Environmental Sustainability

Rafael Andrade, MD, MHA
Professor and Chief, Division of Thoracic & Foregut Surgery, University of Minnesota Medical School

Empathy and excellence guide my interactions with patients. I strive to put myself in every patient’s shoes, and my goal is to offer each patient the safest and most advanced care. Empathy is achieved by listening, excellence is the result of research.

Arpan Biswas
Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota

Arpan Biswas is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Arpan holds a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, India, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in chemistry from West Bengal State University, India. His research interests include 3D/4D printing, sustainable polymers, biomedical implants, and regenerative medicines.  

Kim Chaffin
Vice President Corporate Research Medtronic

Kim Chaffin is a Vice President and Corporate Technologist, Medtronic Fellow, Bakken Fellow and Technical Fellow in Global Technology and Innovation group at Medtronic, Inc.  Kim is a recognized expert in material thermodynamics and characterization, especially as it relates to structure-property relationships that govern long-term stability and performance.  Kim holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Minnesota. 

Matthew M. Cooper, MD MBA FACS FAsMA FCAMA
Chief Executive Officer at Peak Cardiovascular

Dr. Cooper served as Vice President, Medical Affairs, Corporate/Occupational Health, & Safety for 3M Health Care; previously he was Chief Medical Officer Medical Solutions & Global Director of Safety. He is a Diplomat of the American Boards of Thoracic Surgery and Surgery, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Aerospace Medical Association, and the Civil Aviation Medical Association. He is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, New York University School of Medicine, and Spears School of Business, Oklahoma State University.  In addition to Residencies and Chief Residencies in General Surgery (New York University Medical Center, The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics) and Thoracic Surgery (Columbia University), he also completed a Medical Staff Fellowship in the Surgery Branch of the National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health and a Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, UK.  He has also studied Health Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and Comprehensive Medical Simulation, both at Harvard University.

Dr. Cooper’s research has included pioneering methods of immunosuppression for primate cardiac xenograft transplantation.  His work in Med Tech has been consistently remarkable for innovative out of the box thinking combined with varied and deep expertise, and a resilient and indefatigable drive for mission success.  He combines a vision and strategic insight to reach an enhanced future with design of the tactics to get there. This is achieved on a foundation of healthy critical team performance and process agility.

Dr. Cooper is also expert in Aviation Physiology, and a Special Consultant to the Federal Air Surgeon. He is a commercial pilot, flight instructor, and aerobatic and formation air show performer. He has been a leader in the application of aviation-based safety culture to health care and consults with the FAA and NASA regarding safe travel of civilians in space.

Haley Gorr
Product Steward, Global Packaging & Labeling Sustainability Team, Boston Scientific 

Haley Gorr joined Boston Scientific in 2016 as an intern in Regulatory Affairs where she saw legislative advocacy at work influencing the European Medical Device Regulation. After finishing her Ph.D. in polymer chemistry at the University of Minnesota, she joined Boston Scientific full-time as a design quality engineer for new and acquired peripheral embolic products. Because of her chemistry knowledge and passion for scientific policy, she became a materials regulation expert and advocated for practical materials legislation in the EU.

After observing an increasing number of EU environmental regulations and customer requests, Haley campaigned for a Product Stewardship role within the company and was asked to join the new Global Packaging and Labeling Sustainability team with the mission of aligning and driving sustainability at a corporate level. Her role as a global Product Steward focuses on connecting product teams with tools and resources, influencing internal and external stakeholders, and setting sustainability direction based on the legislative and customer sustainability landscape.

Kate Taylor, PhD
Sr R&D Manager, Collaboration and Innovation, Global R&D, Boston Scientific

Kate is a Sr R&D Manager for Collaboration and Innovation at Boston Scientific leading a team of experts leveraging knowledge to solve global challenges. One of her favorite responsibilities is leading the Boston Scientific Connected Patient Challenge, a global digital health innovation challenge geared towards early phase startups.  She has spent over 25 years in the Medical Device industry in R&D roles working with new technologies, startups and acquisitions.  In addition to her industry work, Kate also serves on Coulter Translational Research Partnership Oversight Boards at the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia and the Ga Tech Biomedical Engineering Advisory Board working with their Biolocity translational research program.