Medical Innovation and the Future of Surgery: A Biomedical and Society Perspective

Philip Edgcumbe and Noor Shaikh, Biomedical Engineering; Kejia Wang, Science and Technology Studies
Coach House, Green College, UBC
Monday, January 30, 8-9 pm

Join us for a whirlwind tour of surgical innovation from 1846 to the modern day and beyond. 1846 was the year of the first successful surgical procedure performed with anesthesia. This medical milestone put an end to one of humankind's greatest fears, the pain of surgery, and opened up (no pun intended!) an entire field for innovation. Fast forward to the 21st century and the focus in surgical innovation is on accurate guidance and miniaturization. Using our research projects as examples, we will explain how medical imaging technologies such as ultrasound, x-ray and MRI, once reserved for the clinic, are now used to guide surgeons in real time in the operating room. We'll also present the tools of the modern day minimally invasive surgeons that have made big surgical incisions a thing of the past. We'll end by offering the audience a peek into our figurative crystal ball to see what surgery may look like in 10 years’ time. Is it possible to have a surgery where there are no incisions? Self-driving cars seem to becoming a reality, how about self-driving surgery?

Philip is a scientist, innovator and entrepreneur. His goal is to improve the lives of millions of patients by pursuing his passion of biomedical engineering research. As an MDPhD student at UBC, Philip is learning to speak the languages of doctors and engineers. He has invented, patented and licensed a medical device and has been part of two biomedical start-up companies. He spent the summer of 2016 in Silicon Valley at Singularity University where he focused on the application of exponential technology in medicine.

Noor is a MASc student in the Biomedical Engineering department. She is also a trainee in the Engineers in Scrubs program which aims to foster medical technology innovation by emphasizing the link between lab based engineering and medical research, clinical practice, and medical device development. This past spring she completed her undergraduate degree in Engineering Science majoring in Biomedical Systems Engineering at the University of Toronto.

Kejia is a first year MA student in English and Science and Technology Studies. This past spring she completed her undergraduate degree in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, and her current research interests lie with the rhetoric of health and medicine. She is particularly interested in bringing and explaining the concerns and interests of scientists, engineers and physicians to the general public - and vice versa.