Our Mission
At the Stanford Collaborative Hub for Innovation and Training in Endoscopy (CHOICE) we strive to advance patient-centered endoscopic care by accelerating development and evaluation of novel devices, tools, and techniques using biodesign principles of need-driven innovation, multidisciplinary collaboration, and rigorous validation. We also aim to innovate methods for training in endoscopic surgery and third-space endoscopy. We bring together endoscopists, engineers, scientists, and industry partners to identify unmet clinical needs, develop safe and effective solutions, and train the next generation of endoscopists and innovators to improve outcomes, accessibility, and value in endoscopic surgical care.
Our Vision
Stanford CHOICE will be a global leader and trusted hub where transformative endoscopic technologies and procedural expertise are conceived, validated, and disseminated, setting the standard for innovation and education that makes endoscopic surgical procedures safer, more effective, and widely accessible, and that continually elevates patient care worldwide.
Under the co-directorship of Professors Naohisa Yahagi MD PhD and Dr. Shai Friedland MD, CHOICE serves as a trusted global hub where procedural expertise is conceived, validated, and disseminated — elevating patient care worldwide.
Our Approach
CHOICE’s work is anchored in four guiding principles:
Need-Driven
Innovation
Every project begins with an unmet clinical need identified by practicing endoscopists, ensuring that our innovations address real problems in patient care.
Multidisciplinary
Collaboration
We unite expertise across medicine, engineering, data science, and design thinking to develop solutions that no single discipline could achieve alone.
Rigorous Validation
We subject every device, tool, and technique to thorough evaluation — from bench testing through clinical trials — to ensure safety, efficacy, and reproducibility.
Accessibility
We are committed to disseminating innovations and training worldwide, ensuring that advances in endoscopic care reach patients.
Our Co-Directors
Naohisa Yahagi, MD, PhD
Co-Director, Stanford Collaborative Hub for Innovation and Training in Endoscopy
Naohisa Yahagi, MD, PhD is Professor of Medicine and of Surgery at Stanford University. Prior to coming to Stanford, he was the Director of the Division of Research and Development for Minimally Invasive Treatment at the Cancer Center, Keio University School of Medicine. A global pioneer in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), Dr. Yahagi invented several widely adopted ESD devices, including the Flex knife and DualKnife series, and developed novel techniques such as the water pressure method and string clip suturing method. As Co-Director of CHOICE, he brings decades of innovation in minimally invasive endoscopic techniques.
Shai Friedland, MD
Co-Director, Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
Shai Friedland, MD, is Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. He has a research interest in medical imaging and endoscopic device development, with a focus in detection and treatment of early gastrointestinal cancers. He has worked with numerous early stage and established companies to help develop and test novel medical devices and technologies. As Co-Director of CHOICE, he brings experience in industry collaborations, research and development.