ECE Seminar Series – May 16 (Fri) @ 2:00 PM: "Innovating Robotic Surgery and Telemedicine," Dr. Yulun Wang, Exec. Chairman, Sovato Health
Location: Engineering Science Building (ESB), Room 1001
Come at 1:30p for Cookies, Coffee and Conversation!
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE at the ECE SEMINAR SERIES
Abstract
In this seminar, Dr. Yulun Wang will present a comprehensive overview of the evolution of robotic surgery, tracing its development from his early work at Computer Motion and InTouch Health to current advancements in the field. He will also share insights into the future trajectory of robotic surgery and its intersection with telemedicine, offering a look at emerging technologies and their potential to transform healthcare delivery.
Bio
Dr. Wang is Executive Chairman and Co-founder of Sovato Health, which is working to enable broad- based tele-surgery, and is Co-founder and Chairman of World Telehealth Initiative, a non-profit that uses volunteer clinicians and telemedicine to deliver sustained healthcare expertise to impoverished areas of the world. He is also a Fellow at Teladoc Health (NYSE: TDOC) where he contributes to various R&D initiatives, and the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility efforts.
Dr. Wang founded InTouch Health in 2003, and served as Chairman and CEO until 2016, when he assumed the position of Chairman and Chief Innovation Officer. InTouch Health was acquired by Teladoc Health in July, 2020, for $1.1 billion. Previous to InTouch, Dr. Wang founded Computer Motion in 1990, the company which pioneered surgical robotics. At Computer Motion he developed the voice-controlled robotic arm called AESOP, the first FDA-cleared surgical robot, as well as the ZEUS robotic surgical system, which performed the world’s first transatlantic surgery. Computer Motion IPO’d in 1997 and merged with Intuitive Surgical (NASD: ISRG) in 2003 for one third of the resulting company. Dr. Wang is author to more than 50 technical publications and inventor on over 200 patents.
Dr. Wang served on the board of directors of Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, CA from 2008 to 2015, and served on the board of the American Telemedicine Association from 2010 to 2016, including as President from 2014 to 2015. Dr. Wang serves on the board of Cottage Health System (since 2020), Santa Barbara, California. He has served for many years on the advisory boards of the Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Mechanical Engineering Departments of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Dr. Wang has received many awards, including the 2017 IEEE Medal for Healthcare Innovation, and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2011. Dr. Wang earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1988.
Hosted by: Distinguished Lecture at the ECE Seminar Series
Submitted by: Prof. B.S. Manjunath <manj@ucsb.edu>
