Ethan R. Wilke is Chief Technology Officer of Hummingbird Surgical and a PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University, where he works in the laboratory of Professor Robert Webster III with clinical co-mentorship from Dr. S. Duke Herrell, Dr. Irving J. Zamora, and Dr. Harold N. Lovvorn III.  His research focuses on developing novel miniature robotic systems that enable complex procedures through and into anatomical areas inaccessible by traditional robotic technology.

Ethan earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and an M.S. in Robotics Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, along with a premedical curriculum. His work has contributed to the development of needlescopic wristed instruments, concentric-tube robots, and robotic platforms for natural-orifice and endoscopic surgery. He led the development of a 3-mm cam-amplified wristed grasper that demonstrated grasping performance exceeding that of the standard 8.4-mm da Vinci instrument, while preserving a continuous open lumen for energy delivery and other surgical functions.

His broader research includes robotic systems for transoral surgery, congenital tracheoesophageal defect repair, transurethral procedures, and intrauterine surgery. Ethan is an inventor on multiple patent filings and has presented his work at the International Symposium on Medical Robotics, the Hamlyn Symposium, and other leading medical-device and surgical-robotics forums. At Hummingbird Surgical, he leads the translation of these technologies from academic prototypes toward clinically meaningful, minimally invasive tools for patients—including children who may benefit from smaller, more capable surgical instruments.