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A Short Course on Pediatric Innovation

July 23rd Workshop Preparation (remote) &

July 27-28th Interactive Workshop (in-person)

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Thank you for your interest in our Short Course on Pediatric Innovation!

Our current course is full. If you would like to be notified about future offerings please sign up for priority notifications below.


Join the MIT Hood Pediatric Innovation Hub and MIT Catalyst for an immersive, hands-on short course designed to spark new ideas—and develop the next generation of innovators—in pediatric health.

This immersive program brings together participants for focused mentorship, peer collaboration, and practical innovation activities to accelerate learning and impact.

Through a guided mix of individual and team-based activities, participants will learn and apply the proven need-driven innovation framework developed at MIT. Working alongside MIT faculty, clinicians, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovation experts, participants will explore pressing challenges in child health, identify critical unmet needs, and begin shaping innovative solutions with real-world impact.

Whether you are a healthcare professional, engineer, scientist, entrepreneur, student, or innovator seeking to apply your talents to meaningful challenges, this course offers a unique opportunity to learn, collaborate, and join a growing community dedicated to improving the lives of children and families.

Participants discussing innovation ideas at MIT Pediatric Short Course 2025
Participants discussing innovation ideas at MIT Pediatric Short Course 2025
Participants discussing innovation ideas at MIT Pediatric Short Course 2025
Participants discussing innovation ideas at MIT Pediatric Short Course 2025

The Short Course

Whether you're already working to improve pediatric care or you're an innovator curious about applying your skills to this vital space, this course offers a unique entry point—and a chance to join a growing community committed to making a difference.

You’ll leave with:

  • A practical introduction to need-driven biomedical innovation
  • A sharper sense of where new opportunities lie in pediatric health
  • Connections to peers, mentors, and the Hood Pediatric Innovation Hub

No prior experience in pediatrics or innovation required—just a passion for solving meaningful problems that affect children and families.


Course Structure

This short course combines in-person experiences with a remote workshop preparation call.

The first session (via Zoom on 07/23) provides an overview of the pediatric innovation landscape and sets the stage for collaborative exploration.

This is followed by an in-person 1.5-day workshop (in Cambridge, MA on 07/27-28) where participants will engage in team-based workshops to explore unmet needs and begin shaping early-stage project ideas.

**Participation in both the Workshop Preparation session and the Interactive Workshop is expected.**


Course Schedule and Location

Session 1: Workshop Preparation (remote)
July 23rd, 1:00p - 4:00p ET (via Zoom)
 
Session 2: Interactive Workshop (in person)
July 27th, 9:00a - 4:00p (MIT Student Center, Cambridge, MA)
July 28th, 9:00a - 1:00p (MIT Student Center, Cambridge, MA)

Course Faculty

 

1x1 Adi Chandrasekhar

Aditya Chandrasekhar, MD, MPH

MIT Catalyst Europe Faculty| Physician Clinical AI Strategy UpToDate| MIT Catalyst Fellow

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Elazer R. Edelman, MD, PhD

Faculty Lead, MIT Hood Hub | Professor of Medical Engineering and Science, Institute of Medical Engineering & Science, MIT | Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School | Senior Attending Physician, Brigham and Women's Hospital

Dr. Jamie Fairclough

Jamie Fairclough, PhD

MIT Catalyst Faculty | Director and Faculty, Engineering & Medicine, Dartmouth | Machine Learning Instructor, Stanford | AI Research Engineer, VA Healthcare System

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Joseph Frassica, MD, FAAP

MIT Catalyst Faculty | Executive Director, MIT Hood Hub | Professor of the Practice, Institute of Medical Engineering & Science, MIT | Staff, Massachusetts General Hospital

PRIMARY-Martha Gray

Martha Gray, PhD

MIT Catalyst Faculty| Whitaker Professor in Biomedical Engineering, MIT | Professor, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, MIT | Professor, Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, MIT

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Chester J. Koh, MD, MBA, FAAP

Professor of Urology, Pediatrics, and OB/GYN Baylor College of Medicine | Texas Children's Research Institute/Executive Director, SWPDC

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Amy Molten, MD, FAAP

Clinical Assistant Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine | Chief Medical Officer, Ladder Health

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Tim Padera, PhD

MIT Catalyst Faculty| Professor of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School} Rullo Family MGH Research Scholar 2021-2026

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John O. Parker, Jr.

Vice President and Clerk, Charles H. Hood Foundation | Founder and Managing Director, Springhood Ventures

Anne Quaadgras

Anne Quaadgras

Director, MIT Sloan Health Systems Initiative| Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management

PRIMARY-Robert Sege

Robert Sege, MD, PhD

MIT Catalyst Faculty | MIT Hood Hub | Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine

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Nancy Steele, MA

MIT Catalyst Faculty | Former VP Pfizer Corp Strategy

joe Ting

Joseph Ting

MIT Catalyst Faculty | Head of Product Development, Annecy Bio | Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology

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Ben Vakoc, PhD

MIT Catalyst Faculty| Associate Professor, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School| Member of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences & Technology Faculty


"I participated in the Hood Hub Short Course on Pediatric Innovation last July and found it tremendously valuable. ...I truly enjoyed it. Since that course, there has been a permanent folder in my laptop called Pediatric Innovation (with folders for 2025 and 2026 already!)”

-- Angie Serrano, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine | Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology | Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM)


Thank you for your interest in our Short Course on Pediatric Innovation! 

Our current course is full.  If you would like to be notified about future offerings please sign up for priority notifications below.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately, no. While Session 1 is remote, it is preparation for the 1.5-day in-person workshop. There is no option for remote attendance of the in-person workshop. 

Yes – we encourage innovators with bold ideas from around the world to join us!

The workshop is open to any and all of the above!