Innovating for Underserved Communities Using Biodesign

Catalog description

Avoidable differences in consistent healthcare access have created significant inequities in health outcomes for different populations across the US. These differences represent a massive opportunity for health technology innovators to achieve meaningful impact at scale. In this blended seminar and project-based course, students learn how to innovate to address health disparities for traditionally underserved communities. Over the course of the quarter, undergraduate, masters, Medical, GSB, and PhD students collaborate on interdisciplinary teams to learn and apply Stanford Biodesign's need-driven innovation process to solve some of the biggest challenges in healthcare access. The course takes students on a journey in identifying and deeply understanding important unmet health-related needs, developing new technology-enabled solutions to address them, and preparing to implement those solutions in the real-world. Unmet needs will be sourced from community-based partners focused on improving health access and outcomes. In-class instruction will emphasize the social determinants of health, including scientific, economic, social, and technology challenges facing underserved groups. Our instructors and guest speakers are inspiring innovators, industry experts, founders, investors, and leaders in technology and health. (Note that a variation of this course was previously offered as BioE 375: Biodesign for Societal Health.) At the end of the course, students can apply for Biodesign NEXT extension funding to continue to pursue their projects with faculty support. This is a Cardinal Course certified by the Haas Center for Public Service. Apply here: https://forms.gle/tV2MRYKfpV312CPz9