How is the COVID-19 situation affecting the Biodesign program?

As for the 2020-21 course, the application deadline, interview dates and timeline for announcing decisions will remain the same. If necessary, we will host interviews and classes using a virtual format. Please follow our website for more information as it becomes available.

What career paths do Biodesign graduates pursue after the program?

Program alumni pursue a wide variety of careers that include launching health technology start-ups, driving innovation inside major health technology companies and teaching innovation inside universities. To date, many interesting technologies have been invented and fifty health technology companies have been launched by the program’s graduates.

What are the criteria for selection?

We encourage everyone who is interested in the program to apply. We are interested in applicants from diverse backgrounds, including engineering, science, computer science, product design, business, medicine, social welfare and health science. Advanced degrees are preferred. Many candidates also have relevant work experience in the health technology industry or in related research positions. We are looking for individuals with strong leadership, problem solving, creativity, teamwork and communication skills, who aspire to become leaders in health technology innovation.

What if I don’t have this type of specific background?

We accept applications from any individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity and/or innovation in their professional or academic careers. These candidates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

When does the program start?

The Biodesign Innovation program begins on October 26th, 2020.

I already have an idea for a medical innovation I've been working on. Can I continue developing it during the program?

The goal of the program is for you to learn the Stanford Biodesign Innovation process from start to finish. Accordingly, we ask that you work on needs and technologies that you and your team identify and invent together as part of the Biodesign process.

Can I choose which medical subspecialty I focus on during the program?

The clinical subspecialties chosen as the focus for the program in 2020-2021 are medical devices and digital health. We believe that by working on an area outside your specific field of expertise, you are more likely to question existing paradigms and recognize interesting opportunities. To jump-start the process, you will begin your training with several weeks of clinical immersion in the chosen subspecialty to observe first-hand how care is delivered in that space.

How are the mastermind teams formed?

Once selected, participants will be assigned to teams by the program directors. Their goal will be to ensure each team comprises a strong mix of medical, engineering, and business acumen, as well as an effective mix of perspectives, personalities, and other aspects of diversity. Team assignments will be announced during the first weeks of the program.

Am I expected to start a company out of the Biodesign Innovation program?

Although some participants do start companies out of the course, this is just one of many different health technology career paths that our trainees take. Other alternatives include catalyzing innovation inside major health technology corporations, teaching and/or leading translational research projects for world-class universities, driving innovation initiatives within academic or private medical centers, or becoming specialists in design, investing, or other aspects of the health technology innovation ecosystem.

Can I apply to the program if I am not a student?

Yes. Non-students are also encouraged to apply and benefit from the program.

How can I find out whether my academic institution or faculty is taking part in the program?

Here is a list of all our academic collaborations. If your specific faculty or institution does not appear on the list, please contact us.

Is the program recognized for credits towards my degree? And if so, how many credits does it constitute?

The program involves academic collaboration with a range of various institutions and faculties. Our list of academic collaborations specifies the credits recognized for each course of study.

When and where does the program take place?

The program will take place on Mondays and Thursdays between 4 - 6 p.m. at the Rambam Health Care Campus. Please note: some sessions will be led by lecturers from Stanford and held online at other times, based on the time difference between Israel and the US. These sessions will be scheduled and announced in advance.

What does the program require of me?

You are required to commit to taking both semesters of the program and attending all the program meetings and sessions. This will demand about 8-10 weekly hours on your part, attending sessions and workshops and doing work at home.

What are the criteria for admission and the enrollment process?

Enrollment in Biodesign Israel is by application only. Final applicants will be invited to participate in an interview (online or in person). Your application must include the following information: Basic background and your education, work and/or research experience. Why you are interested in medical technology innovation (in 250 words or less). Your bio, which will be distributed to students and class mentors if you are accepted (150 words or less).

Who teaches the program?

Get to know our team of instructors and mentors here .

BioDesign Israel | ביודיזיין ישראל

Biodesign Israel

House for HealthTech Innovation Leaders

Powered by Rambam Health Care Campus

Access to relevant
unique data sets

Multidisciplinary
Teams

Patient oriented
program

Clinically integrated
prototyping

The Program

Biodesign Israel is the leading healthtech Innovation leadership training program in the country. Participants are divided into multi-disciplinary mastermind teams and are taken step by step through Stanford’s groundbreaking Biodesign innovation process, a methodology based on design thinking specific to the medical landscape. Stanford’s process has produced exceptional results since it was first introduced two decades ago, garnering Stanford a global reputation for cutting-edge innovation. Thanks to its extraordinary ecosystem and high clinical impact, Rambam Medical Center was chosen as Stanford Medicine’s exclusive official collaborator in Israel. Rambam houses and operates the Biodesign Israel pre-accelerator as part of the extensive ongoing strategic collaboration between the two institutions. This allows participants to immerse themselves in the clinical reality and gain privileged access to Rambam’s databases and infrastructures, to create solutions that are truly need-driven and verified.

Our vision is to provide an educational driven center that scales up the local health technology ecosystem using Stanford’s Biodesign approach, to significantly improve treatment and patient well-being around the world.

The paramount opportunity Biodesign Israel provides lies in its multi-disciplinary approach, which draws on the best resources, insights and expertise from the realms of medicine, technology and business administration. This creates a uniquely synergistic ecosystem in which innovation thrives and achieves successful implementation in the clinical marketplace, improving the lives of millions around the globe. As a guiding principle, this finds expression across all aspects of the Biodesign Israel pre-accelerator program, from the selection of participants to its highly trained and experienced faculty, and the industry affiliates and supporters who all significantly contribute to the program’s success.

Clinical Need
Driven Challenges

Value Based
Solutions

Project Based

Multi-Disciplinary
Approach

Team

All

Advisory Committee

Management

Faculty

Mentors

Clinical Mentors 20-21

Guest Lecturer

Dr. Yona Vaisbuch

Founder, Program Director and Chief Clinical Officer

Si Buchbut

Chief Operations Officer

Dr. Tahel Altman

Chief Instructor

Guy Spigelman

EMEA Lead Healthcare and Life Sciences Startups at Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag

President and CEO at Compugen

Dr. Kobi Richter

Founder, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer at Medinol

Ronit Marco

Information Specialist at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, The Technion

Dr. Lior Lev Tov

Instructor | Co-Founder and Director of Engineering

Shay Laufer

director of ‘MSR on wheels’, the Israeli Center for Medical Simulation

Shay Ben Barak

UX Specialist

Shmuel Ben Yaakov

Chairman of the Patient Rights Committee

Dr. Nitai Klein

Instructor | Projects Director

Fabian Schvartzman

CEO of GerdCare Medical | Instructor

Tamara Wiesen

Product Design & Strategy

Dr. Tal Capucha

Maxillofacial Resident at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Dekel Shilo

Maxillofacial Surgeon at Rambam Health Care Campus

Prof. Adi Rachmiel

Director, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Ayelet Eran

Director, Magnetic Resonance Imaging – MRI at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Anat Grinfeld

Innovation and R&D, Department of Medical Imaging at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Reuven Ishai

Attending Physician, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Mauricio Cohen

Attending Physician, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Jacob Cohen

Director, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Sagiv Aaron

Pediatrics San Jose Medical Center

Prof. Eytan Blumenthal

Director, Department of Ophthalmology at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Danny Eytan

Attending Physician, Pediatric Intensive Care at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Ronnie Abbo

Medical Device Clinical Development Expert

Dr. Avi Tsur

Director of the Women's Health Innovation Center at Sheba - Tel Hashomer

Prof. Zeev Weiner

Director, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Rambam Health Care Campus

Prof. Mogher Khamaisi

Director, Department of Internal Medicine D at Rambam Health Care Campus

Prof. Ram Weiss

Director, Department of Pediatrics A Attending Physician, Institute of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, at Rambam Health Care Campus

Dr. Deeb Daoud

Deputy Director, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Institute at Rambam Health Care Campus

Sigal Admony Ravid

Director, Strategic Partner Business Development at Anthem, Inc. | Mentor

Netta Levran

Director of Product Innovation at Anthem, Inc. | Mentor

Avital Barlev

Product Innovation Manager at Anthem, Inc. | Mentor

Ariel Rinon

Director of Product Innovation at Anthem, Inc. | Mentor

Ofira Engelberg

Marketing & Business Development Executive | Mentor

Eitan Peretz

Co-Founder at MIS | Mentor

Prof. Uzi de-Haan

Prof. Emeritusat the Technion | Mentor

Eran Pintel

Sales & Service Director, Israel at GE Healthcare | Mentor

Sharon Handelman-Gotlib

Scouting technology manager at KSM Research & Innovation Institute | Mentor

Moshe Pinto

CEO at Wider Circle Inc. | Mentor

Prof. Noemi Bitterman

Founder, Master of Medical and Social Design Program | Mentor

Dr. Eyal S. Ron

Serial Entrepreneur | Mentor

Elad Benjamin

General Manager Radiology and AI Informatics at Philips | Mentor

Aviram Suchard

CEO and GM of Philips Electronics Israel | Mentor

Dr. Amir Belson

Founder of multiple medical device companies | Mentor

Dr. Doron Dinstein

Venture Partner, Healthcare at Entrée Capital | Mentor

Sharon Levita

Business development & strategy leader at Medtronic | Mentor

Nir Goldenberg

CEO at Trendlines Labs | Mentor

Edna Lazar

Exploration group Director at Edwards Lifesciences | Mentor

Limor Sandach

Mentor

Adi Rabinovich

Open Innovation Manager at Samsung Electronics | Mentor

Jonathan Lipnik

Co-Founder & CEO at Nutrino | Mentor

Dr. Yael Nir

Healthcare executive and medtech innovation leader | Mentor

Josef Friedman

founding Managing Director of Artificial Intelligence Venture Studio | Mentor

Prof. Rafael Beyar

Advisory Committee Chairman | President of Rambam Medical Center’s International Associations

Dr. Netanel Korin

Assistant Professor at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Eitan Yaakobi

Mentor | Counselor for Excellence Program Computer Science Department at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Avigdor Gal

Mentor | Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Management at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Miriam Erez

Mentor | Vice Dean MBA program, Chair Innovation Center at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Shay S. Tzafrir

Mentor | Head of the Business Administration Department at the University of Haifa

Oded Tamir

Advisory Committee Member | Executive Chairman & Board member

Dr. Adi Aron-Gilat

Advisory Committee Member | Head of Strategy at X, Alphabet's Moonshot Factory

Dr. Benny Zeevi

Advisory Committee Member | Managing General Partner Tel Aviv Venture Partners and Run Young Capital

Yoav Medan

Advisory Committee Member | Co-Founder and CTO at AmplioSpeech

Rina Assulin

Mentor | Head of Innovation in Nursing at Rambam Medical Center

Dr. Maayan Agmon

Mentor | Member at the Scientific Committee of Haifa Innovation labs, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Studies, University of Haifa‏

Prof. Joachim A. Behar

Mentor | Head of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Lab at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Shulamit Levenberg

Mentor | Dean of the Biomedical Engineering Faculty - Technion Israel Institute of Technology

Prof. Ezri Tarazi

Mentor | Chair of the Industrial Design Program at Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Tom Levin

Teaching Assistant

Dr. Dana Amisar

Team Dynamics Psychiatric

Ayala Freiman

Team Dynamics Psychologist

Dr. Leor Perl

Mentor | Director at Rabin Medical Center Innovation Laboratory

Inbar Dahan Timar

Team Dynamics Psychologist

Dr. Talma Cohen

Director of Team Dynamics

Nicole Perlmotov

Administrative Assistant

Dr. Dan Marom

Chief Strategy Officer

Doron Bar-Shalom

Chief Technology Officer

Our Academic Partners

Our strategic collaborations embody the multi-disciplinary integration of major contributors from the academic, clinical and business arenas, creating a rich ecosystem in which need driven
innovation can thrive:

Our Business Partners

Medical institutions
& industry affiliates

The Rambam Medical Center, housing the program and providing a rich platform for in-depth examination of clinical needs across all hospital departments, access to the wealth of medical information digitally kept and managed at the hospital over the past 20 years, as well as broad range of professionals from various aspects of the medical fields, including specialists, interns, nurses and physiotherapists.