ExCITE
Hosted by Bakar Bio Labs, QB3, Gladstone Institutes, and UCSF Innovation Ventures
Did you know that there are resources available to support students and faculty interested in launching biotech startups? Join us for a panel and networking event to learn more about the entrepreneurship programs available to you, taking place at Gladstone Institutes on June 3rd from 4:00 - 6:30 pm.
This event is open to faculty, postdocs and graduate students.
At the event, you’ll hear from the QB3, Bakar Bio Labs, Gladstone, and UCSF Innovation Ventures about the resources available to support your startup journey. You’ll also hear from panelists who are actively navigating and have successfully navigated the path from scientist to entrepreneur.
This session includes:
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An introduction to the resources and programs available to Gladstone Institutes and UCSF researchers interested in entrepreneurship.
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A panel with Gladstone researchers sharing their paths from researcher to founder, finishing with a Q&A.
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Dedicated time to network with panelists and colleagues.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn how to leverage the support available to you through Gladstone, UCSF Innovation Ventures, Bakar Bio Labs, and QB3!
Confirmed Panelists:
Sukrit Silas, Assistant Investigator, Gladstone Institutes
Silas earned his PhD in Chemical and Systems Biology from Stanford University, after which he co-founded a diagnostics startup, BillionToOne, to commercialize a PCR-standardization approach he invented to noninvasively test for genetic diseases like thalassemia and sickle-cell anemia. He then returned to academia, completing his postdoctoral research at UC San Francisco as a Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellow. There, he built a platform to design new technologies and therapies by discerning the functions of thousands of virus genes in parallel and leveraging them to probe host immunity. He joined Gladstone Institutes in 2024 as an assistant investigator in the Gladstone Infectious Disease Institute.
Isha Jain, Associate Investigator, Gladstone Institutes; Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, UC San Francisco; Core Investigator, Arc Institute
Isha Jain’s lab is interested in how the human body senses and responds to variations in oxygen levels. A number of diseases, including mitochondrial diseases, strokes, heart attacks, and respiratory diseases, reflect an imbalance between oxygen supply and oxygen demand. Using a combination of systems biology, metabolism, and physiology, the Jain Lab aims to identify conditions that may benefit from “turning the oxygen dial.” A long-term goal of the team’s work is to understand the role of oxygen in aging and age-associated conditions. Using similar approaches, the lab is also investigating pathologies associated with variations in vitamin levels in the body.
Magnus Hoffmann, Assistant Investigator, Gladstone Institutes
Magnus Hoffmann is an Assistant Investigator at the Gladstone Infectious Disease Institute and the Gladstone Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology. He also holds an Assistant Professor In-Residence appointment in the Microbiology and Immunology Department at the UCSF School of Medicine. The Hoffmann lab focuses on the development of innovative vaccine technologies and gaining a deeper understanding of the immunological mechanisms that shape vaccine-induced immune responses. His lab is developing a hybrid mRNA vaccine technology that combines attributes of mRNA- and protein nanoparticle-based vaccines to elicit more effective and lasting immune protection against a wide range of viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV-1, and influenza. The Hoffmann lab also focuses on designing novel cancer vaccine platforms and nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for small molecule- and mRNA-based therapeutics.
Ivana Muncie-Vasic, CEO, Vitra Labs
Ivana Muncie-Vasic, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of Vitra Labs, a biotech company developing advanced culture systems and medias to enable hormone-free IVF. Ivana earned her PhD in Bioengineering from the UC Berkeley-UCSF joint program. She conducted her doctoral research in the lab of Dr. Todd McDevitt and subsequently joined the laboratory of Nobel Laureate Dr. Shinya Yamanaka for her postdoctoral studies. During her academic tenure, she was awarded Gladstone Institutes’ Distinguished Achievement in Science Award twice and was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare list in 2024. Vitra Labs has raised over $12M led by Breakout Ventures to develop in vitro activation and maturation technologies that enable developmental progression of human oocytes across follicular stages outside of the ovary, increasing viable egg yield while reducing the invasiveness, cost, and inefficiency of traditional IVF.
Moderator:
Girard Courteau, Patent Counsel, Gladstone Institutes
Details
The Exploring Careers in Industry and Technology (ExCITe) series was created in 2018 to introduce trainees to career options away from the bench in various industry fields, and is presented by guest speakers working in those fields. The purpose is to provide trainees with the tools needed to make informed decisions about their career path when their training at Gladstone ends.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At Gladstone, we are committed to providing events and professional development activities that resonate with our community’s diverse members. Our goal is to develop creative programming that encompasses a wide variety of ideas and perspectives to inspire, educate, and engage with everyone within our walls.
We want to effect positive change through our events and activities by providing a platform for discussions on important topics related to increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the sciences.