Gabriel M. Santibanez, Ph.D.
PRODUCT MANAGER
SCIENTIST
STRATEGIST
Hi there! My name is Gabriel and I'm a Product Design Scientist based in Boston, MA.
For me, the road from the laboratory to my current work in health+tech has been an adventure in self-discovery. In 2012 while I was working on my Ph.D. in type 2 diabetes research, I developed a deep curiosity in the gaps between science and human behavior, and why there were so many barriers and costly inefficiencies in our healthcare system. Being attracted to complex problems, I developed a keen awareness for the immediate need to bring healthcare delivery and consumerism to our modern age of technology and experience design. To bridge my scientific training with the current political and business climate, I decided to enroll in grad-level coursework on healthcare business strategies, healthcare informatics, policy, and even gain unique training in behavioral psychology. After completing my Ph.D., and after many healthcare innovation hackathons, I had found my purpose - and so I made the choice to join the movement to modernize healthcare and create a real and immediate impact on the lives of healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers alike.
That road brought me to Partners Connected Health Innovations, as part of the Partners HealthCare system in Boston, MA. Together with design, development, and clinical research teams, I led the design, build, and validation of meaningful, delightful, user-centered digital products that help eliminate barriers of disease management (see extended resume below). There, I gained deep, valuable exposure to real-life challenges in business development, FDA and policy compliance, and implementation of new technologies in healthcare systems.
Developing high quality products requires a strong sense of empathy, strategy, and ability to wear all the hats. To that end, I've consulted global Fortune 500 medical device and pharmaceutical organizations on digital innovation strategy. I've interviewed 30+ patients and 80+ healthcare providers (300hrs+) and led focus groups to understand pain points, unmet needs, performed medical device-usability studies, and and mapped out new product-workflow fit.. I've taught innovation design frameworks to healthcare providers.
I've led designers and engineers in the build an innovative multi-medical device, multi-user, cross-platform, type-2 diabetes management tool that is currently undergoing clinical evaluation for impact on health outcomes. Now at IBM Watson Health, and with a keen eye for user experience design and product strategy, I'm helping empower healthcare providers with assistance in disease detection, diagnosis, and management by harnessing emerging technologies like artificial intelligence for medical imaging via regulated medical devices.
When I'm not at the whiteboard connecting dots, you'll find me in the laboratory (my kitchen) conducting "experiments" with food, probably jamming out to a Dvorak string quartet.
SKILLS
Product Management
User Research
Market Research
Requirements gathering
User stories
Product Design
UX Design
Agile software development
QA
METHODS
ALIGN
Design Thinking
User Interviews and focus groups
Journey Maps
Personas
Motivation Matrices
Service Design Blueprints
DEFINE
Validating needs
Prioritizing needs
Jobs to be Done
Innovation frameworks
Creating requirements
Business models and strategy
DESIGN
Sketches and Wireframes
Prototyping
Balsamiq App
Sketch App
Adobe UXd
REFINE
Use Metrics
A/B Testing
Usability testing
EXPERIENCE
SR. USER RESEARCHER
IBM Watson Health, Medical Imaging. Cambridge, MA. 2017-Current
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lead user research and product definition workshops with medical imaging professionals to inform product discovery, evaluate value proposition hypotheses, and develop business models
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defined OKRs and KPI product metrics to drive feature prioritization and product positioning focus
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drove product definition of a multi-medical device imaging analytics platform
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strategized and executed usability studies required for FDA regulatory oversight
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coached UX and visual designers in UX research methods, in understanding, Radiology clinical guidelines, how to perform market research, interview techniques, and more
RESEARCH FELLOW, PRODUCT MANAGER
Partners Connected Health Innovations (Partners Healthcare). Boston, MA. 2015-2017
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led design of a T2 diabetes remote monitoring platform currently undergoing clinical evaluation with 65 patients. Includes patient app with integrated IoT prototype, wearable, and glucometer and EMR-integrated healthcare provider-facing portal
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created, implemented, and supervised market and user research strategy to collect needs and requirements, leading 40+ interviews and evaluation of medical and IoT devices
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created business and market insight reports and presentations for Fortune 500 clients for consulting engagements
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served as Technical Product Owner, created user stories, groomed backlog, set sprint priorities, managed QA testing (JIRA)
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launched a fellowship program of healthcare providers to coach them on design thinking and product design strategies to help them develop their own digital health solutions
Certifications:
- Product Management Bootcamp, General Assembly 2016
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Scrum, Inc.
CO-FOUNDER, PRODUCT DESIGN
MIT Hacking Medicine Startup, Hey Charlie. Cambridge, MA. 2016
Winner of the Award: Best Mental Health Hack ($20K in seed funding to date)
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led design thinking and user research for digital tool to help those struggling with opioid dependency meet social needs and transition social environments
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team selected for the first cohort for digital health accelerator PULSE@MassChallenge
DOCTORAL RESEARCH
University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor. MI. 2010-2015
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strategized experimental design, defined priorities, created detailed project scope for cross-department research efforts
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research culminated in 14+ publications in academic research journals, chapters of books, and career development articles
CO-FOUNDER, USER RESEARCH LEAD
PreLeaf for diabetes prevention. University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI. 2014-2015
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designed a diabetes prevention mHealth tool and business model after 20+ patients and provider interviews
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implemented user-centered design principles, incorporated behavior change psychology for personalized nutrition coaching
USER RESEARCH LEAD
OnTrack IVF, University of Michigan Center for Reproductive Medicine. 2014-2015
Hacking Health Detroit-Windsor. Best Clinical Solution, Best Caregiver-Patient Solution 2015
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performed user interviews, unearthed latent user needs for assessing medication management and medication adherence for highly complex in vitro fertilization medication regimen
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created branding materials, sketched early-stage concept wireframes
STRENGTHS
highly independent, fast-learner, risk-taker, creative, champion of user needs, project management, scrum/agile certification, creative problem-solving, building trusting partnerships, multi-tasking, research strategy, design thinking, resourcefulness, mentorship, openness, integrity
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICAL SCHOOL, Ann Arbor, MI.
Ph.D. Cellular and Molecular Biology. Thesis: Insights into adipose tissue extracellular matrix remodeling: Obesity and Weight loss 2010-2015
SELECT COURSEWORK:
U of M Medical School - Understanding Healthcare Policy 2015
U of M Health Services - Motivational Interviewing techniques 2015
U of M Ross School of Business - Comprehensive Healthcare Strategies 2014
U of M School of Information - Health Informatics 2014
Harvard Business School EdX - Innovating Healthcare 2013
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA, Santa Barbara, CA.
B.S. Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology.
Minor: History of Art, Classical and Hellenistic Art and Architecture. 2004-2008
UNIVERSITY OF YORK, United Kingdom.
Full-year immersion study abroad 2006-2007
Department of Biochemistry
AWARDS
Partners in Excellence Award. Connected Health Innovation Challenge 2016
MIT Hacking Medicine. Best Mental Health Hack, Hey Charlie, now at MassChallenge 2016
Hacking Health Detroit-Windsor. Best Clinical Solution, Best Caregiver-Patient Solution 2015
U of M School of Public Health Innovation Competition. Finalist. 2015
INTERNSHIPS
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO, San Diego, CA .
Department of Bioengineering, Varghese Lab. Summer 2008
Researched mesenchymal stem cell scaffolding materials for bone tissue engineering
TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN. Dublin, Ireland.
Center for Research on Adaptive Nanosciences and Nanodevices, Summer 2007
Explored effects of electromagnetic forces on stem cells for bone tissue engineering
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA. Santa Barbara, CA.
Dept of Chemical Engineering, Summer 2005
Examined effects of various detergents and surfactants for optimizing drug delivery
INTERESTS
Interests: triathlon training, kayaking, classical music, behavioral psychology and behavioral economics, breadmaking, international food and travel, emerging technologies (AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain)