Biography

Dr. Catherine Mohr is President of the Intuitive Foundation, the corporate Foundation of Intuitive Surgical, a high technology Silicon Valley based company that makes the da Vinci surgical robot. In this role she invests in research and development programs aimed at understanding and improving education of medical practitioners around the world and applying novel technologies aimed at reducing the global burden of disease.

Catherine has a diverse background which covers surgery, medical technology, engineering, product design, healthcare, alternative energy, automotive, aerospace, global entrepreneurship, IP litigation, FDA compliance, education, and product development. From this she brings extensive industry experience and deep insights into emerging opportunities, trends, issues and challenges. Proven history of visionary thought-leadership as an advisor on future technologies to a wide range of companies and government agencies, and a sought after speaker/lecturer.

Dr. Mohr received her BS and MS in mechanical engineering from MIT, and her MD from Stanford University School of Medicine. She has been involved with numerous startup companies in the areas of alternative energy transportation, and worked for many years developing high altitude aircraft and high efficiency fuel cell power systems, computer aided design software, and medical devices.

Dr Mohr has served as a scientific advisor for several startup companies in Silicon Valley, the NCI SBIR program, and government technology development programs in her native New Zealand, and entrepreneurship programs worldwide. She is the author of numerous scientific publications, the recipient of multiple design awards, and speaks regularly internationally on the subject of the future of surgery, technology and robotics.

Abstract

Traditional open surgery relied upon the apprenticeship model – “see one, do one, teach one”. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) brought in a camera to the operating room, making the previously unobserved surgical procedures something we could record, analyze and learn from. Today, the combination of robotics allowing us to record movements in addition to the video, and the availability of increasingly specialized cameras, the data we can gather from surgery can be used in many new ways to improve surgical education and practice. When we can observe what was previously an unobservable process, we start to be able to apply the tools of data analytics. Dr. Mohr will discuss the use of imaging in robotics and how this will inform the training of the next generation of surgeons.