Innovation Advisory Team

Nima Aghaeepour - Bio

I am a Professor and the Vice Chair for Research (Data Science). My laboratory develops machine learning and artificial intelligence methods to study clinical and biological modalities in translational settings. My work spans from AI-driven precision nutrition in newborns to predictive models for surgery recovery and ICU monitoring, bridging multiomics, wearables, and EHR data. I am an alumnus of the Graduate School of Business’s Ignite program, and a Biodesign Faculty Fellow, and a SPARK fellow. I also regularly serve on the scientific advisory boards of a wide range of startups and have started two companies out of our laboratory's research. I strongly encourage my trainees to take advantage of Stanford’s unique entrepreneurship training programs. I believe the next generation of successful academic life scientists will be both multidisciplinary and entrepreneurial.

Dominique Arce - Bio

I am a Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Development. I earned my MD from Meharry Medical College, completed residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and hold an MPH in Clinical Effectiveness from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As an innovator and leader, I’m dedicated to transforming medical education and enhancing community engagement. I co-created and host the podcast Represented, exploring transformative ideas that inspire change. I also co-founded Immersive Medical Education Technology (IMETVR) to revolutionize medical training through customizable, immersive experiences. At Stanford, I teach Ethnicity and Medicine and lead MOSAIC, cultivating the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Beth Darnall - Bio

I am a psychologist and professor at Stanford, where I direct the Pain Relief Innovations Lab. My passion is helping people gain access to effective, evidence-based pain care. I created Empowered Relief®, a single-session intervention now taught in 30 countries and 8 languages, giving individuals practical skills to ease pain and improve recovery. My research, funded by NIH and PCORI, seeks to scale these solutions widely while supporting patient-centered opioid reduction. I am chief science advisor at AppliedVR. I have briefed Congress and the FDA, authored four books, and had the honor of speaking on the psychology of pain relief at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Stanford Faculty Profile and full CV

Barrett Larson - Bio

I am an anesthesiologist and medtech entrepreneur passionate about transforming ideas into tools that improve patient care. While at Stanford, I co-founded Leaf Healthcare, developing a wireless patient monitoring system that became a national standard for preventing hospital-acquired pressure injuries. After its acquisition by Smith+Nephew, I led AI and sensor technology initiatives as Medical Director for Artificial Intelligence. My work spans biodesign, product development, and commercialization, with multiple patents and successful fundraising efforts. I thrive at the intersection of medicine and technology, helping innovators bring impactful solutions from concept to bedside.

Patrick Purdon - Bio

I am a Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and of Bioengineering (by courtesy) at Stanford. My research explores the neural mechanisms of anesthesia, with a focus on developing novel signal processing methods for functional neuroimaging and neuroscience. We also analyze large-scale clinical data using machine learning and causal inference to improve anesthetic care and pain management. I hold 18 patents related to EEG and anesthetic monitoring and co-founded PASCALL Systems. In addition, I teach anesthesiologists worldwide how to use EEG to guide anesthesia care. As a Stanford Biodesign Fellow, SPARK Fellow, and StartX Professor-in-Residence, I am committed to translating research into real-world applications that advance medical technology and improve patient outcomes.