2023

MARY HOR-LAO is a director of R&D focusing on software engineering and artificial intelligence at Abbott in Plano, TX, where she specializes in R&D as part of the company’s neuromodulation business.

With extensive experience in building and leading global teams, Hor-Lao radiates exceptional leadership skills and a positive attitude. She is passionate about incubating and commercializing new technologies that help people live fuller and healthier lives and is recognized for her innovative contributions to the field.

An engineering pioneer with more than 33 years of experience, Hor-Lao first joined Abbott in 2019 to lead the development of complex software projects. During her tenure, she has been part of multiple industry-defining FDA approvals and product launches, including the company’s implantable pulse generators (IPGs) like Proclaim™ Plus and Eterna™—the world’s smallest, rechargeable spinal cord stimulator (SCS) system—and extensible digital platforms, such as NeuroSphere™ myPath™ and NeuroSphere™ Virtual Clinic.

Each of these innovative products offers significant advancements for people managing chronic pain and movement disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. The Eterna SCS device, for example, is smaller than a sugar packet and about half the size of other SCS devices, making it an ideal fit for even the smallest of adult patients suffering from chronic pain.

Mary Hor-Lao Director of Software Engineering Abbott Neuromodulation

Likewise, NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic is a first-of-its-kind technology that allows people with one of Abbott’s neuromodulation devices to communicate with their doctors, ensure proper settings and functionality, and receive new treatment settings remotely as needed. Prioritized and accelerated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic was a vital technology that addressed the key need for people to maintain direct and remote communication with their

Hor-Lao developed much of her engineering prowess while working in the telecommunications and high-tech industries prior to joining Abbott. She started her career with a major mobile company and worked with mobile chipset vendors, U.S. carriers, and software technology companies, leading diverse teams across different regions. Her work was primarily focused on end-to-end software delivery for wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and near-field communication NFC), serving an instrumental role in bringing location services and GPS to cellular devices; sensors and sensor hubs; and other low-power flagship experiences for Google, Motorola, and Lenovo products.

During her time at Motorola specifically, HorLao drove the innovation of flagship gesture experiences with the company’s mobile devices including always-on display, quick capture, and low-power geofencing. In the years following, the company was acquired by Google and later by Lenovo. At Lenovo, she served as a director of engineering and proudly led global technology software development teams of 40plus engineers across the U.S., India, Brazil, and China to deliver similar offerings.

During her career, Hor-Lao has filed 140 patents worldwide, including 50 granted in the U.S. for Abbott, Google, Motorola, and Lenovo.

Among those submitted and accepted for Abbott include various systems and methods for providing digital health services and establishing remote care sessions between a patient controller device and a clinician programmer device to administer treatment.

Some of these patents include a method and device that discover neighborhood awareness networking (NAN) devices, a wireless radio frequency identification (RFID)-based system for personalized adjustments and monitoring, and a method for biometric identity verification using location data. She has also filed patents for different ways to incorporate RFID technology into wearable clothing and textiles with stretch-activated switches or contact-activated buttons that transmit different data sets.

When she’s not filing patents or leading the way in developing new technologies and offerings, Hor-Lao is facilitating mentorship discussions with doctors, partners, and key decision leaders as the Plano lead for the Women Leaders of Abbott community. In this role, she creates a thoughtful and welcoming space where her colleagues can discuss and support each other in their careers, promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and encourage others to step outside of their comfort zone in pursuit of creating a brighter future for all.

Knowing the importance education had on her personal and professional life, Hor-Lao is also an active participant in STEM mentorship circles and helping children in her home country of Cambodia by sponsoring schooling and distributing school supplies and meals. Committed to innovating today’s solutions for a better tomorrow, Hor-Lao continues to trailblaze new ideas and technology that can positively impact the lives of many people and ensure that they are heard, represented, and cared for.

Hor-Lao notes that Abbott prioritizes people by researching and delivering treatment options, technologies, and products to positively impact their lives. Their neuromodulation portfolio focuses on developing therapies that help those with chronic pain or movement disorders live life on their terms. Advanced connected care technology makes it easy for people to receive treatment, relieving the burden of care. Abbott is committed to making connected care accessible for all.

For those pursuing a career in STEM, Hor-Lao’s advice is: Follow your curiosity, ideate on the “could be,” and join communities with different perspectives. Don’t give up on your passions and ideals that can help others lead healthier and happier lives.

Although her co-workers may not know it, Hor-Lao says she is naturally introverted. However, as a female leader in STEM, she has learned to embrace confidence. Overcoming her shyness has allowed her to communicate, collaborate, and inspire

Waves Of Change

OCEANS OF OPPORTUNITY others effectively in the workplace. By stepping out of her comfort zone, she has experienced growth both personally and professionally, connecting with others and making a greater impact in the field of technology.

In Her Words

Growing up in Cambodia was incredibly difficult for myself and my family as our lives were significantly impacted by the Khmer Rouge, who in 1975 started a brutal genocide. My family and I were fortunate enough to escape to a refugee camp in Thailand, where I was able to focus on my education for the first time at the age of 12 and study science. In 1981, we made the move to the U.S., which had its challenges. I had to learn English, which was an entirely new language for me, during high school and college, and regularly used a dictionary to help me get through the reading material. I was also often the only woman in many of the science and engineering classes, in part because there was an ingrained bias and lack of female representation in these fields.

I have always been curious about building and creating new technologies, and the science behind them, which is why I went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to learn more. However, my real passion for engineering began during my first summer internship with Motorola, where I created circuit boards and ran simulations with software. It was fascinating for me to create something new, and as I entered my career, I was inspired by seeing and supporting first-of-its-kind offerings for an industry and witnessing the impact it had on whatever field I was supporting and the people utilizing the technology.

Through persistence and hard work, I was able to make great strides in my education and career by continuing to remind myself to see these challenges as obstacles to overcome that serve as opportunities to grow from and shape solutions that can help others. I’d like people, especially younger female scientists, or engineers, to look at challenges they may face the same way I did and believe in themselves and their abilities, and not be afraid to ask a fellow student, friend, or potential mentor for guidance and support as you continue to navigate your educational and professional career and life.

People are at the forefront of all that we do at Abbott as we research, evolve, and lead the way in delivering treatment options, technologies, and products that can positively impact their lives. Specifically for the neuromodulation portfolio, we are focused on developing therapies that help people with chronic pain or movement disorders feel better and live life on their terms without being tied to a regimented therapy schedule. To make that happen, we continue to break down barriers and transform care with our advanced connected care technology to make it easy for people to receive treatment, and relieving those with chronic conditions of the burden they often face to get the care they need. We’ve seen evidence of the power of our technology through our offerings, such as the NeuroSphere™ Virtual Clinic, which has provided people with the ability to remotely communicate with their doctors, ensure proper settings and functionality with their implanted device, and receive new treatment settings as needed from wherever they are.

A driving factor behind the success of this and other technologies is that they are designed to easily fit into a person’s life rather than requiring a person to adjust their lifestyle to fit the treatment they need. It’s exciting to be a part of Abbott as we work tirelessly to make this the gold standard of treatment and do our part to make connected care more accessible for all.

As an engineering innovator, I find joy in gardening because it reflects my passion for seeing tangible results and the evolution of my work. From selecting seeds or germinating plants to nurturing their growth and witnessing the blossoming of flowers or the fruition of vegetables, gardening parallels the problemsolving process. It also teaches me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of nurturing for desired outcomes. Gardening serves as a tranquil balance to the fast-paced world of technology and provides a firsthand experience of growth and transformation, aligning with my professional endeavors. For young individuals wanting to pursue a career in STEM, I encourage them to follow that curiosity and ask questions, ideating on the “could be” and exploring how technology can benefit our lives. I’d also suggest building and joining communities that can offer helpful insights and different and diverse perspectives on how to innovate and create new solutions that can positively impact the world.

No matter how challenging life may be, don’t give up. It is important to continue to try, believe in yourself, and put your energy behind passions and ideals that are good, especially if they can help individuals and communities lead healthier and happier lives.

While many of my coworkers may not be aware of this, I am actually quite introverted by nature. However, as a woman in STEM and a leader of my team, I have learned to embrace my confidence. It is important for me to overcome any inherent shyness or reserved tendencies to effectively communicate, collaborate, and inspire others in the workplace. I believe that stepping out of my comfort zone has been instrumental in my personal and professional growth, allowing me to connect with others and make a greater impact in the field of technology.

NO MATTER HOW CHALLENGING LIFE MAY BE, DON’T GIVE UP. IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO TRY, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, AND PUT YOUR ENERGY BEHIND PASSIONS AND IDEALS THAT ARE GOOD, ESPECIALLY IF THEY CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES LEAD HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER LIVES.