April 13, 2017
In today’s podcast, we visit with serially successful entrepreneur Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD, about the state of innovation in the US.
“Never been better,” Blumenkranz offers. “I think innovation is the buzzword, not just in ophthalmology and medicine, but the whole realm of political, economic, and academic discourse.”
In this conversation, Blumenkranz explains how innovation can be systematized, characterized, and taught. However, innovation must be tempered by disciplined execution. Innovation without process is just unbridled creativity, he says.
“Innovation is not an outcome,” Blumenkranz asserts. “Innovation is a process.”
Still, Blumenkranz admits Medtech innovators face some high hurdles, including finding financing. In addition to teaching innovation, Blumenkranz also funds it through his investment firm Lagunita Biosciences LLC, an early-stage biotechnology and medical investment company.
Blumenkranz is the H.J. Smead Professor emeritus in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University. He served as department chairman from 1997 until stepping down in 2015.
He was a founder of Optimedica Corporation, Peak Surgical, Avalanche Biotechnologies, Oculeve, and Digisight Technologies, among others.
Mark S. Blumenkranz, MD, MMS
2017 OIS Innovator Award
HJ Smead Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Stanford University. He received his undergraduate/graduate degree in biochemical pharmacology, and medical education at Brown University and vitreo-retinal training at Bascom Palmer where he served on the faculty. He was founding director of the vitreoretinal fellowship program at William Beaumont Hospital & Chairman of the Department at Stanford from 1997 until 2015. He spearheaded the development of the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford and served as founding Director from 2010 until 2015. Dr. Blumenkranz was an early innovator in vitrectomy techniques to treat complex forms of retinal detachment as well as the treatment of macular disease. He helped usher in the modern era of intravitreal, gene and surgical adjuvant drug therapy, new lasers and laser tissue interactions.
