Lauren Aquino Shluzas is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, and is pursuing a PhD Minor in Management Science & Engineering. Lauren’s research examines the role of user interaction in the product development process.  Through studying eight entrepreneurial firms in the medical device field, the research documents ways in which user-developer collaboration influences company and product outcomes. Over the past four years, Lauren has taught engineering graduate students in the Technology Venture Formation course (MS&E 273), and the undergraduate Capstone Design Course (ME113).

Upon returning to graduate school in 2006, Lauren participated in a one-year interdisciplinary research effort within the Stanford Biodesign Program to create a model of the medical device development process, from concept to commercialization. The results of this study, sponsored by the Institute for Health Technology Studies, have been published in the ASME Journal of Medical Devices.

Prior to pursuing a PhD, Lauren worked as a Senior Engineer for a Boston-based medical device start-up developing treatments for vascular occlusive disease. Prior to that, she was a Product Development Engineer for the MIS Surgery Group at Johnson & Johnson's Depuy Spine. Until 1999, Lauren worked as an Engineering Analyst for Boeing’s Flight Crew Systems Division on a project involving the International Space Station.