Surgical Innovation & Entrepreneurship
In the OR and beyond, surgeons combine technical skill with creative problem-solving to continually improve tools and techniques for patient care.
The Center for Surgical Innovation is composed of many different innovators and entrepreneurs from across Michigan Medicine and the University of Michigan main campus. We focus on bringing cutting-edge solutions to clinical care, research and education with an emphasis on thinking outside the box.
The center has been a leader in working with faculty and students to use extended reality technology for various research, education, and clinical applications. We are members of the nation's first Mixed Innovations in eXtended Reality (MIXR) research center, supported by the National Science Foundation's Industry-University Collaborative Research Center program as well as industry sponsors such as the FDA, Microsoft and Sony. The goal of the MIXR center is to improve medical training, patient management and health care outcomes across all areas of clinical practice using extended reality technology.
Through hands-on experiences in providing clinical and surgical care, trainees and faculty members can work with the CSI to identify existing limitations and needs to enhance the patient experience and improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery. We developed the Michigan Surgical Innovation Accelerator program to guide surgeons and trainees looking to bring new products to the market. The CSI works to build an ever-evolving support system and collaboration community for innovators in the field of surgery.
At the Center for Surgical Innovation, we aim to support faculty members and trainees in building the future of surgery. Our community works to create connections and different forums for innovators to find the inspiration and support to pursue their individual interests, whether that's developing a new piece of surgical technology, exploring the potential of extended reality in surgery, or learning the process of bringing a product to market.
While the CSI is primarily based in the Department of Surgery with the Surgical Innovation Lab in the Medical Science Building II, anyone at the University of Michigan is welcome to get involved and join our research community. We have collaborators across campus, spanning across the medical school, the College of Engineering, the Ross School of Business, and others.
The Michigan Surgical Innovation Accelerator (MSIA) course is a six-month program for surgical faculty and trainees designed to teach the essentials of innovation and entrepreneurship while developing their ideas toward clinical impact. MSIA offers funding and mentorship to help participants further their innovative ideas.
The Surgical Innovation Discovery Course is an innovative approach to tackling tough clinical problems utilizing a Scrum-like methodology. Teams that decide to move forward with their project will be encouraged to apply for the Michigan Surgical Innovation Accelerator (MSIA) course to explore commercial viability.
We have developed a Surgical Innovation Fellowship for residents in the Department of Surgery that can be completed during the course of their Academic Development Time (ADT) or independently. The fellowship will assist surgical residents in honing their innovation and entrepreneurship skills, as they pursue an innovation project during the course of the fellowship.
Department of Surgery faculty can take advantage of dedicated foundation grant resources, including access to a weekly non-federal grants RFP announcement report with opportunities ranging from $20,000 all the way up to $100M.
When the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in limited time in clinical care settings for surgical trainees, we partnered with the XR Initiative in the Center for Academic Innovation and Microsoft to start implementing HoloLens2 technology to provide a virtual learning experience for surgical rounds. Faculty members and trainees interested in exploring how this technology can be further utilized in learning experiences can become a member of the Center for Surgical Innovation to join our team of innovators passionate about finding new ways to teach and learn in virtual settings.
Contact Us
Please contact Candice Stegink, Associate Director of Innovation, with any questions about becoming a member. We can connect you to resources regarding additional courses or resources in the field of surgical innovation offered at the University of Michigan.
Jose Alvarez
Research Professor of Thoracic Surgery
Professor of Surgery
