Innovation
Mission
To bring value to clinical practice and the academic enterprise by empowering surgeon innovators through a transdisciplinary ecosystem of mentorship and resources.
Vision
To design the future of surgical care through innovation and collaboration.
Let the Innovation Council Support Your Innovation!
Our goal is to provide guidance and support for your team and project through mentorship, networking, and connection to resources to help you on your journey. Please tell us about your innovation via the intake form. Once completed, we'll email you to set up an intial 15-minutes conversation to discuss your project.
We value privacy and confidentiality and will not disclose any information provided on the form or in any of our conversations. Despite this, you do not need to disclose any sensitive intellectual property on the form.
Seed Grant Program
Each year, the Department of Surgery selects 3-6 proposals for seed grant funding including those focused on technology or innovation. Learn more.
Pediatric Device Consortium
The UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium accelerates high-value, high impact pediatric device solutions. Learn more.
Byers Center for Biodesign
Founded in 2001, Stanford Biodesign is a health technology innovation training program. Fellowships are available for faculty and residents interested in technology invention, translation, and connecting to the health technology industry.
Learn more.
CardinalKit
CardinalKit is an iOS framework for digital health innovators and institutions designed to accelerate rapid prototyping of digital health applications by substantially reducing costs and development timelines. Learn more.
Innovation Council Subcommittees
Appointments and Promotion Subcommittee
Subcommittee chair: Amanda Kirane, MD, PhD
How might we contextualize and modernize the ways in which our faculty’s innovation-based work can be measured to support the promotions process?
Current work: drafting underway for guidelines /best practices document to help faculty better highlight and package innovation-related work
Innovation Grant Funding Subcommittee
Subcommittee chairs: Varvara Kirchner, MD and Jill Helms, PhD, DDS
How might we help connect to new pathways for funding sources? (Bonus: create external validation for future pitches for venture capital at the same time?)
Current work: developing innovation-specific funding mentorship resource linked to advisors per grant, including: Catalyst, Spectrum, Coulter, Bio-X, BASES, Wu Tsai Human Performance, MCHRI (Maternal + Child Health Research Institute)
Communications and Outreach Subcommittee
Subcommittee chair: Aussama Nassar, MD, PhD
How might we…
… better highlight innovation throughout the department?
… help ensure prospective trainees are aware of all opportunities for innovation at Stanford?
… help nurture even more collaboration for innovation between staff, residents, and faculty?
… use social media to better highlight Stanford Surgery’s innovation for the rest of the world?
Current work: Responsible for new mission and vision statement! Working on strategies to refresh website, drive web traffic through X (Twitter), and connect with surgical innovation groups throughout the country.
Napkin to Marketplace Subcommittee
Subcommittee chairs: Oliver Aalami MD, Rahim Nazerali MD
How might we…
… reduce barriers to getting started (and roadblocks to progress) by connecting with innovators wherever they are in the lifecycle?
… use the Innovation Council to serve as a resource and as a connector?
Current work: establishing Innovation Council office hours to support our departments’ members pursuing innovation across all stages. Responsible for the Intake Form on our website.
