our mission is to translate the complex data from your body into clear, proactive solutions that help manage and prevent disease, empowering you to live a longer, healthier, and more vital life.
vivaLAB was founded in Melbourne in November 2020 by two science PhDs who saw a critical gap between scientific potential and consumer wellness. Dr. Rocco Iannello, with his deep background in biochemistry and commercialising healthcare intellectual property, was fascinated by the gut microbiome's powerful influence on the aging process. He saw the potential to decode these signals for better health outcomes.
For co-founder Dr. Andrew O'Brien, the mission was deeply personal. At 50, with a one-year-old daughter and another child on the way, the concept of healthspan—the quality of life as one ages—became paramount. Looking at the wellness landscape for answers, he saw an industry driven by marketing hype, where advice was often based on myth and trend rather than scientific rigour.
He believed there had to be a better way—one that listened to the data from our own bodies.
Teaming up, Dr. Iannello and Dr. O'Brien created vivaLAB to shift the paradigm from reactive symptom treatment to proactive health optimisation. They were driven by the conviction that science, and your own body, has the ability to tell us what it needs to improve your healthspan as you age.
We are based at the world-class Jumar Bioincubator in Melbourne, at the forefront of biotech innovation. Here, we are dedicated to refining our methods and making cutting-edge science accessible to people who are serious about their health.
This principle is the foundation of everything we do. It’s why we developed our vivaBALANCE precision nutrition program—to provide you with a clear, personalised roadmap to better health based on your unique biological data.
We invite you to join us in moving beyond the hype and discovering the profound potential of your own biology.
Dr. Andrew O'Brien
Executive Chairman & Co-Founder
He began his journey by earning a PhD in genetics, which laid the foundation for a 30-year career working within the health industry. This extensive experience gave him a unique insight into the gap between generic health advice and true, personalised wellness. He co-founded vivaLAB to close that gap, creating a program that uses hard scientific data to unlock the unique code within each person's body for a healthier, more vital life.
"After three decades in the health sector, it became clear to me that the future of wellness wasn't in one-size-fits-all solutions, but in understanding our own biology. I started vivaLAB to give people direct access to their personal health code, empowering them to make decisions based on their own data, not just general trends."
Dr. Rocco Iannello
Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer
As a Co-founder of vivaLAB, Dr. Rocco Iannello is the driving force behind our scientific engine. His deep understanding of biochemistry is foundational to our approach, particularly his expertise in how specific biomarkers can drive powerful clinical insights into our health. Dr. Iannello leads our Research and Development team, providing critical oversight of our core testing technologies: the complete microbiome metagenomics and the metabolic health metabolomics (Organic Acid Testing). It is his rigour and scientific vision that transform complex biological data into the clear, actionable results you receive in your vivaBALANCE plan.
"For me, the magic is in the biomarkers. They are the body's language, telling us a detailed story about our current state of health. My passion is translating that complex story into a simple, actionable guide that can truly change lives."
Dr. Pennie Taylor
Head of Translational Science and Dietetics
As an Accredited Practising Dietitian with a PhD and extensive experience in clinical trials, Dr. Taylor is the critical link between our lab data and your real-world results. She specialises in translating complex biological insights into practical, sustainable dietary and lifestyle strategies that are achievable for our customers.
"Data is only useful when it empowers you to make a change. My passion is turning complex science into simple, effective actions that help people reclaim their health every single day."
Paul Cross
Director - Marketing
Paul is a results-driven leader with over three decades of experience as a serial entrepreneur and senior executive. After founding and successfully exiting multiple businesses, he joined leadership teams at Oracle and DocuSign, and focused on technology adoption. His career has been dedicated to using technology to reinvent and transform industries, and is now applying that expertise to the consumer health space, helping vivaLab pioneer a new path to better health.
“Technology is a great enabler, making services cheaper, faster, and more personal. Our mission is to empower everyone to discover the nutrition their body needs and deliver it right to their door.”
Stephen Marovitch
Director – Engagement, Acquisition, Retention
Stephen Marovitch has built a 25-year career in digital marketing, advertising, media, customer experience and business innovation for some of Australia's largest brands, particularly in the health sector. He now applies this expertise creating and optimising the customer experience, ensuring vivaLAB's personalised approach to designing health and wellness programs is delivered across every aspect of the customer experience using data science and leading technology.
"I feel extremely lucky to be in a position where I can bring affordable one-to-one health solutions to all that need it, not just all that can afford it."
Scott Thomson
Technical Advisory Board
Scott is the Founder and CEO of SCRYPTID Pty Ltd which provides strategic consulting around innovation, AI, data and board services. Scott previously served as the Head of Innovation for Customer Engineering at Google. Scott worked in Google from 2015 through 2024 in the Ads Data Platforms, Analytics and Google Cloud product areas in AuNZ and APAC. Before Google, Scott worked with Adobe across APAC on digital strategy and digital transformation. He also worked for Telstra and Sensis in digital transformation and held the role of CTO in multiple Australian startups. He is passionate about working with and helping startups throughout AU and NZ.
"AI will undoubtedly transform how we interact with and benefit from healthcare."
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