PracticePoint

Accelerating MedTech Innovation & Empowering MedSkill Training

Medical device R&D Hub integrated with Training Facilities to empower the next generation of healthcare clinicians and engineers.

PracticePoint at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a premier in-vivo & ex-vivo life science training and R&D facility, providing companies with cutting-edge resources for real-world training, designing, prototyping, and testing various health technologies and surgical innovations. Beyond the state-of-the-art clinical spaces, our team’s diverse expertise helps bridge gaps by offering support in image/equipment operations, study design/conduct, IACUC writing, technical guidance, and access to subject matter experts.

Designed for affordability and accessibility, PracticePoint enables rapid testing and training, minimizing costs and timelines. With capabilities for cadaver, swine, and other wet labs, it is an ideal hub for advancing medical innovation and hands-on learning.

The facility features advanced equipment such as a SIGNA Premier 3T MRI, a fully functional operating room, an ICU, a physician office, an apartment, and state-of-the-art motion capture technologies. Its advanced manufacturing capabilities, including 3D printing, CNC machining, and electronics assembly, support seamless transitions from concept to production, benefiting both researchers and industry partners.

Prototype & Validation Testing - support external researchers, healthcare professionals and academics

Conduct cadaver, swine, human-subject, and phantom model labs
Enable design, prototyping, evaluation, and training of medical devices

Training - support hands-on training for clinical staff sales teams, and R&D associates

Medical Technology Training & Demos.
Resident & Medical Student Labs
Professional Society Events

Facility Logistics

45 min. from Boston
Dedicated free parking
Adjacent to hotels

Study Director, Imaging Assistance, & Subject Guidance Available

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Surgical Innovation Collaborative Program

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Work with WPI’s PracticePoint (a medical R&D hub) and UMass Chan’s Department of Surgery to define and carry out MQP projects to address challenges in the OR!

Students will have a unique opportunity to:

Participate in guaranteed shadowing hours with attending surgeons at UMass Chan Medical School / UMass Memorial Medical Center, getting firsthand surgical research experience in the operating room
Collaborate with WPI and UMass faculty members to develop project proposals for innovative surgical solutions
Contribute to advancements in surgery and improve patient outcomes!

Join us for our two initial information sessions, in which surgeons from UMass will present on their areas of expertise and answer questions from students.

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January 21 and 28, 2026, 4-6PM

Location: BETC classroom, 2^nd Floor, Gateway II (50 Prescott Street)

RSVP requested but not required: https://wpi.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0B7lH1HICdN7uL4

Specialties to be presented on January 21:

Minimally Invasive Abdominal and Bariatric Surgery - Dr. Nicole Cherng, Dr. John Kelly, and Dr. Demetrius Litwin
Surgical Oncology - Dr. James Lindberg
Pediatric Surgery - Dr. Jeremy Aidlen
Colorectal Surgery - Dr. Justin Maykel, and Dr. Thomas Peponis
Neurosurgery - Dr. Arno Sungarian

Specialties to be presented on January 28:

Vascular Surgery
Transplant Surgery
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Thoracic Surgery
Trauma Surgery and Critical Care
Cardiac Surgery

Advanced Hands-On Course in Surgical Tumor Ablation

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April 2nd and 30th, 2026

Surgical ablation is continuously evolving, with the emergence of new technologies that enable more effective and efficient tumor destruction. Currently, surgeons face many options to choose from, with each technology and device utilizing different ablation algorithms and requiring different principles for needle placement.

This 1-day course is an opportunity to update your skills in these technologies, and includes a strong emphasis on procedural details and an animal lab in which to master these techniques. At the end of the course, participants are expected to have learned these procedures and be able to introduce them to their practice.

Target Audience

General surgeons, surgical oncologists, HPB surgeons, liver transplant surgeons, fellows in training.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, the participants will be able to:

Understand the differences between different ablation technologies
Acquire the basic skills to perform radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, IRE and histotripsy
Acquire an understanding of the detailed surgical steps of laparoscopic and open hepatic and pancreatic tumor ablations

Course Director

Eren Berber, MD

Professor of Surgery

Director, Surgical Liver Tumor Ablation, Cleveland Clinic

For more information, please email Leo Chen, Director of PracticePoint, at lchen9@wpi.edu

The facility allows businesses to enhance their device development capabilities while tapping into the energy and expertise of WPI students. And that’s really what PracticePoint is all about.

Greg Fischer
CEO, AIM Medical Robotics

PracticePoint

From WPI's University Magazine

A Robotic Assist for Better Health

In the Medical FUSION Lab, engineers are combining medical imaging and robotics to make healthcare better, safer, and more cost-effective.