Five new entrepreneurs for the 2018-2019 Blavatnik Fellows in Life Science Entrepreneurship were announced this week by Harvard Business School. Each fellow was selected for the innovative work they are doing that are tackling transformative life science challenges.
The one-year fellowships are for Harvard Business School alumni who have graduated within seven years. The fellowships connect promising scientists and business people with Harvard inventors and Harvard affiliated hospitals to develop for commercialization life science technologies that have significant market potential.
Since its founding in 2013, fellows have created 17 companies working with diagnostics, devices, consumers, information technology, and therapeutics, while collectively raising over $150 million in funding.
The five new fellows and the transformative work they are undertaking are:
- Rich Horgan, founder of Myos that is working with the nonprofit Terry’s Foundation for Muscular Dystrophy to spread awareness and advance therapeutics for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
- Liz Kwo, CEO and co-founder of InfiniteMD that connects Chinese patients with physicians in the US for second opinions. She is also a practicing Preventive Care and Occupational Medicine physician at Cambridge Health Alliance.
- David Mou, medical director and co-founder of Valera Health that allows providers and payers to manage chronic mental and medical health conditions. He is also a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, researching how technology can better prevent and predict suicidal behaviors with Matt Nock.
- Tarran Pierfelice, a cross-disciplinary scientist with expertise in molecular medicine, stem cell biology, and neuroscience. His work focuses on combatting neurodegenerative diseases with new diagnostics and therapies.
- Jayon Wang, engineer and entrepreneur who designs and launches life-saving medical technologies. Co-Founder of X-COR Therapeutics, which focuses on COPD and treating respiratory failure through CO2 removal.
Founded through a $50 million gift to Harvard from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the fellowship program is directed by Peter Barrett, PhD, who has the support of a Key Advisory Board made up of biomedical and business leaders doubling as the fellowship’s mentors. In addition to mentorship, fellows receive financial support, working space at Harvard’s i-lab, and exposure to leadership opportunities. They also are given direction in a range of areas to catalyze new businesses including entrepreneurial finance, startup strategy, intellectual property law, and design thinking.
