David Wolfson
Resume
This is not intended as a CV, but a place where I can collect a full resume of experiences which I can pick from an taylor for specific roles. In particular I am working on CAR stories. If you're here and reading it I hope you find it interesting, but please also see my LinkedIn and contact me there if you'd like to talk about work opportunities.
note: I had this saved as a document, but that wasn't very accessible to me, and as I'm trying to 'put everything on the web' as open innovations reccomend, here it is!
| EMPLOYMENT HISTORY | EDUCATION | MEMBERSHIPS | TRAINING | RESAERCH | PATENTS |
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
2017/04/01-2023/09/08: Principal Product Development (Bio)engineer
DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson Company), Leeds, UK
As an established technical leader, I had technical oversight for the partial knee segment of this global orthopaedic business. I held discussions with surgeon customers, and senior business leaders to identify alignment between unmet clinical needs and business opportunities. I lead a cross-functional development team in successful delivery of novel surgical instruments for partial knee replacement. I also provided clinical expertise for teams developing software for Robotic Surgery, and Digital Health Technology products. I supported a Senior Director in definition of scope for the businesses approach to data science in research and development. I was the Industrial Lead for external research collaborations, leading to deployment of new computational tools for accelerated evaluation of device performance. I supported teams in innovation and problem-solving challenges and individuals in their personal development. I also participated in Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, undertaking training in Unconscious Bias and Mental Health Awareness.
Remote labs during COVID
Challenge: In order to progress development projects during COVID, it was necessary to undertaking simulated use labs for surgeons across the world. Travel restrictions prevented the UK based team from travelling so an alternative approach was required.
Action:
- Lead the team in identifying facilities local to the surgeons with audio-visual facilites, and employees who could attend those facilities without travel.
- Worked with leadership to gain approval for the events (including employee time), and liased with the surgeons to agree their attendance.
- Directed suitable training for the attendees.
- Lead the events remotely through AV connections.
Skills: Leadership, problem solving, networking, communication, influencing
Result: Simulated use labs were sucessfully completed on several occassions, with extremely positive feedback from surgeons and leadership. The impact of travel restrictions on the project was mitigated.
Reflection: These events were made possible due to the collaborative culture of the global organisation. My key contribution was in providing the vision and leadership that the events were possible, and facilitating their sucessful execution by advocating with leadership to meet the needs of the team in doing so.
Meeting Diverse User Needs: Unicompartmental Knee Replacement Instruments
CHALLENGE: Through technical analysis of the current market offering a diverse user specification was developed and used to ensure that a representative Surgeon Design Team (SDT) was engaged to provide input to the development project. During formative usability assessments it became clear that two opposing surgical philosophies were in use, and that developing a solution to meet the needs of both user groups could not be achieved within the initial project scope.
ACTION: By clearly defining these diverse user needs to senior business leadership a change in project scope was agreed, allowing additional resource and effort to be assigned to the project.
RESULT: This enabled a novel design solution to be developed, which was validated as meeting all user needs. This design is expected to provide a competitive advantage, and has patent protection pending.
REFLECTION UCD
External Research Budget Management
Challenge:
Action:
Skills:
Result:
Reflection:
Tech demonstration of Velys RAS(tm) to senior non-technical stakeholders
Challenge: Including Tim Briggs as part of GIRFT
Developing Data-strategy for non-tech RnD teams
Challenge: advocating for role of data in medical device RnD Action: sought and completed training Skills: Result: Reflection:
Technical pressenations to non-technical clinical stakeholders
2013/08/01-2017/04/01: Staff Bioengineer
DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson Company), Leeds, UK
Leadership for development of surgical instruments and joint replacement implants though design, testing and manufacture. Global product launch activities including presentations in UK, Italy, South Africa and Japan. Responsible for strategy and execution of external research collaborations.
Building trust with remote leadership (FOG)
Technical discussions with clinical stakeholders (ATTUNE)
2009/09/01-2013/08/01: Senior Bioengineer
DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson Company), Leeds, UK
Development of surgical instruments and implants for knee replacement. Launch of Sigma(tm) CR150 knee system, including presentations in Thailand and India.
2008/03/31 -2009/09/01: Bioengineer
DePuy Synthes (a Johnson & Johnson Company), Leeds, UK
2006/06/01-2008/03/01: New Product Development Engineer
Biomet UK Ltd, Swindon, UK
Research and development of Knee Replacement Implants and Instruments, including drafting of reports and documentation under the regulatory Quality Management System. Working with cross-functional teams in the UK, USA, Japan and China as well as academic partners.
- Vanguard(tm) instruments
- Vangaurd Porous+HA femur
2000-2001: Student Technician, EBME
Seimens Healthcare Services, Barnet General Hospital, Barnet, UK
12 month placement working for PFI provider in a large NHS hospital. Repair and preventative maintenance of medical equipment in a clinical setting, working under an ISO9001 quality system. As well as gaining experience of the workplace and technical tasks, this was an invaluable exposure to working in a clinical setting within the NHS.
EDUCATION
2002 – September 2006: PhD "Biomechanics of Shaken Baby Syndrome"
University of Nottingham, UK
Application of computational and experimental modelling to investigate mechanisms for infant brain injury. Computational modelling was conducted using MSC Adams and automated using Perl. Experimental data were analysed by developing motion tracking software in C++.
1998-2002: BEng (hons) in Medical Engineering (thick sandwich course)
University of Bradford, UK
Medical application of mechanical engineering. Final-year project on external fracture fixation frames.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- AMIMechE - CEng interview is booked for Novemebr 2023 and I have been advised that I should be able to convert this to FEng without too much difficulty
- ORS - Established Member with a number of pressentations
TRAINING
- Fundamentals of Data Science (non-technical), University of Southampton (May 2022)
- Internal Auditor: ISO13485, BSi (July 2010)
- Human Elements in Project Success I, Praxis Learning Networks (June 2010)
- Project Management Essentials, Praxis Learning Networks (May 2010)
RESEARCH
Grants
- [Health Holland PPP Allowance Grant: Fixation of total knee replacement implants, UMC st Radboud, Nijmegen, NL] (https://www.health-holland.com/project/2021/2021/fixation-total-knee-replacement-implants)