Bio

Farzad leads Edwards Lifesciences' strategic innovation and future technologies incubator in the Advanced Technology unit as Senior Vice President. He is a cardiologist and medtech designer by background, bringing academic, start-up, and strategic industry experience applying needs-driven innovation discipline to solve high-impact challenges in cardiovascular disease.

Within his role, Farzad heads the Edwards Lifesciences Innovation Fellowship Program for cardiovascular physicians and surgeons, in partnership with the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF).

Academically, Farzad serves as Associate Director, Lead for Design at Stanford University's Byers Center for Biodesign where he teaches the application of design thinking to lifesciences.

He previously served as Director of Health at the global design and innovation firm IDEO, and Chief Medical Officer at Myia Labs, an American College of Cardiology and venture capital-backed digital health start-up.

Farzad completed his training in medicine and cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Minnesota / Lillehei Heart Institute respectively, served as Chief Cardiology Fellow and NIH T32 Research Fellow designing and testing advanced cardiovascular technologies, and operated as the St. Jude Medical and Dean's Innovation Fellow at Stanford Biodesign.

He holds patents and patents pending in the fields of interventional cardiology, cardiac electrophysiology, and robotic surgery.

Farzad earned both his bachelor's degree in biological sciences and his MD from the University of Texas at Austin, and his post-doc in Biodesign from Stanford University School of Medicine.

He is a recipient of Phi Beta Kappa distinction and the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Award.

Contact

  • Work
    azimpour@stanford.edu
    University - Staff Department: School of Medicine - MDRP'S - Biodesign Program Position: Casual - Non-Exempt
    University - Affiliate Department: School of Medicine - MDRP'S - Biodesign Program

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 5428

All Publications

  • Transdisciplinary Strategies for Physician Wellness: Qualitative Insights from Diverse Fields Journal of General Internal Medicine Schwartz, R., Haverfield, M. C., Brown-Johnson, C., Maitra, A., Tierney, A., Bharadwaj, S., Shaw, J. G., Azimpour, F., Thadaney Israni, S., Verghese, A., Zulman, D. M. 2019

    Abstract

    While barriers to physician wellness have been well detailed, concrete solutions are lacking.We looked to professionals across diverse fields whose work requires engagement and interpersonal connection with clients. The goal was to identify effective strategies from non-medical fields that could be applied to preserve physician wellness.We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 professionals outside the field of clinical medicine whose work involves fostering effective connections with individuals.Professionals from diverse professions, including the protective services (e.g., police officer, firefighter), business/finance (e.g., restaurateur, salesperson), management (e.g., CEO, school principal), education, art/design/entertainment (e.g., professional musician, documentary filmmaker), community/social services (e.g., social worker, chaplain), and personal care/services (e.g., massage therapist, yoga instructor).Interviews covered strategies that professionals use to initiate and maintain relationships, practices that cultivate professional fulfillment and preserve wellness, and techniques that facilitate emotional presence during interactions. Data were coded using an inductive thematic analysis approach.Professionals identified self-care strategies at both institutional and individual levels that support wellness. Institutional-level strategies include scheduling that allows for self-care, protected time to connect with colleagues, and leadership support for debriefing after traumatic events. Individual strategies include emotionally protective distancing techniques and engagement in a bidirectional exchange that is central to interpersonal connection and professional fulfillment.In this exploratory study, the purposive sampling technique and single representative per occupation could limit the generalizability of findings.Across diverse fields, professionals employ common institutional and personal wellness strategies that facilitate meaningful engagement, support collegiality, and encourage processing after intense events. The transdisciplinary nature of these wellness strategies highlights universal underpinnings that support wellbeing in those engaging in people-oriented professions.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s11606-019-04913-y

  • Transdisciplinary Strategies for Physician Wellness: Qualitative Insights from Diverse Fields. Journal of general internal medicine Schwartz, R. n., Haverfield, M. C., Brown-Johnson, C. n., Maitra, A. n., Tierney, A. n., Bharadwaj, S. n., Shaw, J. G., Azimpour, F. n., Thadaney Israni, S. n., Verghese, A. n., Zulman, D. M. 2019

    Abstract

    While barriers to physician wellness have been well detailed, concrete solutions are lacking.We looked to professionals across diverse fields whose work requires engagement and interpersonal connection with clients. The goal was to identify effective strategies from non-medical fields that could be applied to preserve physician wellness.We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 professionals outside the field of clinical medicine whose work involves fostering effective connections with individuals.Professionals from diverse professions, including the protective services (e.g., police officer, firefighter), business/finance (e.g., restaurateur, salesperson), management (e.g., CEO, school principal), education, art/design/entertainment (e.g., professional musician, documentary filmmaker), community/social services (e.g., social worker, chaplain), and personal care/services (e.g., massage therapist, yoga instructor).Interviews covered strategies that professionals use to initiate and maintain relationships, practices that cultivate professional fulfillment and preserve wellness, and techniques that facilitate emotional presence during interactions. Data were coded using an inductive thematic analysis approach.Professionals identified self-care strategies at both institutional and individual levels that support wellness. Institutional-level strategies include scheduling that allows for self-care, protected time to connect with colleagues, and leadership support for debriefing after traumatic events. Individual strategies include emotionally protective distancing techniques and engagement in a bidirectional exchange that is central to interpersonal connection and professional fulfillment.In this exploratory study, the purposive sampling technique and single representative per occupation could limit the generalizability of findings.Across diverse fields, professionals employ common institutional and personal wellness strategies that facilitate meaningful engagement, support collegiality, and encourage processing after intense events. The transdisciplinary nature of these wellness strategies highlights universal underpinnings that support wellbeing in those engaging in people-oriented professions.

    View details for PubMedID 31037542

  • FOSTERING PATIENT-PROVIDER CONNECTION DURING CLINICAL ENCOUNTERS: INSIGHTS FROM NON-MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS Schwartz, R., Brown-Johnson, C., Haverfield, M. C., Tierney, A. A., Bharadwaj, S., Zionts, D. L., Romero, I., Piccininni, G., Shaw, J. G., Thadaney, S., Azimpour, F., Verghese, A., Zulman, D. M. SPRINGER. 2018: S200

    View details for Web of Science ID 000442641400264

  • Electronic Stethoscope for Coronary Stenosis Detection Reply AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE Wilson, R. F., Azimpour, F. 2017; 130 (5): E227

    View details for PubMedID 28431677

  • Audible Coronary Artery Stenosis AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE Azimpour, F., Caldwell, E., Tawfik, P., Duval, S., Wilson, R. F. 2016; 129 (5): 515-?

    Abstract

    Hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenoses generate turbulent blood flow patterns that manifest as intracoronary murmurs. This study aims to evaluate the performance of modern acoustic detection of these murmurs by acoustic signals captured from patients undergoing gold standard comparative coronary angiography.We prospectively studied 156 patients undergoing elective coronary angiography, excluding those with acute coronary syndrome, prior chest surgery, or significant valvular disease. Acoustic signals were captured before arterial access. Angiographic degree of stenosis in each coronary artery was graded blinded to clinical and acoustic data. Acoustic data were analyzed blinded to clinical and angiographic data, categorizing subjects as "normal," "diseased," or "inconclusive." Of 156 patients examined, 123 generated analyzable data.Angiographically significant stenosis (≥50%) prevalence was 52% (18%, 23%, 11% with 1-, 2-, 3-vessel disease, respectively). Acoustic detection sensitivity and specificity for stenosis ≥50% in any vessel were 0.70 and 0.80, respectively (negative predictive value, 0.71; positive predictive value, 0.79). Acoustic detection optimally identified stenosis ≥50% with an area under the curve of 0.75. For stenosis ≥50% in major vessels only (left main, proximal-mid left anterior descending, proximal-mid circumflex, proximal-mid right coronary), prevalence was 46%; sensitivity and specificity were 0.72 and 0.76, respectively (negative predictive value, 0.76; positive predictive value, 0.72; area under the curve, 0.76).Acoustic signal patterns and modern analysis techniques may be used to identify intracoronary murmurs generated by hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenoses in all major vessels. Further investigation is warranted to compare the clinical performance of this modality with current noninvasive approaches that evaluate patients at risk for atherosclerotic and obstructive coronary artery disease.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.01.015

    View details for Web of Science ID 000375144600030

    View details for PubMedID 26841299