Jian Cao

Jian Cao is a Research Program Director and Technical Fellow at Medtronic, with over 25 years of experience advancing implantable cardiac medical devices and algorithms – including pacemakers, defibrillators, and insertable cardiac monitors. He has successfully led projects from initial concept through human clinical studies to global commercialization. In recent years, Jian has managed programs across international R&D centers to develop and launch new conduction system pacing technologies worldwide, driving double-digit growth. Jian holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Penn State University, where he was recognized as an Outstanding Engineering Alumni, and an Advanced Certificate for Executives from the MIT Sloan School of Management. An accomplished innovator, he holds more than 75 issued U.S. patents and received the Medtronic Patent of Distinction Award in 2019. In 2026, Jian served as a panelist for Medtech Strategics: Driving Growth Through Strategic Partnerships and Acquisitions at RESI (Redefining Early Stage Investments) during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. For the past three years, he has also served as a judge for the RESI JPMorgan Innovator’s Pitch Challenge and, in the previous year, was a member of the expert review panel for MedTech Innovator.