One of the most exciting programs Fogarty Innovation hosts kicked off this month: the Lefteroff Internship. The summer program is designed to engage college and master’s students in the multi-faceted world of medical technology by providing immersive experiences, professional development and crucial industry insights.
Now in its 12th year, the eight-week program was created to honor former board member and avid Fogarty supporter, the late Tracy Lefteroff, an influential leader in venture capital-funded life sciences companies who was known for his commitment to mentoring and educating the next generation of students, entrepreneurs and innovators.
No two Lefteroff Internship experiences are exactly alike, as participants arrive with different interests, backgrounds, and aspirations, and then leave with their own individual takeaways. Some gain clarity about their future direction, while others discover new possibilities they had never considered or find the confidence and practical knowledge to transform ideas into real-world innovations.
We recently caught up with three alumni to hear more about how the internship shaped their current path.
Frida Velcani, Lefteroff Class of 2022
For Frida Velcani, the Lefteroff Internship expanded her view of what a career in healthcare could become. “After interning at Fogarty, I’ve actually felt less sure about what my future will look like, simply because of all the doors that have opened for me and opportunities I’ve learned about since. Whether that’s administration, a medical startup or even venture capital, I can see myself doing a lot of different things and it has been a privilege exploring a world of endless possibilities,” Velcani said.
The Lefteroff experience inspired her decision to enroll simultaneously in MD and MBA programs, giving her the skills to pursue leadership and management opportunities alongside a clinical career. Today, Velcani has graduated from both the Geisel School of Medicine and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and will soon begin her residency in ophthalmology at the University of Washington in Seattle.
During the internship, she worked directly with Mike Regan, a “legend in the field,” learning firsthand how ideas move from concept to commercialization while keeping patient needs at the center of the process. She also benefited from his perspective on how to evaluate early-stage startups, and from watching him coach entrepreneurs on what makes a winning product for both consumers and shareholders.
The foundation she gained at Fogarty helped her think more critically about the gaps in care she saw as a medical student treating patients, and how it’s important to deeply understand the patient experience rather than just focusing on big ideas. “Mike taught me that patient needs come first, so I went into my clinical years with that observational mindset—open eyes, open ears,” Velcani said.
The internship also helped her as she progressed along the business school path. “I developed a strong understanding of medical device innovation during my two months at Fogarty. It gave me a practical perspective that, in many instances, helped my classmates and I have more productive conversations, whether we were in entrepreneurship courses or learning the fundamentals of biotechnology.”
Velcani had previously worked at a diabetes-related nonprofit, where she interacted with the FDA and saw firsthand how patients benefit from medical devices like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps. That experience sparked her interest in innovation and is what led her to Fogarty in search of a stronger foundation in the field.
“I’ve always been a very creative person and want to develop innovative solutions to problems,” she said. “Developing medical technologies that address unmet needs is one way in which I can make a difference and help people, while also thinking broadly about strategy and market opportunity.”
Raishma Anwar, Class of 2023
When Raishma Anwar started the Lefteroff Internship program, she thought she would need to choose among her interests in engineering, medicine and public health in order come out with a clear path forward. Instead, her time at Fogarty opened her eyes to the possibility of combining them all.
“I got to meet people with multiple interests who were able to continue doing all of them,” she said, citing cardiologist and Fogarty leader Dr. Fred St Goar’s work in Rwanda and his impact on health equity as one example.
Anwar came in with experience designing and prototyping medical devices as part of her coursework as a biomedical engineering student at Purdue University. However, the design work was as far as she had gone, so she particularly appreciated the background she received in everything that follows, from working with hospitals to reimbursement and regulatory strategies.
During the internship she worked with John Morriss in the Invention Accelerator Program (IAP), getting involved in projects for early-stage startup, Selera Medical, and for a Stanford physician developing an ultrasound-based pain management device. In the process, she learned how clinical problems are identified, evaluated, and translated into potential solutions. The experience also helped clarify her own career path by demonstrating how multiple interests can be pursued simultaneously. For example, she noted that the Selera leadership team had completed the Stanford Biodesign program while also pursuing their PhDs, providing a model for balancing innovation, education and entrepreneurship.
Returning to Purdue, Anwar completed her undergraduate work, along with dual master’s degrees in public health and biomedical engineering. This summer, she begins her studies at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, the nation’s first engineering-based medical school. “They really value physician innovators, people who want to tackle clinical problems with an engineering solution,” she said.
The lessons she learned through Lefteroff also inspired her to revisit a class project from EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) to explore its commercial potential. “If I hadn’t done the internship, I wouldn’t have realized that there was more we could do with it,” she said, adding that the Fogarty community also connected her with helpful contacts.
That effort led to the launch of echoSURE, which is developing a novel medical device to accurately validate nasogastric (NG) feeding tube placement at the bedside. This is particularly important for pediatrics, since medical professionals are hesitant to expose kids to radiation from X-rays that are otherwise used to verify placement. The venture has since participated in incubator programs and recently placed first at the Purdue New Venture Challenge.
As the 2026 Lefteroff internship kicks off, her advice to the incoming class is to absorb everything they can. “Take really good notes during the ‘bootcamp’ because the Fogarty team shares so much valuable information, and meet with as many people as you can,” she said. “They’re all trying to help you, and everyone has different experiences and backgrounds. You won’t know what’s best for you until you explore.”
Taner Karaaslan, Lefteroff class of 2025
Taner Karaaslan believes the Lefteroff internship is the “best thing on my resume.” Not only does he find that people are interested in what incubator life is like, but it speaks to his passion for the medtech field, where he is currently searching for full-time roles. “Talking about the internship is a great opening for me to express my interest in the medtech field,” he said. “I explain to them that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do while I was an undergraduate student, but after the internship, I knew I wanted to pursue opportunities in this industry.”
Karaaslan worked with Boomerang Medical last summer and then went on to complete a nine-month master’s degree program in mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley. In addition to his coursework, he participated in a part-time co-op as a research engineer at iRhythm Technologies, thanks to a Fogarty network connection made by Marga Ortigas-Wedekind, who had previously served as the company’s EVP of marketing. “iRhythm created a role where I could work two days a week and still study, all thanks to Marga’s assistance,” he said.
What Karaaslan found most striking when he started the master’s program was how his coursework paralleled and confirmed lessons from the internship, from the foundational elements of startups to critical soft skills. In fact, one of his first graduate courses focused on engineering leadership, where the professor highlighted authenticity as an essential trait. “Everything he discussed was identical to what Fogarty CEO Andrew Cleeland and others talked about in the internship—that if you’re genuine, it will shine through, which will attract others to your concepts and company,” Karaaslan said.
He felt the same sense of déjà vu in other areas the degree program covered, from discovering unmet needs to identifying pain points and addressing them through user-centered design. “During the master’s program we discussed customer discovery and how to commercialize a technology, two topics I experienced firsthand during my work with Boomerang,” Karaaslan said.
As he considers the next steps of his career search, Karaaslan is relying on additional insight gained during the internship. While he remains interested in startups, he also recognizes the value in starting his career at a larger company, which can provide beneficial mentorship and support. But ultimately, he has one uncompromising criteria: “If they’re developing a meaningful solution, I’ll be interested in it.”
Photo: Taner Karaaslan in the clinic with fellow intern Analiese Bancroft