Taking a shot at shaping the future of medicine

When Tara Menon was in high school, she was interested in a career in journalism and looking for ways to break in with national publications.

She developed a freelance story pitch that she thought would be a good fit for The Huffington Post, and boldly reached out directly to founder Arianna Huffington. 

“I may have been a little naïve and didn’t really think about the chain of command, but she actually replied and connected me with an editor, for which I’m very grateful,” Menon said. “It inspired me to keep going because in journalism you get a lot of rejections. I think that initial spark really continues to motivate me, and I’m not discouraged by rejection anymore.”

Menon found success writing for The Huffington Post and Teen Vogue but was ultimately drawn to the human connection in medicine, where she saw an opportunity to combine innovation with the ability to continue writing and reflecting. Now, a first-year medical student at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Menon aims to combine her entrepreneurial mindset with improving health outcomes. 

“I want to be a doctor first and foremost, but I also want to be at the forefront of innovation,” she said. “I want to be involved in creating new devices and or at least promoting new devices that patients and physicians can use to achieve better care. I think that kind of impact reaches further than just one-on-one treatment.”

This fall, Menon took a brief break from her medical studies when she was selected to participate in the Cleveland NeuroDesign Entrepreneurs Workshop at Case Western Reserve University. Her four-person team was one of eight at the workshop, which included graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, industry professionals, and engineers. The group was tasked with developing a solution to a clinical need, creating a business strategy and model, and pitching the solution to a panel of judges.

Menon’s team was mentored by Erika Ross Ellison, vice president of clinical, regulatory and quality at ONWARD Medical devices and therapies as well as president-elect of the IEEEE Engineering Medicine and Biology Society. 

“My favorite moment with Tara was on the second evening of the workshop. I returned from a faculty event and came to check on the team late at night. She had taken on ownership of building the first round of the presentation slides for the team,” Ellison said. “I was impressed by Tara’s work ethic, by her thoughtful questions, and her curiosity that evening and saw this reflected throughout the workshop. Her background really complemented her other team members, and they were a clear cohesive unit. It was really cool to see this happen in such a short period of time.”

Menon’s team devised a method for using minimally invasive ultrasound to treat deep-seated brain aneurysms that typically require difficult, invasive surgeries. The judges awarded her team first place and a $2,000 prize.

“The team presented extremely well. They were thoughtful and knowledgeable about different aspects of their idea and were realistic when the judges, mostly seasoned venture capitalists, asked tough questions. They really knew their stuff and it showed in their confidence and calmness,” Ellison said.

Whether Menon’s product, named Vasculyne, eventually makes it to market or not, she believes the competition will have a lasting impact on her career. She gained valuable insights into business development and connected with a variety of leaders in neurodesign. 

“I’m an introvert, but when I have an opportunity like this, I network like crazy. I’ve always been someone who shoots my shot, because what’s the worst that could happen?” she said.

Menon attended the University of Central Florida as an undergraduate, where she studied neuroscience and biotechnology. She chose to apply to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine because of its strong research focus and her interest in neuroscience.

“I have really enjoyed my time here, and the research emphasis was a major reason why I chose VTCSOM,” she said. “I feel like the smaller class size allows you to learn the core medical curriculum while also creating your own path through research to be the kind of doctor you want to be.”

Unlike most medical schools, Virginia Tech Carilion incorporates a mandatory rigorous, multiyear research project in its curriculum as one of its key value domains. Menon plans to pursue a project related to low-intensity focused ultrasound like the research conducted at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. She also is developing another biodesign project in collaboration with Virginia Tech undergraduate engineering students and medical school faculty. 

“Tara has an extremely bright future,” Ellison said. “She has a curious mind, is an excellent team player, and is a very pragmatic problem-solver. This will serve her well as a doctor and/or entrepreneur!”

Ultimately, Menon hopes to positively impact patients’ lives through medical advancements.

“Through many experiences, I’ve learned how important resilience is to innovation,” she said. “Whether or not what you invent works, you can take what you’ve learned from the experience and come out a better person.”