Timeline & History
2024
January
East Africa Fellows Begin Training
The first four East Africa Biodesign Innovation Fellows begin their 10-month experience in Rwanda. Hailing from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, and Rwanda, the two clinicians and two biomedical engineers will learn and apply the biodesign innovation process to improve health equity and outcomes in East Africa in the area of maternal and child health.
March
Impact in India celebrated
The Edwards Lifesciences Foundation recognizes Stanford Biodesign as having had the greatest 10-year impact in detection and referral of structural heart disease patients among the 70 partners in its Every Heartbeat Matters initiative. Anurag Mairal, director, global outreach programs, and Carolyn Heller, director, finance and administration, receive the award on behalf of Stanford Biodesign (pictured).
June
13+ Million Patients Helped
As of June 2024, there are now 57 companies founded based on projects initiated during Stanford Biodesign training. Globally, more than 13 million people have been helped by these companies’ technologies.
Makower Inducted Into the NAI
Josh Makower is one of 162 new fellows inducted into the 2023 class of the National Academy of Inventors. According to the Academy, election as an Academy Fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.
September
A New Name for Biodesign
Stanford Biodesign becomes the Mussallem Center for Biodesign (new logo pictured) with a generous gift from long-time Edwards Lifesciences CEO Mike Mussallem and his wife Linda. The gift will help permanently sustain the center and continue its efforts to inform health policy, innovate for broader life sciences, and leverage technology to improve health equity and access.
2023
May
House Way and Means Testimony
Josh Makower (pictured) testifies before the Health Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means. He draws on research undertaken by the Stanford Biodesign Policy Program to highlight the “valley of death” confronted by innovators as they await Medicare coverage of their novel technologies.
Launch of East Africa Biodesign
As faculty members Natnael Shimelash and Gerard Rushingabigwi (pictured with members of the Stanford Biodesign team) complete the Global Faculty Training Program, a new partner program – East Africa Biodesign – is launched. In partnership with the University of Global Health Equity, the University of Rwanda, and Kenyatta University, and with financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stanford Biodesign will lead the creation of a new program that aims to enhance health equity and outcomes in East Africa by training local innovators to develop appropriate, accessible, and sustainable health technology innovations.
August
Policy Fellowship commences
The inaugural cohort of Policy Fellows (pictured) arrives on campus to begin their training. The bi-coastal Stanford-Washington DC experience aims to equip future policymakers to contribute to balanced, data-driven decisions that help realize the full potential of technology innovation in the health sector.
2022
January
New Policy Program Launches
Josh Makower (pictured with Rep. Anna Eshoo) announces the launch of a new Health Policy Program at Stanford Biodesign focused on research and education.The goal of the research effort is to deliver timely data to inform local, state, and federal policymakers on topics impacting health technology innovation. On the education front, Stanford Biodesign commits to developing an immersive policy fellowship program with the objective of training future policy leaders who understand the potential of technology to improve outcomes, expand access, and reduce healthcare costs.
March
Biodesign Expands into Biotech
Michael Ackermann (pictured) becomes Director for Biotech to help us expand the biodesign innovation process to address needs that might effectively be address by solutions beyond traditional health technology.
September
MedtechVision at Stanford
Stanford Biodesign teamed up with MedtechWomen to co-host the 10th anniversary of the MedtechVision conference on campus. This annual event provides a forum for business leaders, inventors, investors, physicians, and policymakers to discuss real-world solutions to the most challenges issues facing the health technology industry.
December
An Era Ends
Founder Paul Yock officially retired from the university with a gathering of friends, family, and colleagues at Stanford Biodesign. Among the guests were two of Paul's formative mentors -- health technology legends Tom Fogarty and John Simpson (pictured).
2021
May
First Executive Director Joins DxD
Ingrid Ellerbe (pictured) becomes the first executive director of DxD, which expands its focus on gender to include race and other dimensions of diversity. Ellerbe begins to develop additional programs and partnerships with the goal of improving diversity across the health technology industry.
August
Biodesign Welcomes a New Director
Josh Makower (pictured with founding director Paul Yock) returns to Stanford Biodesign as its new director. Makower’s vision for the Center includes a new focus on health technology innovation policy, expanding our programs across all life science disciplines, and new partnerships that improve health equity and outcomes for underserved populations.
Student Guide to Biodesign Debuts
Under the leadership of director for academic programs Lyn Denend, Stanford Biodesign launches The Student Guide to Biodesign, a modular, open-access collection of multi-media toolkits designed to help introductory learners apply Biodesign principles to early-stage health technology innovation projects.
September
20 Years of Stanford Biodesign
Stanford Biodesign celebrates its 20th anniversary! While the pandemic prevented a large party, leaders from Stanford Biodesign and Stanford University marked the occasion with an online event, recognizing important accomplishments including the more than 4.3 million people helped by technologies invented by trainees during their time in Stanford Biodesign programs.
2020
March
Biodesign Responds to Covid-19
Stanford Biodesign finds new virtual ways to connect with trainees and deliver robust educational experiences online. The 2019-20 Innovation Fellows expand their focus to undertake needs finding in pandemic-related areas and advance their other projects from home (pictured). Stanford Biodesign also partners with Stanford Bioengineering to launch a Coulter COVID-19 Rapid Response grant program to fund projects with the potential for near-term impact.
June
Speed Mentoring Launches
Diversity by Doing HealthTech (DxD), an industry-wide diversity initiative co-founded by Stanford Biodesign and Fogarty Innovation, holds its first virtual speed mentoring event (pictured). Designed to introduce early to mid-career women in health technology to the power of mentoring, the event combines short presentations on career development and 1:1 individual mentoring sessions.
September
Biodesign Enhances Digital Health Offerings
Stanford Biodesign introduces a new course called Building for Digital Health, which matches faculty members from Stanford Medicine who are working on digital innovations with computer science students eager to apply their skills to real-world health-related projects. The Biodesign team, led by Oliver Aalami, also introduces CardinalKit (pictured), an iOS framework that accelerates digital health application development.
2019
January
Yock Honored With Russ Prize
Paul Yock (pictured with leaders of the NAE) is one of five innovators awarded the National Academy of Engineering’s Russ Prize for developing innovative medical devices that enable the minimally-invasive treatment of advanced coronary artery disease.
March
Biodesign Tackles Gender Diversity
Acknowledging the gender gap within its own programs, Stanford Biodesign formalizes an initiative to bring more women into its leadership ranks and help catalyze change across the larger health technology industry. Two important early activities include a national survey on gender-related issues and a Summit (pictured) to discuss the most prevalent barriers to gender equality and begin thinking about potential solutions.
June
Number of Patients Helped Passes 2.7 Million!
The total companies launched by our trainees during their time at Stanford Biodesign climbs to 50. And, more importantly, the tally of patients their technologies have helped exceeds the 2.7 million mark (pictured).
August
New Innovation Fellowship Leaders
As Todd Brinton moves on to an opportunity in industry, a new team (pictured) steps up to lead Stanford Biodesign’s Innovation Fellowship.
2018
January
Yock Wins Prestigious Gordon Prize
Stanford Biodesign's founder, Paul Yock (pictured), is named by the National Academy of Engineering as the 2018 recipient of the Bernard M. Gordon prize for innovation in engineering and technology education.
June
1.5 Millions Patients Helped
Technologies initiated by trainees during their time at Stanford Biodesign lead to 47 companies founded. Even more importantly, these technologies reach 1.5 million patients ... and counting!
December
Singapore Biodesign Launches
After eight years as a joint program, Singapore-Stanford Biodesign transitions to independent status as Singapore Biodesign. The new entity was kicked-off at festive a celebration (pictured).
2017
January
Fresh Focus on Undergrads
Thanks to a generous gift, Stanford Biodesign kicks-off a series of activities to strengthen the undergraduate educational opportunities including an extension funding program called Biodesign NEXT and an experiential needs finding program (pictured).
February
Launch of Founder's Forum in India
Led by Raj Doshi and Anurag Mairal, Stanford Biodesign initiates the “Founder’s Forum” in India to help local innovators (pictured) overcome challenges in taking new technologies “the last mile” into patient care.
June
First Health Technology Showcase
Stanford Biodesign holds its first annual health technology showcase to highlight solutions developed in our project-based courses and promote community-building among aspiring innovators (pictured) across campus.
2016
May
New Name and Status for Biodesign
Stanford Biodesign becomes the Byers Center for Biodesign (pictured) with a gift from long-time mentor Brook Byers and family. Brook’s brother, Thomas Byers, is a Stanford professor in entrepreneurship who helped with the creation of the original Stanford Biodesign Innovation course. The shift to a center allows for the centralization of finance and administration, as well as the creation of a formal development program to support Stanford Biodesign’s long-term sustainability.
June
15-Year Results
Stanford Biodesign sees its 41st company founded out of the program. As of 2016, these companies have helped more than 500,000 patients and raised over $280 million in funding, to the delight of the founders (Yock and Makower, pictured) and the entire Biodesign team.
December
New Data on Fellowship Outcomes
Stanford Biodesign faculty and staff publish an article (pictured) in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering that quantifies the effect of the fellowship program on the career focus, leadership, and productivity of our alumni.
2015
January
2nd Edition of Biodesign Textbook Published
In response to the significant changes in the medical technology industry, Stanford Biodesign rewrites the Biodesign textbook with new emphasis on value and the globalization of the sector. The second edition (pictured) is published in January 2015.
Biodesign Initiates Faculty Fellowship
Stanford Biodesign launches a new program to train Stanford Faculty with an interest in medical technology development. The first class of Stanford Biodesign Faculty Fellows (pictured) includes six faculty members from medicine and engineering. Fellowship alum Ryan Van Wert takes a leadership role in helping launch the program and mentor the faculty fellows.
February
Biodesign Video Library Released
With financial support from the Coulter Foundation, Stanford Biodesign creates an open source website and video library (pictured), with over 300 video clips that expand upon and enliven content in the newly published textbook.
May
Biodesign Enters Partnership in Japan
Stanford Biodesign launches Japan Biodesign via a Program Development Partnership with Osaka University, University of Tokyo, and Tohoku University to train aspiring medtech innovators in that country. The partnership is announced at Stanford (pictured) during a visit from Prime Minister Abe of Japan.
December
India Program Becomes Independent
The initial phase of the Stanford-India Biodesign program comes to a close with the annual Medtech Innovation Summit (pictured). Led by Professor Balram Bhargava, Stanford Biodesign’s Indian counterparts launch the new School of International Biodesign based on the original Stanford Biodesign program, with fellows doing the majority of their training in India. The government of India provides funding to start up four additional Biodesign programs in country.
2014
January
Wall and Azagury Join Innovation Fellowship Team
James Wall and Dan Azagury (both Stanford Biodesign fellowship alumni) join the Stanford Biodesign leadership team as Assistant Directors of the Innovation and Specialty fellowship programs, respectively (pictured).
Rait Signs On to Help Biodesign Teams
Douglas Rait (pictured with two fellows) joins the Stanford Biodesign leadership in the role of Associate Director, Team Learning & Design.
Biodesign Starts Global Faculty Training Program
To address growing interest in global partnerships, Stanford Biodesign officially begins training faculty from outside the US in approaches to teaching the biodesign innovation process. Fumi Ikeno and Ritu Kamal take the lead in providing training and mentorship for the first class of Global Faculty Trainees (pictured).
June
35th Start-Up Launched from Biodesign
Stanford Biodesign sees its 35th company launch from the program (pictured here with other Biodesign company logos). As of 2014, these companies have collectively helped 250,000 patients and raised over $300 million in funding.
September
Venook Takes on Engineering Role
Fellowship alumnus Ross Venook (pictured) is appointed jointly in Stanford Biodesign and Bioengineering to lead training and develop coursework in engineering and prototyping.
2013
January
Visitors Flock to Biodesign
Interest in the Stanford Biodesign program translates to more than 90 visits per year (pictured) from more than 300 individuals representing universities, governments, industry, and nongovernmental organizations.
February
Biodesign Joins Forces With FDA
Stanford Biodesign signs a memorandum of understanding (pictured) with the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health for joint development of educational and training programs.
Biodesign Shares Fellowship Training Outcomes
Stanford Biodesign faculty and staff publish an article in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering (pictured) entitled “Outcomes from a Postgraduate Biomedical Technology Innovation Training Program: The First 12 Years of Stanford Biodesign.”
March
Biodesign Starts Executive Education Course
In response to requests from industry, Stanford Biodesign initiates our first Executive Education program entitled “Managing Innovation.” The program is held annually going forward, with teams of attendees from most major medtech companies attending. Stanford Biodesign faculty (including Jay Watkins, pictured) and fellowship alumni help the teams implement the biodesign innovation to address challenges facing their companies.
Saul Joins Biodesign Team
Gordon Saul (pictured at center) joins Stanford Biodesign in the newly created position of Executive Director. Later that year, Lyn Denend transitions from the Stanford Graduate School of Business to Stanford Biodesign into a role as Associate Director for Curriculum.
June
Biodesign Helps Catalyze BME Alliance in Europe
The annual BME-IDEA meeting of Biomedical Engineering faculty interested in innovation, design and entrepreneurship translates to Europe. The first BME-IDEA Europe includes 12 faculty members (pictured here with other participants). The meeting, which continues annually, will expand steadily to more faculty and universities across the European Union.
November
First Product From India Program Reaches Market
Stanford-India Biodesign has its first product launch when a low-cost lower limb splint designed by a Stanford-India Biodesign team is licensed to Hindustan Latex Ltd. The product, known as HiCARE LIMO (pictured) goes into production shortly thereafter. The technology will be distributed through government hospitals and ambulances.
2012
August
First Company Founded Out of India Program
The first company is founded out of the Stanford-India Biodesign program. Consure Medical (pictured), which was created to provide devices for the management of incontinence, will go on to earn FDA approval and launch its technology in 2016.
India Program Helps Establish Important IP Precedent
Stanford-India Biodesign executes an exclusive worldwide license to commercialize the technology between BCIL (the technology transfer organization for the Indian government’s Department of Biotechnology) and Consure Medical (pictured). The license serves as a template for future products emanating from the Stanford-India Biodesign collaboration.
September
Additional Courses Launched
Stanford Biodesign launches two new Stanford courses. The first is the Biodesign Capstone course for seniors in Stanford’s new undergraduate major in Bioengineering, led by Stanford Biodesign fellow alumnus David Camarillo as a new Assistant Professor of Bioengineering. The second is a course focused on Biodesign for Mobile Health Technologies (pictured), which is developed by Marta Zanchi in response to growing student interest in this area.
2011
February
Biodesign Creates Regulatory Video Series
Stanford Biodesign releases a series of video tutorials on the regulatory environment in the US (pictured). The videos feature two regulatory experts sharing guidance, stories, and advice on what it takes to get a device through the FDA.
April
Global Biodesign Course Initiated
Stanford Biodesign launches its Global Biodesign course (logo pictured) — a graduate-level class examining opportunities and challenges related to medical technologies development around the world, featuring international experts in the field.
June
Biodesign Turns 10!
Stanford Biodesign celebrates its 10th anniversary at the fellowship graduation (pictured) with special contributions by John Abele (founder, Boston Scientific), Ginger Graham (President, Guidant), and other industry luminaries.
August
Biodesign Shares Expertise With Ireland Program
Ireland initiates a new Stanford Biodesign-like program as a joint project across five universities. Mark Bruzzi, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ireland, Galway, spends three months with Stanford Biodesign learning the biodesign innovation process and our teaching methods. The program, BioInnovate, will become an official Stanford Biodesign affiliate in 2013 (logo pictured).
2010
June
Makower Testifies on US Regulatory Challenges
Josh Makower testifies before an Institute of Medicine panel on the challenges of building a successful medical technology company in the current US regulatory environment (pictured). With the help of Aabed Meer, Lyn Denend, the Medical Device Manufacturers Association, and the National Venture Capital Association, he later publishes the results of a medtech survey that assesses the US regulatory process as “unpredictable, inefficient, and expensive” and helps catalyze change in the industry.
September
CDRH Leader Comes to Biodesign
Stanford Biodesign launches a new roundtable event to initiate discussions on issues of interest to the medtech community. The first session addresses regulation with the leader of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (pictured with Phil Pizzo and Paul Yock), and the second covers patenting with the head of the US Patent and Trademark Office.
October
Singapore-Stanford Biodesign Formed
After two Singaporeans (pictured with Paul Yock and Chris Shen) complete the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship and return to their home country, the Singaporean government approaches Stanford Biodesign about a collaboration similar to the Stanford-India Biodesign program. The first four fellows arrive in January 2011. Christopher Shen leads the program as Executive Director and Uday Kumar directs the fellowship training.
December
Biodesign Expands Global Efforts
Stanford Biodesign is awarded $1.7 million through the university’s Consortium for Innovation, Design, Evaluation, and Action (C-IDEA, pictured) to provide students and faculty at the university with exposure to global problems, along with funding to explore potential solutions. Anurag Mairal leads the Biodesign Global Exchange program under this grant.
2009
August
Biodesign Textbook Released
Stanford Biodesign faculty, with a major contribution from Graduate School of Business research associate Lyn Denend, publish a first-of-its-kind textbook entitled Biodesign: The Process of Innovating Medical Technologies (pictured). It quickly becomes the leading text in the medical technology domain for its publisher, Cambridge University Press. The first edition sells more than 10,000 copies worldwide. An open-source website, eBiodesign.org, is developed as a parallel resource for students and faculty.
September
Biodesign at TCT
Stanford Biodesign launches “The Biodesign Innovation Workshop” at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics Meeting, an annual event hosting nearly 12,000 interventional cardiologists (pictured).
2008
June
Number of Biodesign Start-Ups Continues to Grow
By the end of Stanford Biodesign’s eighth year, 14 companies have been started out of the program by teams from the fellowship and class (one fellows team pictured here).
November
Jaipur Knee Gets Its Start
The Stanford Biodesign-sponsored project team (pictured) in Professor Thomas Andriacchi's “Biomedical Engineering in Research and Development” course develops a prosthetic knee designed to meet the needs of medically-underserved people. The “Jaipur Knee” is selected by Time magazine as one of 50 best inventions of 2009.
2007
January
Biodesign Initiates Global Exploration
In response to a call to action from Stanford University President John Hennessy to consider global health problems, Stanford Biodesign explores possibilities for partner programs in developing countries (pictured).
Fellows from Mexico Come to Stanford
Stanford Biodesign and a team (pictured) from Technologico de Monterrey, Mexico launch a pilot program. Two fellows from the university participate in the program that year.
September
Stanford-India Biodesign Founded
Through an introduction by Stanford University Associate Dean Harry Greenberg, discussions begin with the Department of Biotechnology in the federal government of India. A planning process concludes with the establishment of a joint Fellowship program called Stanford-India Biodesign and an annual Indian medtech summit, the first of which is held in December 2007. Rajiv Doshi leads the program as Executive Director (US) and fellowship alumnus Uday Kumar directs the fellowship training (pictured with other early participants). Each year, four Indian nationals are selected for six months of training at Stanford Biodesign and six months at the All India Institute for Medical Sciences in Delhi, India.
Gorodsky Becomes Biodesign “Shrink”
Julian Gorodsky from the Stanford University d.school (pictured at center) joins the Stanford Biodesign leadership group as the first fellowship psychologist.
2006
January
Zenios Joins Biodesign Teaching Team
Professor Stefanos Zenios (pictured on left) from the Stanford Graduate School of Business joins the teaching team for the graduate-level Biodesign Innovation course and helps to organize and clarify the way the biodesign innovation process is presented.
March
Stanford Coulter Translational Program Launched
Stanford Biodesign partners with the university’s newly formed Bioengineering department to apply for and attain a provisional Coulter Translational Award for 5 years. The Stanford Coulter Translational Program is highly successful in this pilot phase, and the team (pictured) facilitates the award of a sustaining endowment of $20 million. Biodesign continues to administer the program with approximately 6-8 Coulter grants awarded every year to promising new medical technologies invented by faculty at Stanford.
June
More Start-Ups Founded
iRhythm becomes the seventh company to launch from Stanford Biodesign. iRhythm, with its ZioPatch technology (pictured) will go on to become the biggest company initiated from a Biodesign Innovation Fellowship project to date, impacting 400,000 patients by 2016.
2005
April
Pietzsch Starts Tech Assessment Course
Stanford Biodesign support the launch of another graduate-level course entitled “Technology Assessment and Regulation of Medical Devices,” which is led by Jan Pietzsch (pictured). The course will continue to be taught to Stanford students and distance learners every year thereafter.
August
Krummel Brings Biodesign to Surgery
Thomas Krummel (pictured at center), Chair of Stanford’s Department of Surgery, introduces the biodesign innovation process to his surgical trainees during their research years. Surgeons are trained in the process through a newly created two-year Biodesign Surgical Fellowship (the first year is the Biodesign Innovation Fellowship, the second year allows these fellows to continue on their projects). Krummel will later become Co-Director of Stanford Biodesign.
Brinton Becomes Fellowship Director
Todd Brinton (pictured) joins the Stanford Biodesign faculty as Fellowship Director.
September
Linehan Joins Biodesign Team
Jack Linehan (pictured), previously Vice President of the Whitaker Foundation, moves to Stanford Biodesign as a Consulting Professor.
October
Biodesign Hosts Emerging Entrepreneurs Program
With the leadership of medtech veteran Jay Watkins, Stanford Biodesign offers a workshop entitled “Emerging Entrepreneurs.” The three-day seminar (pictured) features venture capitalists, medtech entrepreneurs, and other industry professionals providing “insider” insights into how to start and run a new medical technology company. A second workshop is held in 2007.
November
Wang Introduces Biodesign to Cardiovascular Medicine
The first annual Biodesign Arrhythmia Retreat (pictured) is organized and led by Paul Wang to provide electrophysiologists with insights into the biodesign innovation process.
2004
March
Biodesign Initiates FDA Fellowship
After completing a pilot program in 2003, Stanford Biodesign formally initiates a “fellowship” (internship) program with the Food and Drug Administration (pictured) via its Center for Devices and Radiological Health. More than 20 Stanford students and postgraduates have participated in this program to-date.
2003
January
Biodesign Helps Spark Consortium of BME Faculty
Paul Yock and Christine Kurihara help launch the first Biomedical Engineering—Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Alliance (pictured). This consortium, known as BME-IDEA, holds an annual gathering of biomedical engineering professors from across the US to share best practices and collaborate to advance teaching in the field. The group develops BMEsource, an open-source indexing of resources to support training in biomedical technology innovation.
New Speaker Series Features Medtech Icons
Stanford Biodesign launches a speaker series entitled “From the Innovator’s Workbench,” which features renowned medical technology inventors interviewed by journalist David Cassak (pictured). Thomas Fogarty is the first featured speaker.
July
Biodesign Moves to Clark Center
Stanford Biodesign moves into ground-floor space in the new James H. Clark Center (pictured). David Kelley, founder of IDEO, helps design the brainstorming room. The biodesign “collaboratory” is an early medtech maker space in an otherwise research-intensive building.
August
Innovation Fellowship Adds Specialty Team
The Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship adds the concept of “specialty fellows,” which allows the physician(s) on a team to focus on unmet needs in their specialty area (two specialty fellows from subsequent years are pictured).
2002
June
Biodesign Start-Up Founded
The first company from a Biodesign fellowship team is founded: Acumen Medical (logo pictured).
September
Biodesign Innovation Course Takes Off
Stanford Biodesign launches a graduate-level course for engineering, medical, and business students who learn a condensed version of the biodesign innovation process. Needs identified by fellows are used as a basis for student projects. Professors Yock and Makower (pictured) teach the new Biodesign Innovation course.
2001
July
The Birth of “Biodesign Green”
The program is initially housed in Stanford’s Center for Clinical Sciences Research. The color of the hallway walls where the offices are located informs the choice of bright green as the “Biodesign color” (pictured here in one of the program’s early logos).
September
Biodesign Officially Launches
Biodesign launches as a teaching program as the first cohort of four Biodesign Innovation Fellows begins a year-long fellowship. Josh Makower (pictured with Paul Yock) leads the development of the fellowship curriculum, which becomes the model for teaching the “biodesign innovation process.”
Mentor Network Grows
Fellowship support and mentorship is contributed by icons in the medtech field, including Tom Fogarty, John Simpson, and Simon Stertzer (pictured).
October
Popp Joins Biodesign Team
Richard Popp (pictured) joins the Biodesign leadership team as Director of Ethics and Policy.
2000
August
Biodesign Becomes Part of Bio-X
Led by Paul Yock, the Medical Device Network faculty group (pictured) convinces Stanford University School of Medicine Dean Philip Pizzo and School of Engineering Dean Jim Plummer, along with leaders of the emerging Bio-X initiative, that the Medical Device Network should be part of Bio-X. “Biodesign” is a name suggested by School of Engineering Professor Scott Delp to conform with the Bio-X nomenclature (the “X” in this case standing for the design of biomedical technologies).
November
First Sponsors Get On Board
Guidant and Johnson & Johnson (logos pictured) sign on as first sponsors of Stanford Biodesign. They will continue to fund the program (Guidant later as Abbott) every year through the present day.
1999
March
MDN Gains Notoriety
David Cassak reviews the Stanford Medical Device Network in Start-Up magazine (pictured).
September
Yock and Makower Team Up
Paul Yock and Josh Makower meet over breakfast to discuss the possibility of launching a medtech-oriented fellowship at Stanford (pictured here as a re-enactment of that meeting). With Josh’s previous experience in creating and leading the “PfreshTech” training program at Pfizer, the two agree that this would be a good model for a university-based fellowship.
1998
February
Medical Device Networked Launched
The Medical Device Network, a pre-cursor to Stanford Biodesign, begins. Paul Yock (pictured) catalyzes a group of faculty who are interested in the development of medical devices to host medtech-oriented seminars, workshops and “invention challenges.” Sandy Miller provides early administrative direction.
November
Fogarty Lecture Series Initiated
The first annual Fogarty Lecture sponsored by the Department of Surgery and (eventually) Biodesign features Thomas Fogarty himself (pictured).
More About Us
From the story of our founding and growth to our promise for the future of health technology innovation, there’s so much to discover about Stanford Biodesign.