Interview with Jay Lenker

"Recently, I had the privilege to sit down and talk with Dr. Jay Lenker while he was visiting Penn State and the biomedical engineering department. Dr. Lenker, who is a Penn State alumnus, graduated from aerospace engineering and then continued to earn his doctorate in bioengineering. He decided to change disciplines because he heard of an exciting opportunity for collaboration with physicians and researchers at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on the artificial heart. He was interested in the idea of using fluid mechanics, a common study for engineering students, to model the blood flow in the human body. He was so excited to be able to apply many engineering aspects to the human body.

After finishing his education, he entered industry. He has worked for several companies and helped to manage projects and create new products for the field. From his time in industry, he thought that Penn State gave him a firm foundation and a breadth of knowledge. From his many experiences working in industry, he noted that Penn State engineers were generally dedicated, humble, and awesome engineers, which he considers a very important trait for the field. Recently, he was watching a procedure where he noticed a catheter was not functioning in the correct way. He immediately went home and wrote a patent for a new and improved device. This was the start of his company, Indian Wells Medical Inc.

In our discussion, I asked him what can help make biomedical companies successful. He said it is key to have an engineer, as well as, a businessman with an MBA. This would allow the company to gain respect and be recognized in the field. He explained that physicians play a large role as well. Most companies have an advisory board with medical professionals so they can give a different perspective on devices and their uses in clinical settings. Physicians can give their input about devices and what types of improvements could be made. This was great news to hear for biomedical engineering students deciding to pursue medical school. It will allow them more opportunities to apply their engineering backgrounds helping further their field. He emphasized that it is important for biomedical engineers to be able to collaborate with other engineers as well as medical staff.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Lenker and have a greater knowledge of how our engineering educations can be applied in many different areas.

- Victoria Heasley (B.S. '14)