Biodesign Innovation Course

Overview

Biodesign Innovation is a fast-paced, project-based course for graduate and post-graduate students with a passion for entrepreneurship and a commitment to improving healthcare for patients around the world through technology innovation.

Over two quarters, multidisciplinary teams of Stanford students research and validate real-world health-related needs, invent new technoogies to address them, and plan for their implementation into patient care. At the end of the course, motivated teams have the opportunity to compete for funding to continue developing their projects (see our Grants page for more information about the summer extension program).

Our practical, need-driven process for health technology innovation is taught in a hands-on fashion with the help of dozens of experienced faculty, staff, and industry experts. Students receive coaching and guidance from a combination of the following contributors:

Core Faculty

Seasoned professors with backgrounds in medicine, engineering, and business, along with successful track records inventing and commercializing important health technologies. They provide a combination of didactic and hands-on learning.

Longitudinal Project Coaches

Experienced entrepreneurs with Biodesign and start-up experience who meet with the teams regularly throughout the two-quarter course sequence. They help guide teams through the projects and provide relevant experience and connections in health technology innovation.

Clinical Coaches

Physicians from Stanford Health Care and other local healthcare faciliities who help students access a network of clinical contacts.

Subject Matter Experts

Specialists from the health technology industry who consult with the teams on specific aspects of their plans (e.g., intellectual property, regulation, payment, business models).

Corporate and Venture Investors

Health technology funders who help the teams evaluate and improve the commercial potential of their projects at the end of spring quarter.

After taking Biodesign Innovation, students routinely apply their new skills to found start-up companies, launch health tech careers, and invest/consult in the lifesciences fields. To learn more about the companies initiated from Stanford Biodesign projects, please see our Companies page.