Paul Yock, MD

Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Research in Cardiovascular Intervention at Stanford

Paul Yock, MD is the Martha Meier Weiland Professor of Medicine and Mechanical Engineering (by courtesy) and Co-Chair of Stanford’s new Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Yock began his faculty career as an interventional cardiologist at UC San Francisco and then moved to Stanford in 1994.

Dr. Yock is known for his work in inventing, developing and testing new devices, including the Rapid Exchange ™ balloon angioplasty system, which is now the primary system in use worldwide. He also invented a Doppler-guided access system known as the Smart Needle™ and PD-Access™. The main focus of Dr. Yock’s research program has been in the field of intravascular ultrasound. He authored the fundamental patents for intravascular ultrasound imaging and conducted the initial clinical trials. In 1986 he founded Cardiovascular Imaging Systems, which was acquired by Boston Scientific in 1994. Dr. Yock has authored over 40 US patents, 300 peer-reviewed publications, chapters and editorials, and a textbook.

Current research interests of Dr. Yock’s group include development and testing of catheter-based delivery systems for cardiac cell transplantation and new catheter and molecular imaging techniques for cardiology.

Dr. Yock also directs the Program in Biodesign, a unit of Stanford’s new Bio-X initiative that focuses on invention and technology transfer related to biomedical engineering.