As Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Eskandanian leads the strategic and operational management of novel product development at Children’s National, with a focus on translating pediatric innovation to patients and families. She is the Managing Director of Innovation Ventures, the commercialization arm of Children’s National, the Executive Director of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, and Principal Investigator of the National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation, an FDA-funded initiative. Most recently, Dr. Eskandanian played a critical leadership role in the development of the Children’s National Research and Innovation Campus (opening in second quarter 2021), housing Children’s National Research Institute as well as JLABS @ Washington, DC and Virginia Tech as the initial anchors of the campus. Dr. Eskandanian works with a large network of small and large businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies to maximize the commercial potential of pediatric novel products. Since early 2014, over 160 pediatric medical device companies have been funded and/or received technical expertise through initiatives led by Dr. Eskandanian. Her own innovations are in the market space for decades, used by millions. Dr. Eskandanian is the lead inventor of the first-ever adverse event reporting system, initially deployed in a research academic environment. She has had leadership roles in the development of the first web-based consumer trouble-entry management system for a Fortune 100 company in the telecommunications sector. In her role in academia, she has been instrumental in securing over $100 million in peer-reviewed government funding.

Prior to joining Children’s National, Dr. Eskandanian held positions with Intelsat, Accenture, and Georgetown University. Kolaleh’s background is in mechanical engineering with a PhD in operations science and an MBA. A polyglot and avid traveler, she has lived on three continents and speaks four languages fluently.