Prabagar Sankar, 32
MS biomedical engineering ’18
SENIOR ENGINEER, NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & QUALITY, INTUITIVE SURGICAL
Prabagar Sankar, 32
MS biomedical engineering ’18
SENIOR ENGINEER, NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & QUALITY, INTUITIVE SURGICAL
At Intuitive Surgical, Prabagar Sankar develops robotic systems that help surgeons operate tirelessly and flawlessly.
Prabagar Sankar studied electrical engineering in India before coming to Drexel to apply those skills in the biomedical arena. “It all comes down to how we can help people live a life without limitations,” he says. At Intuitive Surgical, he helps build surgical robotic systems designed to do exactly that. While human surgeons may face fatigue during multiple procedures, robotic assistance enables greater precision, consistency and endurance. “A surgical robot arm can hold position for as long as needed. It doesn’t shake. It doesn’t get tired,” Sankar says. He first experienced the transformative power of biomedical innovation at Drexel, working on an NIH-funded wearable ultrasound wound-healing device that received more than $3 million in support and was featured on FOX News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and at Capitol Hill’s Medical Imaging Showcase. Sankar contributed to developing the technology in the lab and later witnessed it being used in clinical settings.
“For someone who moved from India to the United States for his master’s degree, seeing a device go from concept to patient impact was incredibly meaningful. I experienced the entire product life cycle — from ideation to hospital procedure — and that gave me immense satisfaction.”
Today, as a biomedical engineer at Intuitive Surgical, Sankar works on technologies that assist in diagnosing lung cancer, while continually seeking the next challenge that can improve patient care. “Seeing that real-world impact has always been my main driving factor at work,” he says.
My Greatest Accomplishment:
Translating biomedical research into real-world medical technologies that improve patient care. Across roles in surgical robotics; therapeutic devices; endoscope platforms; and wearables, hearing aids and cochlear implants, I have helped advance products from early research through regulatory-ready clinical adoption. I am especially proud to have contributed to innovations recognized globally, including a medical device named a TIME Best Invention in 2022.
How Drexel Shaped My Path:
Drexel’s experiential, hands-on approach fundamentally shaped how I operate as an engineer and leader. Through applied research, clinical exposure and close faculty mentorship, I learned how to move ideas from concept to clinic with rigor and purpose. Drexel gave me the confidence to work at the intersection of engineering, medicine and real-world impact.
Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:
In five years, I hope to be leading multidisciplinary teams developing next-generation medical technologies that expand access to care and improve patient outcomes globally. I also plan to continue mentoring, judging and advising early-stage innovators to help bridge academia, startups and industry. Ultimately, I aim to build technologies — and teams — that deliver both innovation and equity. DM
My Greatest Accomplishment:
Translating biomedical research into real-world medical technologies that improve patient care. Across roles in surgical robotics; therapeutic devices; endoscope platforms; and wearables, hearing aids and cochlear implants, I have helped advance products from early research through regulatory-ready clinical adoption. I am especially proud to have contributed to innovations recognized globally, including a medical device named a TIME Best Invention in 2022.
How Drexel Shaped My Path:
Drexel’s experiential, hands-on approach fundamentally shaped how I operate as an engineer and leader. Through applied research, clinical exposure and close faculty mentorship, I learned how to move ideas from concept to clinic with rigor and purpose. Drexel gave me the confidence to work at the intersection of engineering, medicine and real-world impact.
Where I Hope To Be in Five Years:
In five years, I hope to be leading multidisciplinary teams developing next-generation medical technologies that expand access to care and improve patient outcomes globally. I also plan to continue mentoring, judging and advising early-stage innovators to help bridge academia, startups and industry. Ultimately, I aim to build technologies — and teams — that deliver both innovation and equity. DM
Built with Shorthand
