Jaydev P. Desai, professor, Cardiovascular Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Chair, and associate chair of undergraduate studies in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, has been named to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Class of 2026 Senior Members.
The honor recognizes academic inventors whose contributions in patents, licensing, and commercialization have made—or are poised to make—significant societal impact, aligning with NAI’s mission to celebrate and support innovation within research institutions.
Desai’s selection reflects his record of advancing medical robotics and translational biomedical innovation.
"I am truly honored to have received this recognition,” Desai said. “This recognition reflects several innovations over the years of my research group and collaborators in the areas of robotically steerable guidewires for endovascular interventions, robotically steerable endoscopic tools for minimally invasive surgery, MEMS sensors for cancer diagnosis, robotic grasping, image-guided interventions, rehabilitation and assistive robotics for people with motor impairments, etc."
He is the founding Editor‑in‑Chief of the Journal of Medical Robotics Research and the Editor‑in‑Chief of the Encyclopedia of Medical Robotics. He has delivered invited talks at the National Academy of Sciences “Distinctive Voices” seminar series and participated in the National Academy of Engineering’s U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.
Desai’s scholarly impact includes more than 225 peer‑reviewed publications, pioneering graduate and undergraduate mentorship, and significant contributions to the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines at Georgia Tech.
