The VIC Fellows Program offers experienced professionals the opportunity to learn how to identify and evaluate high-potential innovations from around the world. We’re proud to showcase the members of the 2025–2026 Fellows class through a series of interviews, including this recent conversation with Michael O’Connor, PhD.
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I am a senior leader in the medical device technology industry with more than 35 years of experience spanning product development, project management, technology / innovation strategy, and large-scale program execution. Much of my career has been spent at Medtronic, where I have led multidisciplinary teams responsible for bringing complex medical technologies from early concept through commercialization in highly regulated environments. My work has focused on translating innovative ideas into practical solutions that improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. I have contributed to the development of more than twenty medical technologies and have been involved in areas such as cardiovascular devices, neuroscience, diagnostics, robotics and advanced manufacturing systems. Along the way, I have also contributed to intellectual property development and organizational transformation initiatives that strengthened innovation processes and program execution. In addition to my industry leadership, I am deeply committed to mentorship, education, and professional development. I have taught graduate and undergraduate courses in project management, product development, and engineering leadership at multiple universities across the United States, helping prepare the next generation of innovators and leaders. I currently serve as a VIC Technology Development Fellow, where I collaborate with entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry leaders to evaluate emerging technologies and help translate promising innovations into viable commercial opportunities. Throughout my career, I have been passionate about building strong teams, advancing innovation, and connecting academia, startups, and industry to accelerate the development of technologies that can meaningfully improve people’s lives.
You’ve spent over 35 years in the medical device industry. Is there one constant "problem" you’ve spent your career trying to solve for patients?
If I had to summarize one constant problem I’ve worked to address throughout my career, it would be how to translate complex medical technology into reliable, accessible solutions that genuinely improve patient outcomes. In healthcare, innovation alone is not enough. A breakthrough concept only helps patients if it can be manufactured reliably, used safely by clinicians, and delivered consistently within the realities of the healthcare system. Much of my career has been focused on bridging that gap—taking promising ideas from the laboratory or early engineering concepts and transforming them into products that physicians can trust and patients can depend on. This often means solving problems that sit at the intersection of engineering, quality, clinical needs, and operational execution. Whether working on cardiovascular devices, diagnostic systems, robotics, or advanced medical technologies, the goal has always been the same: improve reliability, reduce risk, and ensure that the technology ultimately serves the patient. At the end of the day, patients rarely see the thousands of engineering decisions, validation steps, and regulatory considerations behind a medical device. But those details matter enormously. If we do our jobs well, technology becomes invisible—and the focus stays where it belongs: on helping patients live longer, healthier lives.
Having held leadership roles at giants like Medtronic and Pfizer, as well as early-stage startups like HeartStent, what is the biggest lesson you’ve brought from "Big Med" to the startup world?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve brought from large medical technology companies into the startup world is the importance of discipline in execution without losing the speed and creativity that make startups successful. Large organizations like Medtronic and Pfizer have developed rigorous systems for quality, risk management, regulatory strategy, and product development governance. Those processes exist for a reason—patients’ lives depend on the safety, reliability, and clinical effectiveness of the technologies we develop. Over time, I learned that strong development discipline, early risk identification, and clear decision-making frameworks dramatically increase the chances that medical technology will successfully reach the market. Startups, on the other hand, bring incredible energy, creativity, and willingness to challenge assumptions. They move fast, test ideas quickly, and often pursue bold innovations that larger organizations may hesitate to explore. The key lesson is that the most successful ventures combine the strengths of both worlds. Startups benefit tremendously when they incorporate structured thinking around regulatory pathways, clinical evidence, quality systems, and scalable manufacturing earlier than they might otherwise consider. At the same time, they must preserve the agility and entrepreneurial mindset that allows innovation to flourish. In many ways, my role has often been to help bridge those two environments—bringing the operational rigor of “Big Med” into startup settings while protecting the entrepreneurial spirit that drives breakthrough innovation.As an adjunct professor at several universities, what is the most important "real-world" skill you teach your students that isn’t found in a textbook?
One of the most important real-world skills I try to teach my students is how to lead and influence across disciplines when you do not have direct authority. In industry—especially in complex environments like healthcare and medical technology—most meaningful work happens through cross-functional teams. Engineers, clinicians, regulatory experts, quality specialists, marketing leaders, and operations teams all bring different perspectives and priorities. Success rarely comes from technical knowledge alone; it comes from the ability to align people around a shared goal and help them solve problems together. Textbooks can teach frameworks, methodologies, and technical concepts. But the real challenge students face in the workplace is learning how to communicate clearly, ask the right questions, manage uncertainty, and build trust across teams that may think very differently. In my courses, I emphasize practical exercises that mirror real industry situations—defining problems clearly, managing risk, making decisions with incomplete information, and presenting ideas in a way that brings others along. These are the skills that turn good ideas into real products and successful programs. Ultimately, I want students to leave my classes not only understanding the tools of project and product management, but also developing the confidence and judgment needed to lead complex initiatives in the real world.
Why did you decide to become a VIC Fellow, what do you hope to contribute, and what new tools or skills are you currently excited to learn?
I decided to become a VIC Fellow because it sits at a unique intersection that I care deeply about—innovation, entrepreneurship, and translating promising technologies into real-world impact. Throughout my career in the medical device industry, I’ve seen many remarkable ideas emerge from research labs and early-stage ventures. However, turning those ideas into viable products that can navigate regulatory pathways, manufacturing realities, and market adoption is often where the biggest challenges arise. The VIC Fellowship provides an opportunity to help bridge that gap. I hope to contribute my experience in product development, technology commercialization, regulatory strategy, and large-scale program execution to help evaluate and advance emerging technologies. Having worked across large global companies and startups, I enjoy helping innovators think through the practical steps required to move from concept to commercialization. I’m also excited about what I can learn through the fellowship. The innovation landscape is evolving quickly, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital health, advanced diagnostics, and connected medical technologies. I’m especially interested in learning more about venture development, early-stage company formation, and new approaches to evaluating emerging technologies. For me, the fellowship is both an opportunity to give back and stay intellectually curious working alongside talented entrepreneurs, researchers, and fellow innovators who are shaping the future of healthcare and technology.
Looking at the next generation of scientists and engineers, what is the most critical piece of advice you have for those wanting to bridge the gap between lab research and a finished medical product?
My most important advice is to start thinking about the patient, the clinician, and the real-world environment as early as possible—not just the technology itself. Many breakthroughs begin with brilliant science in the lab, but a successful medical product must work within a much larger system that includes clinicians, hospitals, regulatory requirements, manufacturing constraints, reimbursement, and ultimately patient safety and usability. The earlier researchers begin to understand those realities, the more likely their innovation will successfully reach patients. I encourage scientists and engineers to spend time observing clinical workflows, talking with physicians and nurses, and understanding the real problems healthcare providers face every day. Often the most successful medical technologies are not simply the most advanced scientifically, but the ones that solve a clear clinical problem in a way that fits naturally into how healthcare is delivered. Equally important is learning to collaborate across disciplines. Translating research into a medical product requires teams that include engineering, clinical, regulatory, quality, manufacturing, marketing and business expertise. The ability to communicate across those areas and align around a shared mission is what ultimately transforms a promising discovery into a product that improves patients’ lives. In short, great science starts the journey—but understanding the full healthcare ecosystem is what brings innovation across the finish line to improve a patient’s life.
Over 40 years, you’ve seen the "next big thing" in MedTech many times. What current trend or technology do you believe will have the most profound impact on patient care in the next decade?
One of the most transformative trends I see emerging is the convergence of artificial intelligence, connected medical devices, and real-time patient data. For many years, medical devices have been extremely sophisticated at diagnosing or treating specific conditions, but they often operated as standalone tools. What is changing now is the ability to connect devices, patient monitoring systems, electronic health records, and advanced analytics into a much more integrated healthcare ecosystem. Artificial intelligence, when applied responsibly, has the potential to help clinicians detect patterns in patient data earlier, personalize treatments, and support better clinical decision-making. Combined with connected medical devices and remote monitoring technologies, this could significantly shift healthcare from a reactive model—treating illness after it appears—to a more proactive and predictive approach to patient care. We are already beginning to see this in areas such as continuous patient monitoring, AI-assisted imaging and diagnostics, and smart therapeutic devices that can adapt to patient conditions in real time. Over the next decade, these technologies could help clinicians identify risks earlier, intervene sooner, and tailor therapies more precisely to individual patients. Ultimately, the greatest impact will come not from any single technology, but from how these technologies work together to create more intelligent, responsive healthcare systems that improve outcomes while reducing the burden on patients and clinicians alike.