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Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Josh Makower is the Boston Scientific Applied Bioengineering Professor of Medicine and of Bioengineering at the Stanford University Schools of Medicine and Engineering and the Director of the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign, the program he co-founded with Dr. Paul Yock twenty years ago. Josh helped create the fundamental structure of the Center’s core curriculum and is the chief architect of what is now called “The Biodesign Process.” Over the past 20 years since Josh and Paul founded Biodesign, this curriculum and the associated textbook has been used at Stanford and across the world to train hundreds of thousands of students, faculty and industry leaders on the Biodesign process towards the advancement of medical innovation for the improvement of patient care. Josh has practiced these same techniques directly as the Founder & Executive Chairman of ExploraMed, a medical device incubator, creating 9 companies since 1995. Transactions from the ExploraMed portfolio include NeoTract, acquired by Teleflex, Acclarent, acquired by J&J, EndoMatrix, acquired by C.R. Bard & TransVascular, acquired by Medtronic. Other ExploraMed/NEA ventures include Moximed, NC8 and Willow. Josh is also a Special Partner at NEA where he supports the healthcare team and medtech/healthtech investing practice. Josh serves on the boards of Allay Therapeutics, Revelle Aesthetics, Setpoint Medical, DOTS Technologies, Eargo, ExploraMed, Intrinsic Therapeutics, Moximed, Willow and Coravin. Josh holds over 300 patents and patent applications. He received an MBA from Columbia University, an MD from the NYU School of Medicine, a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Josh is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering and the College of Fellows of The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and was awarded the Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation by the Biomedical Engineering Society in 2018.

Maryam S. Makowski, PhD

Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

BioMaryam S. Makowski, PhD, FACN, CNS, NBC-HWC, is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Associate Director of Scholarship and Health Promotion for Stanford Medicine’s WellMD & WellPhD program. As a medical nutrition scientist, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Dr. Makowski provides nutrition consultations and well-being coaching to Stanford School of Medicine faculty, as well as Stanford Medicine residents and fellows through the WellConnect Program. She also provides mental health and nutrition coaching to patients at the Lifestyle Psychiatry Clinic as a Health and Wellness Coach in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Dr. Makowski's research focuses on identifying nutritional strategies to minimize physician fatigue, stress, and sleep-related impairment. In her coaching, she employs evidence-based and personalized strategies to optimize the well-being and performance of her clients. In recognition of her contributions, she received the 2024 Annual Chairman's Award for Clinical Innovation and Service in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.

She earned her master's and doctoral degrees in clinical nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, and medical science from the University of Toronto. Prior to joining Stanford, Dr. Makowski worked as a scientific associate at Toronto General Hospital–University Health Network and served as an advisor to Air Canada Rouge pilots and cabin crew on fatigue management. Throughout her career, she has authored highly cited scientific papers related to nutrition and well-being, making significant contributions to the field. She has delivered over 100 lectures, grand rounds, seminars, and webinars to thousands of physicians and physician trainees worldwide.