A new program at Duke University, called InnovateMD, will provide medical and surgical trainees with opportunities to collaborate with engineering students and faculty in the field of medical device innovation.
"This is an exciting initiative that builds on the new Duke MEDx collaboration between medicine and engineering faculty at Duke. We hope many of our residents and fellows will take advantage of this program," said Scott Palmer, MD, MHS, vice chair for research in the Department of Medicine.
InnovateMD will be a project-centered experience matching trainees with faculty mentors from surgery and medicine as well as engineering.
Ken Gall, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, wil coordinate the program.
Trainees may join pre-existing projects or start from the earliest stages of identifying an unmet clinical need. Through either pathway, each resident will develop a thorough understanding of several key aspects of medical device development and innovation through a project-centered experience.
A seminar series will cover a range of topics, including concept design, intellectual property, business models, regulatory processes, and investment.
InnovateMD will begin with a pilot program in July 2016. After the pilot, it will expand its call for projects on a rolling basis.
"At this time, we encourage faculty and residents to review their current efforts and ideas for upcoming participating in InnovateMD," said David Ranney, MD, a surgery resident and research fellow in the Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and a co-leader of the program.
For more information, contact Dr. Ranney at david.ranney@dm.duke.edu.
Trainees in the Department of Medicine can also contact Scott Shofer, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine) and director of the pulmonary fellowship training program, for additional guidance and resources.
About MEDx
Duke MEDx is a new initiative at Duke University that builds on decades of collaboration between Duke's engineering and medical schools. It aims to take the university's shared research and educational initiatives in exciting new directions.
Goeff Ginsburg, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and director of the Duke Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine, serves as Med Ex director.