Stanford Biodesign 2022-2023 Faculty Fellow: Dr. Claire Watkins

June 6, 2023

The Stanford Biodesign Faculty Fellowship provides motivated Stanford University faculty members from medicine, engineering, or other schools at Stanford with advanced training and mentoring in health technology innovation.

A. Claire Watkins, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, was among the participants selected for 2022-2023 Faculty Fellowship. Watkins' project explored new strategies to prevent aneurysm growth in patients with small aortic aneurysms, a bulge that occurs in the aorta, the large artery that carries blood from the heart to the body. The Biodesign Faculty Fellowship gave her the regulatory, legal, and business background to continue this critical work.

Over approximately eight months, the program leads participants through Biodesign's rigorous approach to identifying important innovation opportunities within or outside their departments, inventing cost-effective solutions, and preparing to implement those inventions to improve patient care.

Previous Biodesign participants from the department included:

• Maria Currie, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery; 2021-2022 Faculty Fellow

• Billie-Jean Martin, MD, clinical assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery; 2021-2022 Faculty Fellow

• Doff McElhinney, MD, professor of cardiothoracic surgery and of pediatric cardiology; 2017-2018 Faculty Fellow