Upcoming Events

Title: The Evolution of the Digital Twin at Medtronic

 Abstract: As we enter a new era of medicine defined by personalized medicine and automation, interest in Healthcare Digital Twins is growing.  While definitions vary, we focus on clinic-facing, simulation-based tools that help physicians optimize patient outcomes, particularly for Medtronic medical devices. Using simulation in the clinic creates a series of new challenges; chief among them is delivering good-enough accuracy in near real time using hardware available on-premises. These constraints mean that traditional physics-based simulation methods are unlikely to succeed, even when accelerated on GPUs. This is forcing developers to explore new solver methods and to make trade-offs between speed, accuracy, and physics fidelity. Alongside these technical challenges are questions about the business case, including a rapidly changing reimbursement landscape. In this talk, we will discuss these strategic issues and look at early experiences with AI methods like Physics-Informed Neural Networks and Graph Neural Networks as possible solutions.

 Bio: 

Jeff Bodner is a Distinguished Scientist and Technical Fellow at Medtronic in Minneapolis,  working within the Digital Twin team in the Medtronic AI Center of Excellence. Jeff is recognized for his expertise in using computational modeling for medical device design, including novel applications like in silico clinical trials. During his 27 years in the medical device industry, he has contributed to the development of numerous products, including neurostimulation devices, implantable drug delivery pumps, and cardiac rhythm management devices. He is considered an expert on the credibility of simulations and their use as regulatory evidence. Prior to Medtronic, he held positions at Boston Scientific, Guidant, and BAE Systems. Jeff is an inventor on 37 US patents. Jeff has a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. 

Cahal McVeigh is a Research Director and Technical Fellow within Medtronic's AI Center of Excellence in Minneapolis. He has two decades of experience using applied computational mechanics to design and optimize medical device performance, durability, and manufacturability.  In previous roles at Medtronic, he led the overall modeling & simulation strategy across Heart Valve Therapies, led development of Clinical Decision Support software used to plan procedures for congenital heart patients, and directed product development teams working on next-generation transcatheter implantable devices. He currently leads a Digital Twin group, using AI to personalize and scale detailed physics modeling of devices and patient anatomy into practical clinical applications. Prior to joining Medtronic, Cahal worked as a technical consultant at Exponent, partnering with consumer electronics, medical device, and energy companies. He holds a PhD in Computational Mechanics and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

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Friday, November 6, 2026
University of Minnesota

EVENT AGENDA

9:00–9:10 AM | University Leadership’s Welcome
Location: ME 1130
Opening remarks and welcome 

9:10–9:20 AM | Director’s Welcome
Location: ME 1130
Opening remarks and welcome from Director Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos, including an overview of the day’s activities.

9:20–10:20 AM | Faculty Lightning Talks — Session I
Location: ME 1130
Faculty researchers share brief presentations highlighting their work, research interests, and current initiatives.

10:20–10:30 AM | Break + Light Refreshments 

10:30–11:30 AM | Faculty Lightning Talks — Session II
Location: ME 1130
A second series of faculty lightning talks showcasing research and innovation across participating departments.

11:30 AM–1:00 PM | Research & Robotics Demonstrations
Location: Shepherd Laboratories & Surrounding Area

Participants

1. Self-divide into 7 groups, starting at different demo stations.
2. Watch the demo at your station.
3. During the 1-minute transition, move to another station of your choice.
4. Repeat until 1:00 PM. You may choose which demos to attend.

1:00–2:00 PM | Lunch

General Attendees: Independent lunch

2:00–3:10 PM | Student Poster Session
Location: Shepherd Lab 164 + Hallways
Explore student research through poster presentations and engage directly with student researchers.

To submit posters by the Oct. 16 deadline, click here. 

3:15–4:15 PM | Funding Opportunities Roundtable
Location: ME 1130
Discussion focused on research funding opportunities and related resources.

4:15–4:30 PM | Break with Light Refreshments 

4:30–5:30 PM | Industry Roundtable 
Location: ME 1130
Additional industry discussion featuring invited representatives from organizations including Honeywell and Mayo Clinic.

5:30–5:35 PM | Transition to Reception

5:35–6:45 PM | Closing Remarks & Reception
Location: Drone Lab — Shepherd Lab 164
Conclude the MnRI Showcase with closing remarks, networking, refreshments, and light appetizers.

EVENT LOCATIONS

Mechanical Engineering (ME) 1130
111 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Shepherd Laboratories
University of Minnesota

Thank you for joining us for the 2026 MnRI Showcase!

General Attendees, Please Register at the link below: 

RSVP HERE

Title: Simulation First: Building AI and Robotic Systems That Work in the Real World

Abstract: Autonomous medical robots that rely on AI face a fundamental bottleneck: the data needed to train them, the environments needed to test them, and the evidence needed to validate them are scarce, expensive, or unsafe to obtain on real patients. This talk argues that physics-based simulation should be the first tool in the development pipeline, not the last. While realistic graphics matter, accurate physics modeling yields data that imagery alone cannot, including instrument reaction forces, tissue deformation and response, and precise characterization of surgeon error. Drawing on two decades of surgical robot simulation, this talk examines how simulation and digital-twin testbeds can train AI policies, evaluate robotic systems, and support regulatory review, and where sim-to-real transfer still falls short.

Short Bio: Jeff Berkley, PhD, is the Founder and CEO of Lightside Surgical, a Seattle-area medical robotics company developing autonomous trauma hemorrhage control through robotics, telepresence, and physics-based simulation. He earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington's HIT Lab, where his work on real-time finite element modeling for surgical simulation was among the earliest in the field. In 2001, he founded Mimic Technologies, which built the dV-Trainer and became the leading simulation platform for robotic surgery training worldwide before Surgical Science acquired it in 2021, where he served as Chief Innovation Officer. He previously served eight years as a US Navy Medical Corpsman.

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