The Problem Paradox

Why do most breakthrough medical technologies never reach patients?

Because too often they're solutions in search of problems.

The method revolution

What if innovation started with problems, not technologies?

In Catalyst, we take an approach that changes everything.

Your breakthrough moment

Ready to transform how you approach biomedical technology innovation?

Join Catalyst to master these methods and accelerate your impact.

The Problem Paradox

Why do most breakthrough medical technologies never reach patients?

Because too often they're solutions in search of problems.

The method revolution

What if innovation started with problems, not technologies?

In Catalyst, we take an approach that changes everything.

Your breakthrough moment

Ready to transform how you approach biomedical technology innovation?

Join Catalyst to master these methods and accelerate your impact.

Join Catalyst 2026

Identify and develop research projects with high potential for healthcare impact.

How to join

Learn more

How can we enable equitable and effective access to healthcare services?

Examples include but are not limited to:

Underserved populations experience access challenges due to factors ranging from income level, transportation challenges, lack of cultural relevance, urban/rural considerations, or anxiety about the consequences of seeking care. Are there novel technologies, new models or methods for better aligning healthcare services with the needs of these patients?
How can we enhance patient engagement to improve healthcare and health outcomes?
Can geriatric care better reflect the unique challenges of elderly patients, including new models to promote independence, mobility and quality of life?
How can we improve support for dementia patients and their caregivers?

How can we use advances in precision medicine, data science, and/or technology to improve diagnostic, therapeutic, imaging and surgical methods?

Can we leverage new medical technologies to improve the efficacy and/or reduce complications in medical procedures?
Can we devise enhanced computational tools to drive actionable insight from medical record and patient data?
Can we provide alternative or enhanced diagnostic capabilities that would improve outcomes?
Can we leverage existing, emerging, or new technologies to improve the efficacy and/or reduce complications in clinical care?

In the care of chronic conditions, we often focus on treating acute episodes. Can we leverage advances in science, data intelligence and technology toward more effective health management and patient-driven goals?

Can we align preventive services (e.g., screenings, immunizations) with the greatest opportunity to detect and prevent disease?
Can we leverage technology to better manage chronic disease through improved education, monitoring, medication management, self-care, behavior change and group support?
Are there novel approaches to prevent suicide and/or overdose, grounded in results from effective practice?

COVID-19 will affect healthcare delivery long after this phase of the pandemic. How can we expand healthcare system capacity and preparedness in these new norms of care delivery?

What innovations are needed in epidemiology models, hot spot sensing, resource planning and other methods and tools to more systematically prepare ourselves for future pandemic waves?
How should hospitals and clinics adapt to prepare for and rapidly respond to changing public health conditions and priorities? What technologies and innovations are needed to achieve this?
Can new practices and technologies support a “right patient, right time, right technology” approach that ensures effective and appropriate use of in-person and remote resources?
Can new practices and technologies support a “right patient, right time, right technology” approach that ensures safe, effective and appropriate care, including preventative and therapeutic care and the use of in-person and remote resources?

Real problems you identify. Breakthrough ideas you develop with elite collaborators. Research unconstrained by the limits of a single lab or organization. As a Catalyst Fellow at MIT linQ, you'll master the proven method behind successful medical technologies by working alongside clinicians, engineers, and entrepreneurs. Transform your approach to biomedical technology innovation and accelerate your career as a leader.

Learn more and get started

We seek a multi-talented cohort, including:

Why join Catalyst

In Catalyst, you will collaborate with a diverse group of professionals, including researchers, engineers, scientists, and healthcare practitioners. This interdisciplinary collaboration will expose you to new perspectives, foster creativity, and fuel innovation. Together, you can combine your design expertise with their knowledge to create impactful solutions that address complex healthcare challenges.

By participating in Catalyst, you position yourself as a valuable asset in an ever-growing industry. Your unique blend of innovation expertise and biomedical technology will open doors to diverse career opportunities in healthcare, research institutions, medical device companies, and more. The skills and knowledge gained will set you apart as a leader in your field, enabling you to drive scientific progress and shape the future of healthcare.

The first six months

Join as an individual…

Collaborative, mentored innovation process

…by June you will be co-leading a novel research project with potential for high impact

Catalyst advantages

Focused on real-world medical innovation opportunities

Collaboration across medicine, technology, and business

linQ Innovation Method accelerates impact

Experience highlights

New project discovery with high potential to achieve health impact and without the constraints of a single lab or organization.

Process driven by you in a multi-disciplinary team based environment. Past teams have established new lines of research, launched start-ups, and embarked on new career trajectories.

Mentored by a unique network of leading experts in their field from academic research and industry that shortens the time to realize meaningful healthcare outcomes.

A proven MIT linQ Innovation Method that focuses on real-world medical innovation opportunities and accelerates impact.

Catalyst projects: As wide-ranging as unmet medical needs

Catalyst Fellows’ projects range as widely as their discovery of unmet medical needs takes them. Past projects have included non-invasive measurement of white blood cells for chemotherapy patients, imaging biomarkers to target specific mental disorders, innovative contraception to reduce STI transmission, and many others across technical and clinical areas.

The breadth and variety of the Catalyst network means Fellows can discover and pursue innovation opportunities unconstrained by the needs and capabilities of a single organization. And our partnerships enable Fellows to dive deep into areas as diverse as pediatric healthcare, access to care in rural and underserved communities, and Veterans health.

AI-assisted detection of basal cell carcinoma

The most common form of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma can have a disfiguring effect and even become fatal when not treated promptly. A team of 2024 Fellows are developing an approach to enable earlier discovery and more accessible intervention.

Novel technology for obstructive sleep apnea

The standard of care for OSA is cumbersome, uncomfortable, and noisy—undermining the very sleep people desperately need. A team formed in 2019 developed a new device that's easier to use, with hopes of helping people avoid serious downstream negative effects.

$woman measuring a patient's vision in India with the handheld QuickSee autorefractor$

Mobile autorefraction to lower barriers to vision care

A 2011 team discovered the current practices and technologies for vision care were leaving more than a billion people without the correction they need. The technology they developed and commercialized is transforming vision care access for millions globally.

Learn more and get started