Medical Innovation at HUJI & Hadassah

From clinical need to

patient impact

A multidisciplinary program connecting clinicians, engineers, business leaders, and legal experts to develop the next generation of health technologies.

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What makes
BioDesign different?

We teach a need‑driven, team‑based approach to health‑technology innovation, moving from first‑hand clinical observations to validated concepts, prototypes, and business plans in one academic year.

Who it’s for?

Physicians, engineers,
MBAs & law students

Selection by interview. Multidisciplinary cohorts from HUJI and Hadassah with significant international participation.

Program format

8‑credit,
year‑long studio

Autumn: clinical immersion, needs discovery, market analysis, IP basics. Spring: concept development, prototyping, regulation & reimbursement, business planning.

Outcomes

Prototypes, IP &
investor‑ready pitch

Teams deliver an engineering prototype, a provisional patent application, and a complete business plan presented to industry and investors.

The Process

Two semesters combine clinical immersion, market analysis, IP and regulatory strategy, prototyping, and business planning - culminating in a public pitch to investors.

Autumn

Needs Finding & Concept Creation

Spring

Spring - Development & Implementation

Project Videos

Explore demo days, device walkthroughs, and clinical simulations from past cohorts on our YouTube channel.

Founders &
Leadership

Prof. Yaakov (Koby) Nahmias

Founding Director, Grass Center for Bioengineering; AIMBE Fellow and Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. Co‑founder of BioDesign Jerusalem.

Prof. Chaim Lotan

Founding Director, Chief innovation officer Hadassa hospital, previous Director of the Heart Institute, Hadassah Medical Center (Ein Kerem). Leader in interventional cardiology and clinical innovation.

Prof. Dan Galai

Founding Director, finance scholar and former Dean, HUJI School of Management. International expert in risk management and derivatives; co‑devised the VIX volatility index.

Our Team

Dedicated experts providing day-to-day mentorship and operational leadership throughout the program.

Michal Zilberman

Bio Design Course Manager

Noah Bernten

Engineering Team Lead and Course Instructor

Tomer Batash

Chief Medical Officer

Ariel

VP Business Development,
Hadasit

Or Hazan

Lecturer and Mentor

Candidates

Admission is by interview and instructor approval. The program is open to the following:

MD Fellows

Affiliated with the Hebrew University & Hadassah Medical Center.

MSc/PhD in Engineering

Graduate students with strong technical backgrounds.

MBA Students

Second‑year candidates with interest in healthtech ventures.

Law (LL.M./Adv. LL.B.)

Students focusing on IP, regulation, and health law.

Graduated companies

A sample of companies and technologies that emerged from BioDesign Jerusalem cohorts

Robotic, guided intubation device that achieved both FDA clearance and CE Mark (2018); ISO 13485 certified and in market expansion.

Minimally invasive access to the pericardium enabling advanced cardiac procedures; clinical study (Warsaw, 91% success) and FDA Breakthrough Device designation.

Automated monitoring of pupillary response for brain injury patients; completed trials on healthy volunteers & Neuro ICU patients.

Magnetically steerable guidewire to reduce risk in ERCP; animal trials completed, first‑in‑human expected with exit discussions ongoing.

Remote monitoring for cardiology patients; completed investigator - initiated clinical study at Shaare Zedek Medical Center with Terumo support.

Symphonic Scalpel

Real‑time nerve detection using fiber optics during surgery; early‑stage device development.

From clinical need to

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