$5 Million Gift Advances the Future of Surgery and Medical Innovation at UC San Diego

“Our visit to the Center for the Future of Surgery opened our eyes to many technological advances in surgery that were new to us,” said Joseph Goodman, a highly regarded optical physicist. “We hope our gift will help keep that center at the forefront of the intersection of technology and medicine.”

Established in 2011 in the Department of Surgery, the Center for the Future of Surgery is one of the largest and most technologically advanced surgical training facilities in the United States and is open to all disciplines. It spans over 22,000 square feet and houses more than $30 million in advanced surgical tools and simulation technologies.

"The future of medicine will be shaped at the intersection of technology, education and clinical care," said Ryan Broderick, MD, associate professor of surgery and interim director of the Center for the Future of Surgery. "This investment in the Center for the Future of Surgery will impact far beyond the walls of UC San Diego and we are grateful for the Goodman's support.” 

The Center for the Future of Surgery has trained more than 40,000 learners from around the world, including residents, fellows and practicing surgeons from multiple specialties. It offers more than 20 operating stations, multiple robotic operating platforms, a state-of-the-art advanced imaging hybrid operating room, and a 15-station microsurgical procedure and dissection suite. Here, surgeons and proceduralists have pioneered advanced techniques including scarless surgery, minimally invasive heart surgery and the world’s first fully customized anterior cervical spine surgery using AI and 3D-printed implants. 

“This extraordinary gift advances UC San Diego’s leadership in integrating emerging technologies into surgical care and will facilitate many of the next breakthroughs that are desperately needed,” said Bryan Clary, MD, MBA, professor and chair of the Department of Surgery.

The School of Medicine gift also established the JW and HM Goodman Family Endowed Catalyst Fund for Emerging Technologies in Health and Medicine. The fund will support research and related programming at the intersection of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, with a focus on the Center for the Future of Surgery and the Simulation Training Center and the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation at UC San Diego Health. In addition, the School of Medicine JW and HM Goodman Family Endowed Fund for Training in Emerging Technologies will provide funding for education and hands-on training for students, trainees and fellows related to emerging technologies.

“I am inspired by the generosity of Joe and Honmai,” said Barbara Jung, associate vice chancellor and dean for the UC San Diego School of Medicine. “When they visited our institution, they immediately engaged and were excited by the team’s vision. This sentinel investment and their ongoing intellectual contribution strengthens our ability to lead in developing new technologies, training the next generation of surgical and procedural leaders and providing the most advanced care for our patients.”

Joseph Goodman was a cofounder of Optivision, Inc., Roberts & Co. Publishers, and NanoPrecision Products, Inc., and was founding Chairman of the Board of ONI Systems. He received an A.B. degree from Harvard University, and an MS degree and doctorate from Stanford University. He joined the faculty of Stanford University’s Department of Electrical Engineering in 1967, chaired the department from 1989 to 1996, and served as senior associate dean of engineering from 1996 to 1999. He retired from Stanford in January of 2001. Goodman is the author of books including Introduction to Fourier Optics (now in its 4th edition), Statistical Optics (2nd edition), and Speckle Phenomena in Optics (2nd edition). He has received numerous awards from the I.E.E.E., A.S.E.E., O.S.A., and S.P.I.E., including the highest awards given by the latter two societies. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Honmai Goodman earned her B.A. from Clarke University, before entering a dietetic internship program at Stanford University Hospital. Upon completion of her internship, she worked as a dietitian at Stanford University Hospital until her marriage. From 1978 to 1983, she served as assistant to the editor of the Journal of the Optical Society of the America.

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