Biomechatronics Pioneer on Meeting the Needs of Women Patients

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Bloomberg Businessweek – Biomechatronics Pioneer on Meeting the Needs of Women Patients

Date: November 21, 2025
Hosts: Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec
Guest: Dr. Hugh Herr, Professor at the MIT Media Lab; Co-Director of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics

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Overview

This episode focuses on the intersection of cutting-edge biomechatronics and women's health, featuring biomechatronics pioneer Dr. Hugh Herr. The conversation centers on the evolution of prosthetics, bias in device development toward male patients, and the future of bionics for all users—particularly women and those facing unique challenges such as diabetes-related limb loss.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dr. Hugh Herr’s Inspiring Background

• At 17, Dr. Herr lost both legs to frostbite after a mountain climbing accident, a pivotal experience fueling his lifelong work and passion to improve prosthetic technology (01:07).
• Quote:
  “Today I use very high tech powered prostheses to, to stand, walk and run. So from that experience I really realized how limited current prosthetic technology was and I really dedicated my life as a young man to really advance the field...” – Dr. Hugh Herr (01:20)

2. Evolution of Prosthetic Devices

• Early prosthetics were rudimentary: “made of wood and… foam and metal… no computational intelligence, no sensories, information, no actuation.”
• Modern prosthetics are now “computer controlled… connected to the human nervous system… can convey human agency and ownership” (02:06).
• Quote:
  “I said to myself at the time, really, this is it. This is what society can provide? ...Today there exist computer controlled prostheses that adapt and are even connected to the human nervous system that can convey human agency and ownership and really restore physicality...” – Dr. Hugh Herr (02:19)

3. The Future of Bionics and Biomechatronics

• MIT’s focus is on merging biology with mechatronic engineering to create bionics that restore mobility after limb loss, paralysis, or degeneration (02:52).
• Aim: fully integrate bionics with the human brain, giving complete control and agency (02:57).
• Quote:
  “Our mission is to restore physicality... We can build these bionic systems to restore movement.” – Dr. Hugh Herr (03:19)

4. Addressing Gender Bias in Prosthetics

• Traumatic amputations are predominantly performed on men (~70%), leading to a male-centric approach in prosthetic design (03:49).
• Dr. Herr emphasizes the need for “truly personalized prosthetic limbs” to meet women's unique needs and counteract device bias stemming from industry statistics (03:49-04:30).
• Quote:
  “The prosthetic technology seems to be developed through the lens of needs that men face and not women. So there’s a tremendous need to develop truly personalized prosthetic limbs that reflect the needs of the individual and don’t have that mild [male] bias.” – Dr. Hugh Herr (03:54)

5. Ultimate Goals and Roadmap for Bionics

• The aspiration is a world where technology removes unwanted physical limitation or disability from disease, injury, or congenital conditions (05:57).
• For instance, a stroke patient (statistically more likely to be a woman) might regain full mobility via bionics (05:57).
• Quote:
  “Imagine a world where… you can move again, you can move without pain, you can dance again if you’d like. That’s the world that we seek.” – Dr. Hugh Herr (06:42)

6. Broader Health Issues: Diabetes and Amputation

• Discussion on diabetes as a major cause of amputation—especially in developed nations—and the promise of preventive approaches (GLP-1 drugs) alongside next-gen prosthetics (07:15).
• Approach: both prevention of diabetic complications and development of “extraordinary bionics” for amputees (07:15-08:11).
• Quote:
  “Any strategy that in time mitigates the probability of an amputation being required from… severe diabetic state is of course fantastic.” – Dr. Hugh Herr (07:17)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the need for inclusivity in device design:
  “So the prosthetic industry needs to not only reflect the needs of men, but also obviously of women.” – Dr. Hugh Herr (04:46)
• Personal anecdote reinforcing gendered risk-taking:
  “My brothers: man risk takers. And there were more accidents and runs to the emergency room… and broken limbs and things, unfortunately.” – Carol Massar (05:08)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dr. Hugh Herr’s Story & Motivation – 00:44–01:51
• Evolution of Prosthetics – 02:06–02:46
• MIT’s Research Focus & the Future of Bionics – 02:52–03:28
• Gender Bias in Prosthetic Technology – 03:49–05:04
• Vision for a World Without Disability – 05:57–06:47
• Diabetes, Amputations & Preventive Health – 07:15–08:11

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Tone and Takeaways

The discussion balances deep technical insight with a personal and compassionate tone. Dr. Herr candidly describes his journey from patient to inventor, while Carol and Tim draw connections to broader issues of health equity and the importance of user-centered innovation in medical tech. The segment reinforces optimism for a future where advances in biomechatronics are accessible, inclusive, and transformative for all—including women and those managing chronic diseases like diabetes.

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Transcript

[Carol Massar]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts radio news.

[Tim Stanvak]

You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Massar and Tim Stanvak on Bloomberg Radio.

[Carol Massar]

It is time for Bloomberg Business Week's Women's Health segment. This is where we focus on key issues, developing technologies impacting the present and future of women's health around the world. And in many ways we get into health generally. But with us right now is a special guest, Hugh Herr. He's professor from the MIT Media Lab, Co Director of the K. Lisa Yang center for Bionics at MIT. Dr. Hur joining us from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hugh, great to have you here with us. Thank you so much.

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Pleasure to be here.

[Carol Massar]

Yeah, great to have you here. And if you may, your story, you know, my understanding is you lost both your legs at 17. You're now helping others that have gone through similar things and helping them in their future. Could you just share a little bit about maybe what happened and really how it's shaped what you're doing today?

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Yeah, sure. As a young man, I was passionate about mountain climbing. And When I was 17, I was in a mountain climbing accident and suffered frostbite and my medical team gave up the fight to save my biological limbs and they were amputated just below the knee. Today I use very high tech powered prostheses to, to stand, walk and run. So from that experience I really realized how limited current prosthetic technology was and I really dedicated my life as a young man to really advance the field and enable extraordinary technology that will allow people to do what they want again, to move again.

[Carol Massar]

Well, and if I may, and the.

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Bodies that they seek.

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[Carol Massar]

And my understanding you've been at the MIT Media Lab for I think 21 years. You have a doctor of philosophy from Harvard. What has changed when it comes to prosthetics since you joined the lab?

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Yeah, good, good question. So when I was first fitted with prostheses When I was 17, the prostheses were made of wood and, and foam and metal. They didn't have any computational intelligence, no sensories, information, no actuation. I said to myself at the time, really, this is it. This is what society can provide. Today there exist computer controlled prostheses that adapt and are even connected to the human nervous system that can convey human agency and ownership and really restore physicality for humans.

[Tim Stanvak]

So if that's what exists today, then what's coming in the next 10, 20 years? What are you working on?

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Yeah, we, we are laser focused on integrating human biology with mechatronics. Our key goal is to, to connect the human brain to a built construct like an exoskeleton or a prosthesis. Our mission is to restore physicality. In the case of when a person loses a limb, or in a case where a person suffers a stroke and has paralysis or has muscular weakness or joint damage, we can build these bionic systems to restore movement.

[Carol Massar]

I am curious too. And you know, we've been doing these segments for a while and often we do any kind of medical segment. We do think about the differences between men and women. And I'm curious how what you've come across when it's, you know, developing technologies or outcomes or prosthetics for men versus women, are there differences?

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Yeah, absolutely. In the case of limb amputation, amputations caused by traumatic injury are predominantly performed on men. It's about in the US it's about 70% men and 30% women. So because of that male dominance, the prosthetic technology seems to be develop through the lens of needs that men face and not women. So there's a tremendous need to develop truly personalized prosthetic limbs that reflect the needs of the individual and don't have that mild bias. And that's a key area of research here at mit.

[Carol Massar]

Is that male bias because of war and military or no?

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

I mean, it's typical for traumatic injury that there be a male dominance. I won't make a joke there, but whether it be spinal cord injury due to car crashes or amputation, there's typically more men than women. So the prosthetic industry needs to not only reflect the needs of men, but also obviously of women.

[Carol Massar]

I have to say that's a tremendous.

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Focus for our research.

[Carol Massar]

Now I've got four brothers, two sisters and my brother's man risk takers. And there were more accidents and runs to the emergency room and I didn't.

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Want to say that.

[Carol Massar]

And broken limbs and things, unfortunately. So, yeah, we definitely saw that 100%.

[Tim Stanvak]

So here I'm wondering about at what point. Look, it's a question that we have when it comes to any innovation. But we know that the work is always ongoing and the work will always continue. But what is the ultimate outcome and when do you think we're going to be able to get there? You said the goal is to have this type of medical device be completely controlled by the human and as close to somebody's limb as actually possible. Can you give us a timeline when you will say we have achieved this?

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

Yeah, again, broadly, we're rebuilding limbs after amputation. We're also augmenting limbs that are fully flesh and bones. For in the case of a, a woman suffering a stroke, for example, we want to restore the functionality of her leg as an example, or a person that suffers osteoarthritis, we want to allow them to move again without pain. What's the broad goalpost? What's the broad goal that people don't experience unwanted limitation, unwanted disability? Imagine a world where when you lose a limb or if you have spinal cord injury or suffered a stroke or have joint disease, that you can move again, you can move without pain, you can dance again if you'd like. That's the world that we seek.

[Carol Massar]

One thing I want to ask you, and certainly in terms of, I think about diabetes and how much that impacts our population and that can lead to certainly difficulties or amputations, certainly with feet, toes, all that stuff that certainly impacts your mobility, GLP1 drugs, is that something you think about and how that might impact some of what you are doing in that regard?

[Dr. Hugh Herr]

I mean, any strategy that in time mitigates the probability of an amputation being required from from a severe diabetic state is of course fantastic. In many developed nations of the world, the cases of diabetes are increasing precipitously and some of the cases are so severe that amputation results and prostheses are required. So yeah, we can approach the problem in two ways. A preventing a severe state of diabetes and in cases when there is an amputation that occurs, developing extraordinary bionics that enables a person to restore their movement capacity, their cardiovascular capacity, and maintain a high level of health.

[Carol Massar]

Well, we so appreciate getting time with you. We want to talk to you about AI, but maybe we can get you back here and continue this conversation because we know technology and medical devices and healthcare Overall. Definitely intersecting. Dr. Hugh Herr, professor from the MIT Media Lab, Co Director of the K. Lisa Yang center for Bionics at mit, joining us from Cambridge, Bloomberg businessweek is brought to you by Evolving Money, a podcast that explores how cryptocurrency is the next logical evolution of the financial system. The program investigates how traditional finance firms are integrating crypto into their operations now that Washington has begun to pass much needed regulations. Follow the podcast, which is sponsored by Coinbase. Wherever you get your audio programs.

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