• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • The Harker School
  • Menu
  • Admission
  • Preschool
  • Lower School
  • Middle School
  • Upper School
  • Summer
  • More
    • About
    • News
    • Alumni
    • Giving
  • News

  • The Harker News provides timely information, news and features about the Harker community to current and alumni Harker families.

  • |
  • General News
  • Preschool
  • Lower School
  • Middle School
  • Upper School
  • Alumni
  • Summer
  • In the News
Harker News

Surbhi Sarna ’03 achieves milestone in creating better health care for women, sells company for $275 million

April 17, 2018 by William Cracraft

Share this:

  • Tweet

The Harker community was delighted to hear that Surbhi Sarna ’03 sold her medical device company, nVision Medical, for $275 million to Boston Scientific, but the real story is about Sarna’s journey to help women who were being underserved in health care. The story is well-told in the Forbes article that announced the sale, and the Harker community has had the moving experience of watching Sarna travel her path to help others. 

After graduating from Harker, Sarna studied molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a clinical scientist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. After graduating from Berkeley in 2007, she worked as an engineer for medical device companies Abbott Vascular and BioCardia. In 2009, only six years out of Harker, she founded venture-backed nVision Medical, dedicated to developing technology to help gynecologists more quickly detect ovarian cancer. Following a successful clinical trial, the company received FDA approval for its device in November 2015. Harker has been honored to follow her progress.

In 2013 Sarna took time from her busy schedule to be the keynote speaker at the Harker Research Symposium, where she related the circumstances that fueled her drive to a crowd of about 400. After suffering from an ovarian cyst in her early teens, she became determined to create better conditions in the field of female health.

In January 2014, Sarna was named to Forbes prestigious “30 Under 30” list in the medical category. At that point, her company had raised $4.5 million from Catalyst Health Ventures, Draper Associates and Astia, a group that assists female entrepreneurs.

Sarna noted at the time, “It is a great honor to be chosen as one of Forbes ’30 Under 30.’ I know Harker has a lot do to with my drive to be an entrepreneur and I’m grateful for all of the teachers that inspired me while I was there.”

In the summer of 2016, Sarna was interviewed for an article in Harker Quarterly on alumni in science, in which she spoke of FDA approval for her device. “It was lots of work, but it couldn’t be more worth it. … From a dream, to a slide deck, to a prototype, to raising money and hiring a team, to first use in a person, to 90 patients successfully treated, to FDA approval!” she said in the article. Offering advice to other recent graduates interested in pursuing STEM and research education, she stressed the importance of seeking out mentors and advisors.

In 2017, Sarna was presented with the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award by Harker’s Office of Alumni Relations and was honored at Homecoming halftime. 

In the 2016 Harker Quarterly article, Sarna had advice for anyone with a quest like hers. “Take meetings with everybody, even when you don’t understand the direct benefit in doing so. Cast your net wide to open up doors,” she said. It is also  important to follow your own passions, she added. “I started out as a patient, and I had to believe there were better options out there for women like me. I wanted to make a mark, and at the end of the day you have to follow your passions. It’s extremely rewarding to now be in a career providing service to others.”

For more news on the topic, see Silicon Valley Business Journal.

Related Post

Two alumna named 2018 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows, honoring immigrants and their children
Harker Alumnus Appointed Judge of 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Alumna’s UC team wins blockchain grant; women’s blockchain conference set for April 23
Harker Alumnus Makes Forbes’ Prestigious ’30 Under 30′ List!
Harker Alumni Continue to Make Forbes ’30 Under 30′ List of Rising Stars
A trio of Harker alumni make Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2018
College Board: Eight perfect 2017 AP exam scores by Harker students and ’17 alumna
Alumnus is instrumental in developing browser security tool at MIT

Related

Filed Under: Alumni Tagged With: Alumni, alumni-express

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search for Articles

Multimedia Features

  • Harker Research Symposium Video Earns Award
  • Into the Fringe: Conservatory Takes ‘Into the Woods’ to Edinburgh

Trending Stories

  • Alumna’s UC team wins blockchain grant; women's blockchain conference set for April 23Alumna’s UC team wins blockchain grant;…
  • Five students qualify for national math olympiadsFive students qualify for national math olympiads
  • Speech and debate team qualifies a solid 18 students to national championship eventsSpeech and debate team qualifies a solid 18 students…

Subscribe to Harker News via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to Harker News and receive a daily digest of recent posts.

Delivered by FeedBurner

The Harker Magazine

Published two times a year, The Harker Magazine showcases some of the top news, leading programs, inspiring people and visionary plans of the greater Harker community.

More Harker publications

About Harker

The Harker School is a private school in the Silicon Valley that has earned international recognition for its top academics, quality teachers and students' achievements. Founded in 1893, Harker is the largest independent preK-12 school in California, serving families of preschool, elementary, middle and high school-aged children on its four San Jose campuses.

Learn more about The Harker School

Links

  • Harker Aquila
  • Preschool
    • Academics
    • Specialty Classes
    • Teachers
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Lower School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Middle School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Upper School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Support & Services
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
    • Admission
    • Summer
    • About
    • News
    • Alumni
    • Giving
The Harker School

Copyright © 1893-2015 • The Harker School • 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129 • 408.249.2510 | Contact Us | Privacy Policy

  • Follow Us!
  • Admission
    • Request Information
    • Campus Visits
    • Applying to Harker
    • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Admission FAQs
  • Preschool
    • Academics
    • Specialty Classes
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Support & Services
      • Extended Care
      • Food Progam
      • Libraries
      • Summer Preschool
      • Transportation
      • Safety & Security
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Lower School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
      • After-School Program
      • Athletics
        • Coach Directory
        • Athletic Events
      • Character Development & Outreach
      • Global Education
        • Global Relationships - Sister Schools
      • Performing Arts
        • Performing Arts Teacher Directory
      • STEM
      • Student Research
      • Visual Arts
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Students
    • Support & Services
      • Food Program
      • Health & Wellness
      • Libraries
      • Safety & Security
      • Transportation
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Middle School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
      • After-School Program
      • Athletics
        • Coach Directory
        • Athletic Events
      • STEM
      • Visual Arts
      • Global Education
        • Global Relationships - Sister Schools
      • Performing Arts
        • Performing Arts Teacher Directory
      • Character Development & Outreach
      • Speech & Debate
      • Student Research
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Students
    • Support & Services
      • Food Program
      • Health & Wellness
      • Libraries
      • Safety & Security
      • Technology
      • Transportation
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Upper School
    • Academics
    • Programs & Extracurriculars
      • Character Development & Outreach
      • Performing Arts
        • Performing Arts Teacher Directory
      • Athletics
        • Coach Directory
        • Athletic Events
      • Visual Arts
      • STEM
      • Business & Entrepreneurship
      • Global Education
        • Global Relationships - Sister Schools
      • Speech & Debate
      • Student Research
    • Teachers
      • Teacher Directory
    • Students
    • Support & Services
      • College Counseling
      • Food Program
      • Health & Wellness
      • Libraries
      • Safety & Security
      • Technology
      • Transportation
    • Campus & Facilities
    • School Community
  • Summer
    • Summer Preschool
    • Summer Camp Plus: KinderCamp
    • Summer Camp Plus: Grades 1-5
    • Summer Institute Middle School
    • Summer Institute Upper School
    • English Language Institute
      • Program Details
        • International English Language Institute Brochures
    • Swim School
    • Summer @ The Conservatory
    • About
      • Eligibility
      • Summer Jobs
      • International Families
      • Summer Registration and Policies
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Philosophy & Mission
    • History
      • Harker's 125th!
    • Events
      • Family & Alumni Picnic
        • Admission Passes & Tickets
        • Alumni Guests
        • Schedule of the Day
        • Raffle
        • Silent Auction
        • Picnic T-Shirts
        • Donations
        • Sponsorships
        • Volunteer
        • History
      • Homecoming
      • Harker Concert Series
      • Harker Speaker Series
      • Harker Gala: Night on the Town
        • Community Sponsorships
        • Corporate Sponsorships
      • Harker Sports Clinics
      • Research Symposium
        • Student Abstracts
        • Corporate Exhibitors
      • Harker Alumni Gold Classic
    • Message from the Head of School
    • Board of Trustees
    • Facts & Stats
      • Student Achievements
      • Alumni Achievements
    • Sustainability at Harker
      • Nichols Hall: LEED Certified
    • Eagle Store
    • Staff Directory
    • Careers
    • Media Information
    • Privacy Policy
    • COPPA Statement
  • News
    • General News
    • Preschool News
    • Lower School News
    • Middle School News
    • Upper School News
    • Alumni News
    • Summer News
    • In The News
  • Alumni
    • Transcript Requests
  • Giving
    • How to Plan Your Giving
    • Annual Giving
      • How Funds are Spent
      • Gift Clubs
    • Capital Giving
      • About the Cornerstones Campaign
      • The Cornerstones Of Success Campaign: Phases 1-5
      • Gift Recognition & Namign Opportunities
        • Capital Giving Gift Clubs
      • How To Make A Capital Gift
      • Naming Opportunities
        • Performing Arts Center
        • Athletics Center
        • Paving Tiles
        • Bucknall Campus
        • Saratoga Campus
        • Policy
    • Endowment & Planned Giving
      • Endowment Policy
    • Volunteering
    • Donations and Pledges