Knowlton and Team at Stanford Medicine Receive Prestigious ARPA-H Funding through White House Initiative
August 28, 2024
Lisa Knowlton, MD, MPH, is the co-recipient of up to $22.3 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to improve intraoperative anatomy visualization and critical structure identification. The prestigious five-year award will be led by Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Knowlton and Zhongming (Jeremy) Li, PhD, founding CEO of CisionVision, a medical device company in Mountain View, CA.
“A real-time decision aid that provides surgeons with immediate critical structure anatomical labeling has the potential to save lives, reduce serious complications, improve surgical training and lower healthcare costs,” said Dr. Knowlton. “We are honored to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of experts advancing the frontier of surgical imaging technology.”
CisionVision specializes in using shortwave infrared and hyperspectral imaging in medical diagnostics and intraoperatively to help surgeons visualize blood vessels, nerves, ducts and lymphatic structures. Hyperspectral imaging will be enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, allowing the surgical team to distinguish between tissue types without having to administer dyes or contrast agents to patients.
Stanford Medicine will be one of three clinical sites, along with John Hopkins University and Endeavor Health Northshore, conducting surgical implementation and evaluation. Teams from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Notre Dame will contribute computer science, engineering and AI expertise.
“We are proud to announce this first ARPA-H grant to be received by a PI in the Stanford Department of Surgery,” said Department Chair Mary Hawn, MD, FACS. “This award highlights the importance of Dr. Knowlton and Dr. Li’s pioneering work and underscores our Department’s commitment to advancing surgical innovation.”
Additional project investigators will include:
John Hopkins University Assistant Professor of Surgery and Stanford General Surgery Residency Program Alumnus Jeffrey Jopling, MD, MSHS, an expert in computer vision
Danny Chen, PhD, a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame
Angela Belcher, PhD, James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering, Materials Science and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT
Herbert Mason Hedberg, MD, and Monika Krezalek, MD, surgeons at Endeavor Health Northshore
Arden Morris, MD, MPH, Professor of Surgery at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research Education Center (S-SPIRE) Center
ARPA-H, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was established by Congress and President Joe Biden in 2022 to make investments in breakthrough technologies and solutions with the potential to transform critical areas of medicine and health that cannot readily be accomplished through traditional research or commercial activity. This award is through ARPA-H's Precision Surgical Interventions (PSI) program, which aims to deliver groundbreaking tools enabling surgeons to successfully remove tumors through a single operation and reduce instances of unintentional injury to critical structures such as nerves, blood vessels or lymph ducts. The PSI program mandates that all performers design solutions that are compatible with all users, ensuring equitable access to the medical devices developed.
The Biden-Harris administration announced awardees as part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative.
Dr. Knowlton is an Associate Professor of Surgery in Stanford’s Division of General Surgery’s Acute Care Surgery section and she serves as the Associate Chair of Research in the Stanford Department of Surgery. Her multidisciplinary research lab is also R01 funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Media Contact
Bio
About Stanford Surgery
The Stanford University Department of Surgery is dedicated to inventing the future of surgical care through:
• pioneering cutting-edge research,
• developing the next generation of leaders, and
• healing through incomparable surgical skills and compassion.
To learn more, please visit surgery.stanford.edu
The Latest
SurgeryStanford Surgery Fellows Come Together for 2026 Balance in Life Retreat
Stanford Surgery faculty and trainees presented work spanning artificial intelligence, robotic surgery, trauma care, surgical education, health services research and regenerative medicine at the annual meeting held this year in Washington, D.C.
Vascular & Endovascular SurgeryResident Dr. Keyuree Satam Awarded TRAM Pilot Grant
Keyuree Satam, MD, a PGY-4 integrated vascular surgery resident in the Stanford University School of Medicine's Division of Vascular Surgery, has received a $20,000 pilot grant from Stanford's Translational Research and Applied Medicine (TRAM) Program to advance research into vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), a rare genetic disorder that can lead to life-threatening vascular complications.
- Surgery
Dr. Visser Receives SHC Physician Champion Award
Dr. Brendan Visser is the 2026 recipient of the Physician Champion Award, which recognizes a Stanford Health Care physician “who has demonstrated significant contribution to the clinical growth and development of Advanced Practice Providers."
SurgeryClinical Trials, DCIS, and the Future of Breast Cancer Care with Dr. Irene Wapnir
In this episode of Scrubcast, breast surgeon and surgical oncologist Dr. Irene Wapnir discusses the evolution of breast cancer care, from the widespread use of mastectomy to breast-conserving approaches. Wapnir discusses what drew her to the field, including its emotional and psychological dimensions, and explains how clinical trials have shaped her career and advanced the understanding of breast cancer treatment.
Vascular & Endovascular SurgeryStanford Vascular Surgery Celebrates Research and Innovation at 2026 Paul Baszucki Biobank Research Day
The Stanford Division of Vascular Surgery hosted the Paul Baszucki Vascular Surgery Biobank Research Day on September 21–22, 2026, bringing together faculty, trainees, researchers, and collaborators to highlight ongoing advances in vascular disease research and celebrate the continued growth of the Paul Baszucki Biobank.
Abdominal TransplantationStanford Transplant Research Symposium Highlights Innovation in Transplantation
Stanford researchers and clinicians gathered on September 18, 2026, for the Stanford Transplant Research Symposium, an afternoon of research presentations, discussion, and collaboration focused on emerging challenges and innovations in transplantation.
stanfordgensurg on InstagramDr. Wren Named Alum of the Year by Stritch School of Medicine
Congratulations to Dr. Sherry Wren, who has been named an Alum of the Year by Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine. Dr. Wren, who received her MD at Stritch in 1986, is being recognized for “Excellence in Community Service.” The award will be presented at the Stritch Reunion Weekend in October.
SurgeryA Smaller Incision Offers a New Approach to Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy
Stanford surgeon Dr. Jean Bao introduces endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy, a minimally invasive approach that uses a smaller lateral incision while preserving the breast skin and nipple. The technique may improve surgical visualization, reduce tissue retraction, and support an easier recovery for appropriately selected patients undergoing cancer treatment or risk-reducing surgery.
SurgeryPostdoc Spotlight: Ken Neiser, PhD
Ken Nieser, an investigator with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Stanford's S-SPIRE Center, applies statistical models to health data to study and improve healthcare quality, focusing on colorectal cancer screening disparities among veterans by combining quantitative data analysis with qualitative research involving patient and provider interviews.
SurgeryImproving Cancer Immunotherapy with Dr. Alma Cepika
Dr. Alma Cepika explains how TR1 cells regulate immune responses and how tumors may exploit these cells to suppress antitumor immunity. Could targeting TR1 cells help improve cancer immunotherapy?
