Dr. Justin Barad, a board-eligible paediatric orthopaedic surgeon and healthcare technologist, is the Chief Strategy Officer and founder of XR training startup, Osso VR.
While interning at Activision to become a game developer, a family event inspired Justin to pursue a career in medicine in order to leverage his passion for technology to help patients. During his residency at UCLA, he experienced first hand some of the significant limitations when it came to training healthcare professionals in procedures and surgery.
Justin founded Osso VR in 2016 to give providers the tools to train and assess on any procedure, anytime and anywhere in a collaborative, risk-free, hands-on environment. Today, Osso VR’s clinically-validated platform is used by the world’s leading healthcare companies and hospital systems to train thousands of health care providers across the globe.
Justin received his Bioengineering degree from UC Berkeley, and an MD from UCLA, where he graduated first in his class. He completed his residency at UCLA and his fellowship in paediatric orthopaedics at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital. He currently sees patients at the Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children.
OPN: What drove you to choose surgery as a career, and orthopaedic surgery in particular?
JB: My background is in bioengineering, with a minor in mechanical engineering, so I’ve always had a strong connection to technology. Orthopaedic surgery felt like a natural extension of that. It allows me to apply engineering principles directly to the human body, which is fascinating. I’ve always been drawn to the more hands-on, technical aspects of surgery, and orthopaedics scratches that itch. It’s incredibly gratifying because you can see the immediate impact of your work. A patient can come in unable to walk, and after a procedure, they’re up on their feet the same day. That’s real, tangible progress, and it feels great to know you’ve directly helped someone.
Plus, orthopaedic surgery integrates so much technology, from power tools to 3D printing and robotics. It’s an evolving field where you get to wear many hats—you’re diagnosing, treating, and using cutting-edge tech to solve problems. And as a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, the reward is even greater. Helping kids regain mobility and knowing you’ve had an impact on their entire future is special.
OPN: It is clear that the healthcare industry is still being impacted since the pandemic, what has been the greatest impact for you within the orthopaedic and training industry?
JB: The pandemic really exposed weaknesses in the medical training system, and that hit orthopaedics particularly hard. Training programs stalled because people couldn’t enter hospitals, and elective surgeries were delayed. That made the need for alternative training methods, like VR, crystal clear. In a way, the pandemic fast-tracked Osso VR’s growth and adoption. Suddenly, everyone—from healthcare systems to device manufacturers—realized that virtual training wasn’t just a luxury; it was essential.
But of course, the pandemic brought challenges too. The strain on hospitals and medical device companies had long-term consequences, including lasting shortages of nursing and hospital personnel, which have evolved into new impacts on how healthcare is delivered. That said, the shift to telemedicine and the push for new technologies like VR were a silver lining to an otherwise tough situation. It showed us that healthcare can adapt quickly when it needs to.
OPN: As the founder of Osso VR, could you tell us more about the company and how it can benefit surgical training in the future?
JB: Our mission is to transform how procedural training and assessment is done by leveraging the power of extended reality (XR). We provide an immersive, hands-on environment where surgeons and medical teams can collaborate and refine their skills anytime, anywhere, so they can deliver better outcomes for patients.
Our platform allows users to learn and master complex procedures in a risk-free, repeatable environment, ensuring consistency and competence before they ever step into the operating room. The potential for technology is enormous—by democratizing access to high-quality training, we can help reduce variability in procedural outcomes, improve patient safety, and enable physicians to keep pace with the rapid advancements in medical technology. XR technology has the power to not only train surgeons more effectively but to ultimately elevate the entire field of surgery.
OPN: What advice would you give new entrepreneurs who are looking to start out in the medical industry?
JB: The best advice I ever received was: Don’t worry about what you’re “supposed” to do to be successful—focus on what you’re passionate about. Especially in healthcare, you need to be driven by a desire to solve a specific problem. Being an entrepreneur in this space can be tough, even borderline miserable at times, so if you’re doing it for fame or money, you’re in for a rude awakening.
You have to genuinely care about solving that problem, even if it means failing along the way. If you wake up everyday thinking, “I can’t live in a world where this problem isn’t fixed,” then you’re on the right path. Stay resilient, keep pushing, and believe in yourself because failure is part of the process. It’s not easy, but if you care enough about the mission, it will be worth it.
OPN: Are you currently involved in research looking into new technology and techniques, if so could you tell us more about your aims and outcomes?
JB: Yes, we’re actively involved in research – we currently have eight peer-reviewed studies that show how well our technology works for skill transfer in orthopaedics, but we’re not stopping there. Now, we’re focusing on how XR can affect patient outcomes, which is the real measure of success.
We’re also expanding into multiple other specialties including interventional cardiology, and pharma. We’ve already launched studies at academic medical centres in those areas. The aim is to understand how XR can make a difference in different fields and how it can positively impact both providers and patients.
OPN: What could this research mean for patient outcomes and the future of surgery?
JB: The implications for patient outcomes appear to be significant. For example, in a 2013 NEJM study from Birkmeyer et al they found that lower skilled surgeons had a nearly 5x higher mortality rate than their higher skilled counterparts. Similarly in our own research we have seen performance scores improve from 7.5 to 17.5 in favor of virtual reality training and assessment. If we extrapolate this out to all of the millions of procedures performed annually around the world that would be a startling level of improvement in patient outcomes.
OPN: What’s the best part of your job?
JB: Hands down, it’s the team I get to work with. It feels a lot like residency—you’re in the trenches together, working hard, and it builds these strong, lasting bonds. My team is incredibly dedicated, and we share the same mission. There’s a real sense of camaraderie, and every day is an adventure. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
OPN: … and the worst?
JB: The unpredictability can be tough. You wake up each day not knowing what’s going to happen, and sometimes things just don’t go your way. It’s frustrating when, despite your best efforts, you hit roadblocks or things fall apart. You have to learn to adapt quickly, grow thicker skin, and focus on moving forward. It’s challenging, but that’s part of the job.
OPN: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
JB: I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built with Osso VR, but I’d say the fact that I still get to see patients is probably the highlight. Every patient interaction feels like a privilege, and I never take that for granted. Seeing a patient get better, knowing that I had a hand in their care, is something special that’s hard to put into words. Plus, it’s amazing to bring that experience back to Osso and say, “Hey, this is why what we’re doing matters.”
OPN: Will you be attending or speaking at any medical conferences or events over the next year?
JB: In the near future, I will be attending HLTH and speaking at the Unity Executive Summit, an event that focuses on how real-time 3D (RT3D) technology is driving the next wave of digital transformation across various industries. We attend and speak regularly at industry events.
OPN: If you weren’t a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon, what would you be?
JB: I’d probably open a pizza shop! I’m really passionate about cooking, especially pizza. It’s a creative outlet for me and I just can’t seem to get enough of it.
OPN: What would you tell your 21-year-old self?
JB: I’d tell myself, “It’s not all about you.” It’s easy to get tunnel vision about your career, especially in your 20s and 30s. But relationships—family, friends—those are what get you through the tough times. It’s important to invest in them as much as your career. Success isn’t just about work; it’s about finding balance and happiness in other areas of your life, too.
OPN: If you were Health Minister for the day, what changes would you implement?
JB: I would try to consolidate health tech efforts and create a centralized body that could drive standards for evaluating and implementing new technologies. Right now, health systems are overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. A group that could streamline this process would help ensure the best tools are being adopted, not just for XR but for things like AI, robotics, and patient management systems. It would make a huge difference for healthcare delivery across the board.
OPN: Away from the clinic and operating theatre – what do you do to relax?
JB: I spend time with my family and loved ones, and I have a lot of hobbies that keep me busy. I love cooking, especially pizza and pasta, and I’ve recently gotten into woodworking. I also enjoy playing the piano. My main outlet to release stress is through exercise, so I do a lot of weight lifting and running to decompress.
OPN: How do you think the future looks in the field of healthcare and emerging technologies like VR? What are your predictions for 2025 and the next decade?
JB: I think we’re entering an exciting phase, especially with XR and other emerging technologies. By 2025, I see wider adoption of these tools within health systems, especially in training, surgical planning, and patient care. Hospitals are starting to normalize the use of headsets and VR applications, and that’s only going to grow. Same goes within pharma, where I see these technologies accelerating a therapeutic’s time to market and improve patient access to novel therapies. As therapeutics are becoming more complex, XR technologies are a great way to lower the complexity threshold and keep adoption of some of these life-changing solutions high.
I also believe the hype around generative AI will cool down, freeing up resources and attention for other important technologies.
