Magic Wand® Initiative (MWI)

The MWI is an academic initiative designed by clinicians for clinicians to solve medical problems through innovation. Our goal is to empower and educate clinicians to become leaders in biomedical innovation around the world.

What is the Magic Wand Initiative (MWI)?

Founded in 2013 by Lilit Garibyan, MD, PhD, and R. Rox Anderson, MD, the MWI is an engaging, educational program that empowers physicians within any discipline to identify and solve unmet patient needs and teaches them the process of innovation. It’s designed by clinicians for clinicians.

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Does the MWI work?

The MWI is an innovative approach that educates and equips clinicians to identify and solve problems and engages them as leaders in their health care ecosystem. The MWI program at Mass General has achieved concrete, measurable success with the creation of new technology to improve patient care.

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What is next for the MWI?

With proven success in the U.S., the MWI is expanding globally to include clinicians throughout Europe. Enabling clinicians around the world to collaborate virtually with one another will increase the potential to identify and solve patient needs, thus greatly improving worldwide patient care.

The MWI is needed now more than ever.

COVID-19 has shocked the world and shaken the health care system. Despite the uncertainty, physicians have shown what impressive feats can be achieved when they are taught and empowered to innovate. One of our VMW participants, Aditi Sharma, MD, developed reusable PPE during the pandemic.

Read article on Dr. Sharma's innovation

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The MWI cultivates patient-centered innovation where clinicians identify problems worth solving in health care, practice divergent and convergent brainstorming, collaborate with stakeholders, prototype and possibly commercialize solutions.

Lilit Garibyan, MD, PhD
Co-Founder and Program Director, The Magic Wand Initiative at Mass General

Our Programs

The MWI offers a variety of engaging, on-site workshops to flexible, virtual curricula designed to foster innovation among clinicians both in the U.S. and in Europe.

Magic Wand Expansion

This program focuses on creating blueprints for the expansion of the MWI outside of the Mass General/Harvard system and into other institutions and organizations.

Virtual Magic Wand (VMW)

This instructive and interactive virtual course, open to all clinicians in the U.S. and Europe, engages each participant in the process of identifying unmet patient needs.

Our Team

Meet the team

Kachiu Lee, MD

U.S. Program Co-Chair
Assistant Professor at Temple University

Yakir Levin, MD, PhD

US Program Co-Chair
Instructor at Harvard Medical School

Lilit Garibyan, MD, PhD

Co-Founder & Program Director
Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School

R. Rox Anderson, MD

Co-Founder & Program Consultant
Professor at Harvard Medical School

Morgan Murphrey, MD, MS

Co-Chair, US Virtual Magic Wand
Instructor in Dermatology, Part Time Harvard Medical School

Min Yao, MD, PhD

Asian Virtual Magic Wand Ambassador
Professor in Plastic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine
Instructor in Dermatology, Part Time Harvard Medical School

Ying Wang, MD, PhD

Asian Virtual Magic Wand Ambassador
Asian Virtual Magic Wand Consultant
Research Scientist, Harvard Medical School
Instructor in Dermatology, Part Time Harvard Medical School

Rebecca Urbonas

Administrative Coordinator, Virtual Magic Wand
Florida Atlantic University College of Medicine

Current Supporters

Sally Gottesman

Past Supporters

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