Swaminadhan Gnanashanmugam , MD

Fellow

Stanford Biodesign Program
Stanford, CA

2011-12 CTSA/Lawler Fellow
2012-13 Lucile Packard 2nd Year Fellow
Originally from Port Charlotte, FL, Swami Gnanashanmugam received his B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering and minor in International Relations from Stanford University. While an undergraduate at Stanford, he joined the research group of Dr. Mehrdad Rezaee and Dr. Paul Yock, working on a novel catheter-based drug and cell delivery system for stem cell transplantation to the heart, and also co-founded the Stanford Student Biodesign group. While in the lab, he also worked on other projects in molecular and cellular imaging and large animal models research, and developed an interest in biodesign and innovation. Through biodesign courses at Stanford, he helped develop a novel device for emergency intubation. He then worked for Silicon Valley Surgical on various medical device projects in cardiology and orthopedics. He then pursued his M.D. in Chicago at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of medicine. While a medical student, he founded and developed the highly successful NUvention program for medical innovation, modeled in large part after his experiences through Stanford's Biodesign program. During this time, he co-founded a medical device company in the cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology space and also developed a device in the laparoscopic and image based surgical space. Currently, Swami is pursuing his General Surgery residency at Northwestern University and is working on expanding the NUvention program to involve other aspects of medical innovation. Swami's continued interests include biodesign and technology innovation, innovations in health care education, and the development of medical innovations for developing world applications.