In this episode of Dare to Disrupt, host Ryan Newman speaks with Robert Chisena, co-founder and CTO of Amplitude Vascular Systems (AVS). AVS is a medical device company focused on safely and effectively treating severely calcified arterial disease. Robert shares his journey from growing up on Long Island in a family of physicians, to discovering his passion for research and entrepreneurship at Penn State, to co-founding an innovative medical device startup.

Robert reflects on formative experiences at Penn State, including joining the Schreyer Honors College, diving into biomedical engineering research, and participating in Invent Penn State’s first cohort of the Summer Founders Program. He then traces how his graduate work at the University of Michigan—collaborating closely with physicians—led to the development of AVS’s intravascular lithotripsy technology, a novel approach to restoring blood flow in hardened arteries.

Along the way, Robert discusses the challenges of taking research from lab to market, securing venture capital, and convincing physicians of a new device’s safety and efficacy.

Later in the episode, Penn State Ph.D. Candidate Marzia Momin joins the conversation. Marzia is working on a neuro-tech startup developing personalized, 3D-printed neural implants for neurological disorders, with applications in therapy and brain-computer interfaces. Marzia recently participated in both the Invent Penn State NSF I-Corps regional short course program and the NSF I-Corps National Teams program. She asks Robert about how to build the best startup team, raising funding as a research-based startup, and what advice he'd give to his younger self.

This episode gives an inside look at the intersection of engineering, medicine, and entrepreneurship — and how Penn State alumni are driving innovation in healthcare.

Episode Chapters

1:30 No avoiding a medical-based career

3:25 Choosing and navigating Penn State

05:42 Exploring research as an undergrad at Penn State

8:24 Launching first medical device startup at Penn State, Summer Founders Program

11:54 Moving forward with startup through graduate school at Michigan

14:43 Meeting co-founder, learning about the tech behind AVS

16:07 The potential to create tremendous impact in cardiovascular disease treatment

19:43 Translating and commercializing research out of a university

20:49 Where AVS is today, looking to the future

22:45 Rapid Fire Round

24:27 Student Section

25:13 Building the right startup team

27:15 Filling in the blanks of business acumen

28:04 Advice for securing early funding

29:57 Navigating FDA regulations

31:02 Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

About Robert Chisena

Robert Chisena is the co-founder and CTO of AVS. He graduated from the Penn State College of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with honors from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College. Robert went on to receive his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan.

About Marzia Momin

Marzia Momin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Penn State, specializing in neural engineering. She is working on a neuro-tech startup developing personalized, 3D-printed neural implants for neurological disorders, with applications in therapy and brain-computer interfaces. Marzia recently participated in both the Invent Penn State NSF I-Corps regional short course program and the NSF I-Corps National Teams program

The Dare to Disrupt podcast is made possible by the generous support of the Penn State Smeal College of Business.