# Dave Danielsen

> Dave Danielsen is the CEO of CairnSurgical, a clinical-stage medical device company in Lebanon, New Hampshire, that spun out of Dartmouth in 2015. He leads development of the Breast Cancer Locator System, a patient-specific, 3D-printed surgical guide paired with visualization software that helps surgeons see a tumor's size, shape, and location before a lumpectomy and remove it with cleaner margins. A West Point graduate with a Tuck School MBA, Danielsen has spent his career running commercial-stage health and diagnostics companies, and is now steering CairnSurgical through its U.S. pivotal trial, FDA submission, and early commercial launch in Europe.

- **Role:** CEO at CairnSurgical, Inc.
- **Organizations:** CairnSurgical, Inc., CRA Health, CPR Therapeutics, Oxford Immunotec, Hologic
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S., United States Military Academy at West Point, MBA, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
- **Known for:** Leads CairnSurgical as CEO through its transition from Dartmouth research spinoff to clinical-stage, commercial medtech company, Oversaw a published study in Annals of Surgical Oncology reporting negative margins in 94% of patients using the BCL System, Closed $4.5M Series A2 financing led by Morningside Ventures in August 2024

## Career timeline

- **1991** — Earns MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
- **—** — Holds commercial and leadership roles at Hologic and Oxford Immunotec
- **—** — Serves as CEO of CRA Health, focused on advanced breast health software for clinical decision-making
- **—** — Serves as CEO of CPR Therapeutics
- **—** — Becomes CEO of CairnSurgical, a Dartmouth medical device spinoff
- **2021** — CairnSurgical's Breast Cancer Locator System named NH Tech Alliance Product of the Year
- **2024** — Closes $4.5M Series A2 financing led by Morningside Ventures (August)
- **2025** — Presents CairnSurgical at LSI USA '25 and LSI Europe; published study reports 94% negative margins
- **2026** — Completes U.S. pivotal trial enrollment, announces FDA De Novo/510(k) submission, limited European launch

## Achievements

- Leads CairnSurgical as CEO through its transition from Dartmouth research spinoff to clinical-stage, commercial medtech company
- Oversaw a published study in Annals of Surgical Oncology reporting negative margins in 94% of patients using the BCL System
- Closed $4.5M Series A2 financing led by Morningside Ventures in August 2024
- Guided the Breast Cancer Locator System to NH Tech Alliance 2021 Product of the Year
- Completed U.S. pivotal trial enrollment and initiated a limited commercial launch in Europe

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — CairnSurgical reported pivotal trial results for the Breast Cancer Locator System
- **2026-03** — Announced FDA De Novo/510(k) submission for the BCL System
- **2026-02** — Published a study on combined prone and supine MRI imaging for surgical guidance
- **2024-08** — Closed $4.5M Series A2 financing led by Morningside Ventures

## Links

- Website: https://cairnsurgical.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-danielsen-1b53858
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pFTtnIoyPE

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dave-danielsen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-20