Fogarty Innovation

“Thank you for believing in us and for investing your time, knowledge, and energy in helping us grow. These past two weeks have reinforced our conviction that we are working on something meaningful and worth pursuing with everything we have. We leave inspired, energized, and ready for the work ahead.” – Tomás Armendariz, co-founder & CEO, AVaTAR MedTech

New Fogarty CAP company AVaTAR MedTech, an Argentinian startup tackling valvular heart disease through innovative valve reconstruction technology, spent the past two weeks at Fogarty Innovation, working intensively to shape their U.S. go-to-market strategy, strengthen their product development plans, and refine their pitch deck.

Fogarty Lead coaches Marga Ortigas-Wedekind and John Morriss designed and led a comprehensive program of education, customer discovery that involved subject matter experts across Fogarty senior staff, friends-of-Fogarty, and our startup community. One particularly memorable highlight: an authentic Argentine Asado BBQ at Ortigas-Wedekind's home.

AVaTAR is participating in Fogarty’s company accelerator program as part of Fogarty Innovation’s partnership with the UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Consortium.

Former Fogarty senior staffer Greg Bakan is one of our most popular Lunch & Learn speakers and his recent presentation "Conflict Management and Navigating Difficult Conversations" shows why. Greg combines deep academic research and real-world experience into compelling, insightful lessons we all can use. Here's just one example:

Most of us instinctively treat conflict as a battle—someone wins, someone loses, and the goal is to prove we're right. Greg challenged us to think about conflict differently. He described two approaches:

⚔️ Combative Conflict: A battle mindset. The focus is on winning, defending positions, and proving the other person wrong.
🤝 Collaborative Conflict: A problem-solving mindset. The focus is on finding the best answer, understanding different perspectives, and recognizing that we ultimately win or lose together.

The practical takeaway: when a difficult conversation arises, pause and ask yourself: "Am I trying to win this argument, or am I trying to solve this problem?"

That simple shift changes everything. It lowers defensiveness, creates space for curiosity, and turns disagreement into an opportunity to learn and make better decisions.

Thank you, Greg, for a thought-provoking session that blended neuroscience, psychology, and actionable tools into a framework that everyone can use.

Supercharge your summer interns' experience.

Give your interns education, access, and industry connection through DxD's immersive two-day Healthtech Exploration Workshop.

The workshop will be held July 9-10, 2026 at Fogarty Innovation. Participants will explore the medtech ecosystem, learn the Stanford Biodesign innovation process, connect with industry leaders, and participate in one-on-one speed mentoring.

The 2026 program is open to all interns who are interested in ! Reserve spots for your interns now: https://hubs.li/Q04kQyCx0

For women experiencing preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM)—when the amniotic sac breaks too early—the consequences can be devastating. Babies born prematurely often face significant health challenges, and clinicians have limited tools available to manage these conditions.

That's why Fogarty company-in-residence Novocuff, Inc. is currently conducting the RETAIN Study, a randomized, controlled pivotal trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the Novocuff Cervical Control System™ in pregnant patients with PPROM.

The story behind Novocuff is deeply personal. Co-founder Donald Lee was inspired to pursue this innovation after his twin daughters were born at just 24 weeks. That experience helped shape a mission and a company focused on supporting families facing similar challenges.

Novocuff Clinical Trial Evaluating New Intervention for Patients with PPROM - Fogarty Innovation For years, providers have had few treatment options for pregnant women experiencing preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) or cervical shortening—two conditions that lead to preterm birth. Babies born prematurely often require intensive medical care and may face lifelong developmental and h...

“Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.”
— Jonas Salk

"Earlier this month, I visited my friends Paul and Cynthia Yock. As many of you know, Paul, a cardiologist, world-renowned innovator, and the founder of Stanford Biodesign, is fighting pancreatic cancer. Cynthia is leading the battle on his behalf. One of the things that brings them a lot of joy is their shared passion for fostering rescued German Shepherds.

I am not a dog person. I like other people's dogs, but have never wanted one of my own. And that has become a problem lately, as my kiddos and wife Monica, who have been talking about it for some time, have seriously escalated the conversation now that summer is near. Most recently, they informed me that I do not actually have veto power and that they planned to start visiting animal shelters.

But then, when Paul answered the door, I met Maxie.

She is a majestic, dark-colored shepherd with golden eyes, and she radiates something closer to human than dog. I fell for her immediately. We sat down and she took a lap around the table, greeting us all cordially before settling at Paul’s feet. I kept watching her as we spoke, feeling an internal tug-of-war between my mind and my gut. It wasn’t long before I gave in, pulled out my phone and started texting Monica.

As a rescue, there were lots of hoops to jump through, but we were eventually accepted as Maxie's new family.

I’ve been thinking about that moment since. Whether it was Paul’s knowing grin when he saw me fall for the dog, Cynthia’s quiet comment that Maxie was something special, or the feeling we were gaining both a friend and a protector, I knew I needed to act on the opportunity in front of me.

I've had similar feelings about people—that immediate sense that you trust someone—and about companies, when you can see the outline of something important and you know it’s a good thing before you have all the evidence.

Tom Fogarty was a master at this. I remember when Denise Demarais and I were pitching Ardian to him at Emergent Partners. About ten minutes into our presentation, I glanced over. He didn’t seem to be paying attention. But on his notepad, he had already written a single word: “Yes.” I started skipping ahead, confusing Denise. As I raced to the end, I saw he had repeatedly circled the word. I knew the deal was done when one of the partners asked me a question—and Tom answered it.

The older I get, the more I’ve come to appreciate that intuition isn’t random—it’s experience, values, and pattern recognition coming together faster than we can consciously articulate. The challenge is not to ignore that feeling, but to recognize it, trust it, and act on the opportunity before you.

Sometimes that opportunity is a company. And sometimes it’s a German Shepherd named Maxie.”

The above is excerpted from Andrew Cleeland’s column in our monthly newsletter. To receive it in your inbox directly, you can sign up here: https://www.fogartyinnovation.org/get-involved/

🚨 Update 🚨 The 2026 Healthtech Exploration Workshop is open to any industry interns with an interest in advancing . This change opens the doors even wider as we build community, foster belonging and provide mentorship for individuals committed to improving health outcomes for ALL.

The Healthtech Exploration Workshop is an immersive two-day experience that that adds value to your summer internship program and sets your interns up for long-term success in the industry.

If you're a healthtech hiring manager or company bringing on interns this summer, learn more and sign up here: https://hubs.li/Q04j4HB70

Welcome! Somnair, which is working to improve the lives of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) sufferers by introducing a first-in-class, noninvasive device option to the market, has joined Fogarty Innovation’s Company Accelerator Program (CAP). The company is developing a neurostimulation device that opens the airway using a proprietary therapy delivery system.

The Somnair device was developed by co-founders Mitch Turley and Anders Sideris, MD, at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design. Turley is an MIT-trained engineer with expertise in product development and regulatory pathways; Sideris trained in ENT and sleep surgery and has treated thousands of patients suffering from OSA.

During their time at Fogarty, the team plans to leverage Fogarty’s ecosystem and expert network to refine the technical development of their device and advance regulatory de-risking, IP, and evidence generation.

“We’re particularly interested in Fogarty’s philosophy of involving community physicians in evidence generation,” said Sideris. “We’re interested to see how this accelerates our trajectory and are excited to have Fogarty CMO Zach Edmonds helping us partner with local sleep clinicians.”

It is estimated that 54 million Americans suffer from OSA, which is associated with serious adverse health outcomes including an elevated risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. As many as half of sufferers fail first line therapy, which is CPAP. The Somnair team raised an oversubscribed $4.3M seed round in July 2025.

Welcome! Cinch Innovations has joined Fogarty Innovation’s Company Accelerator Program (CAP). Led by cofounders CEO Nathaniel Cohen, MD; COO Stewart Kume; and CMO Treg Brown, MD; along with staff engineer Connor Wilson, the company is developing a novel implant for the treatment of proximal biceps tendon disorders, a source of shoulder pain that is commonly associated with rotator cuff injuries.

Welcome! 2025-26 Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellows Emeka John Amamdikwa, MD, and Mathias Vissers, MD, have joined Fogarty Innovation for their month-long externships—a customizable part of the curriculum that gives the fellows hands-on experience in health technology sectors aligned with their career goals.

Both fellows were drawn to Fogarty by the opportunity to see how healthcare innovations move beyond early-stage concepts toward commercialization and patient care.

During his externship, Emeka is working with Eclipse Regenesis, which is developing a regenerative therapy for short bowel syndrome, and learning from founders as he moves his own Fellowship project forward. “Being around founders — around people who are trying every day to do something new — fuels my own creativity,” he said.

Mathias, whose interests include digital health and neuroscience, is partnering broadly across the Fogarty Innovation ecosystem to learn how incubators and accelerators help innovators navigate regulatory, clinical, and go-to-market challenges.

Emeka, who works as a physician in The Gambia, also hopes to bring the lessons he learns at Stanford Biodesign and Fogarty Innovation back to his region to help build a stronger innovation infrastructure for future founders and clinicians.

Mathias, who plans to remain in the innovation space after graduation, is interested in internal innovation organizations within larger companies. He also hopes to combine innovation with education. “I’ve always enjoyed teaching,” he said. “One of my dreams is to become a professor in healthcare innovation.

Do you know an innovator or team who has developed and commercialized a life-changing medical technology? Nominate them for the 2026 Thomas J. Fogarty Innovation Prize. https://bit.ly/Fogarty_Prize_2026