Fogarty Innovation

01/15/2026

What a night! The Innovator’s Reception at welcomed more than 800 entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders—all connected by a shared commitment to improving patient care. Looking back to when this event first launched in 2018, it is remarkable to see how much the ecosystem has grown while remaining genuinely close-knit. There is something special about this mission we share—it brings us together not just as collaborators, but as a community.

We were so pleased to co-host this extraordinary gathering again with our partners Stanford Biodesign; LSI; MedTech Innovator; Research Corporation Technologies, Inc.; and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

01/15/2026

01/15/2026

A huge thank you to Dr. Fred St. Goar for hosting two of our Pathways in Health Technology students in his outpatient cardiology clinic at El Camino Health. By shadowing Dr. St. Goar, Ahmad and Desiree gained meaningful insights into the realities of clinical practice. We're excited to see how they bring this perspective into their group projects.

01/09/2026

Another treasure from the Tom Fogarty video archives. Jump to11:40 to hear Tom explain the greatest deterrent to medical innovation, why he invited engineers into the operating room, and what motivated the launch of Fogarty Innovation. The video concludes with rare footage of Tom receiving the National Medal of Technology & Innovation from President Barack Obama.

Thank you, Tom Krummel, for this candid interview for the 2019 American College of Surgeons "Icons in Surgery" series!

Thomas J. Fogarty, MD, FACS, cardiovascular surgeon and inventor, revolutionized surgery with the invention of the Fogarty® Embolectomy Balloon Catheter to t...

01/08/2026

"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what you're studying. If you've ever been interested in medicine, the experience at Fogarty Innovation is amazing. It'll open doors that you didn't even know existed." - Antoni Kaluza, 2025 Lefteroff Intern

Are you a rising college junior or above interested in healthcare innovation? Apply for the 2026 Lefteroff Internship before January 23!

👉https://www.fogartyinnovation.org/lefteroff-program-3/

01/08/2026

Welcome! We are thrilled to host the 2025 Singapore Biodesign Innovation Fellows during the U.S. immersion phase of their training. During their time here, they will advance their project-in-development through a signature “Fogarty Physical,” and participate in discussions and workshops that address all aspects of bringing a new technology to the U.S. market, from entrepreneurship and design development to regulatory strategy, reimbursement, and marketing.

01/07/2026

One of the many gifts Tom Fogarty left us is a trove of video interviews. Today, we're resharing this one from the Society for Vascular Surgery in 2012, in which Tom recounts growing up as a tough kid who wasn't academically inclined, his unlikely path to medical school, and the stories behind some of his most transformative inventions.

It's vintage Tom Fogarty—perceptive, opinionated, down-to-earth, insightful, and funny.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4gdHJoci40

01/07/2026

New year, new opportunities for growth. 🌱

Join us Feb. 4 to kick of our 2026 Speed Mentoring series. These fast-paced events offer three short one-on-one mentoring sessions for each participant plus three inspirational keynote talks on the power of mentorship, personal growth, and professional pathways.

We're thrilled to announce our February keynote speakers will be:
⭐️ Vernessa Pollard, founding member of MedTech Color
⭐️ Maureen Shaffer, founder and CEO of Mingletoe
⭐️ Efraín Torres, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Adialante

Register as a mentor (execs and senior professionals) or a mentee (early and mid-career professionals) here: https://hubs.li/Q03Zw0nX0

Let's grow together in 2026!

01/02/2026

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our founder, Thomas J. Fogarty, MD.

Tom dedicated his life to improving patient care. A cardiovascular surgeon, gifted engineer, and tireless innovator, he transformed medicine through inventions that reshaped surgical practice and saved and improved the lives of millions of patients around the world.

His belief that there must always be “a better way”—and that ideas only matter when they reach patients—continues to guide our work at Fogarty Innovation.

Please read our tribute to Tom’s extraordinary life, legacy, and lasting impact on medtech innovation here: https://www.fogartyinnovation.org/about-thomas-j-fogarty-md/

12/27/2025

The "secret sauce" behind Fogarty Innovation is its people, and chief innovation officer Mike Regan is at its very heart. From mentoring portfolio companies to evaluating applicants, he brings clarity, perspective, and humor to some of innovation’s most complex challenges.

“Everyone here is incredibly smart and knows what they need to do,” Regan said. “But innovation can be a lonely endeavor. Our entrepreneurs are trying to change the world, and that’s a tall order. Our goal is to help them stay steady throughout that journey by providing the support they need to navigate obstacles along the way.”

For Regan, that mission is deeply personal. “You want them to keep at it because the world needs problem solvers,” he said. “I can’t think of a bigger privilege than helping entrepreneurs bring solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Learn more:

You might consider Mike Regan a “professional matchmaker,” given his knack for helping curate the companies, people, and partnerships that shape Fogarty Innovation. Regan joined the organization as chief innovation officer in 2018, bringing 35 years of industry experience spanning general manage...

12/24/2025

With the year's end in sight, we’re feeling especially grateful for our Fogarty Innovation community. Thank you for your partnership and your trust—it’s this shared commitment that fuels progress and makes what we do possible.

From all of us at Fogarty Innovation, we wish you a joyous holiday season and a New Year filled with optimism, momentum, and continued collaboration. Thank you for walking this path with us—we’re excited for what lies ahead. 💚

12/23/2025

"The Thomas J. Fogarty Innovation Prize exists to honor trailblazers whose innovations have created profound clinical impact, not just bold ideas but bold ideas successfully translated into meaningful patient benefit." - Andrew Cleeland

The story of the Fogarty Prize and inaugural winners, Allan Zingeler, Raju Viswanathan, PhD, and Mike Mahoney, honored for their work on the FARAPULSE PFA Platform, is featured in the December issue of The Lens Magazine, by LSI, written by lead author Brenna Hopkins.

Learn more about the transformational impact of FARAPULSE and the meaning behind the Prize itself: https://www.fogartyinnovation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Lens_Fogarty_Farapulse.pdf