Columbia Invents

Today's guests are Marc Singer and Bill Harrington, co-Managing Partners at OUP, a venture fund that solely invests in startups emerging from university research labs. With over $800M under management and over 130 investments in university startups since 2011, Marc and Bill share their unique insights into the opportunities and challenges in bringing university innovations to the market; why fundraising strategy matters; what they look for when considering an investment (hint: teams matter); when is the right time to spin your startup out of the university; and the most frequent self-inflicted wounds they see from university entrepreneurs. Bill and Marc also share their own VC origin stories, why they have stayed in venture for so long, and advice for people looking to break into the industry.

Gad Berdugo, CTV Executive-in-Residence and former Chief Business Officer of Editas, talks with CTV's Ofra Weinberger about why he is so excited about the potential for precision medicine, gene editing, and advanced diagnostics for improving human health; about the waves of new therapeutics that may come in the years ahead for thousands of genetic diseases; and about the business model opportunities and challenges behind these new innovations.  

Dr. Meera Garcia, CEO of new startup Lantern Laboratory and former Chief Medical Officer of Advantia Health, talks to us about the limitations of what anesthesiologists can know today about our brains while in surgery; how her new startup (based on innovations emerging from the lab of Dr. Paul Garcia, who is also Meera's husband) provides far more information for anesthesiologists; how, despite her impressive background in human health, she had to learn the skills behind launching her startup company; and what it has been like being a female CEO in a male-dominated startup world.

Dr. Ngai Yin Yip is the Lavon Duddleson Krumb Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia and co-founder of Trident Desalination, a startup commercializing temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) desalination. In a conversation with Dr. Dovina Qu, his licensing officer at Columbia Technology Ventures, Dr. Yip discusses his lab's research into new ways to remove salt from hypersaline solutions to make that water usable again, as well as ways to recover precious resources from waste streams. He explains why traditional methods of making usable water, typically via condensation, are so energy intensive, and why his approaches are much cheaper, less resource hungry, and more flexible. He shares why this is critically important to lower the environmental impact in industrial production and mining, as well as to help ensure clean water supplies in places like Arizona and Nevada that aren't near the ocean.

Dr. Dan Esposito is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at Columbia and co-founder of sHYp, a startup that uses seawater to produce hydrogen without damaging the environment. Dr. Esposito explains solar fuels, the energy sources his lab studies that are created using the unlimited energy of the sun and can store much more energy than batteries can, but without the climate harm done by petrochemicals. In particular, he'll talk about why hydrogen is such a promising replacement for fossil fuels for specific applications, such as fuel cells for vehicles or as a precursor material for industrial manufacturing. He'll also share what he learned on his one-year sabbatical at sHYp, the resources at Columbia he used to get the company going, and the advice he gives his students about how to build successful careers as scientists and entrepreneurs.

Dr. Azra Raza is the Chan Soon-Shiong Professor of Medicine and Director of the Myelodysplastic Syndrome at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a clinician, and a researcher specializing in Myelodisplastic Syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), two devastating blood cancers. She discusses what we know about why patients get MDS and AML; why we know so little about so many forms of cancer despite many decades of research; and how her new startup is part of her effort to find the so-called first cell, which would allow us to catch and potentially treat cancer at a much earlier stage. She also shares what led her to a career in medicine and what advice she would give to students interested in following a similar path.

Dr. Alexander Gaeta is the David M. Rickey Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science and a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University. He's also the founding CEO of Xscape Photonics, a startup commercializing his photonics-based chip that will make large-scale computing systems more efficient. He talks about why he gave up his shot at being a professional tennis player to pursue a career in physics; how not getting into his dream college led him to optical engineering; the lessons he learned from his prior startup; and the resources at Columbia he took advantage of while building Xscape, which recently raised $10M.

Dr. Charles Zuker is a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and of Neuroscience at Columbia University and a Principal Investigator at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute. Dr. Zuker explains why our sense of taste is so evolutionarily critical to our survival; how taste was fundamentally misunderstood until about 20 years ago; how our stomachs tell our brains to go for real sugar instead of artificial sweeteners; why the Zuckerman Institute and the Jerome L. Greene Science Center is such a fabulous place to study neuroscience; and why the Institute has artists-in-residence working alongside the scientists. Also, the video of controlling thirst in mice using light that is referenced in the podcast can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z51OGBaWko Note: the Zuckerman Institute's air filtration system is top notch, but caused a hum in the background that we couldn't edit out.

Dr. Wendy Chung is the Kennedy Family Professor of Pediatrics in Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a leader in genomic and precision medicine. She discusses what it means to be a “zebra hunter” in medicine and how it's led her to discover dozens of rare genetic diseases, the impact that earlier diagnosis and gene therapy have had on devastating childhood diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy, and the role genes play in obesity, autism, autonomic disorders, and more.

Dr. Rudy Leibel is the Christopher J. Murphy Memorial Professor of Diabetes Research, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and an expert in the genetics of obesity. He explains why humans have adipose tissue, how fat engages in dialog with the brain, and the role genes play in how hungry a person feels and in the ability to resist the temptation of junk food. He also tells the story of how a patient encounter sent him down a path towards discovering and cloning leptin, an adipose-derived hormone responsible for regulating body weight.

Dr. Tommy Vaughan is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology at Columbia and one of the world's great leaders in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He discusses his meandering path during his early years, from a love of gardening, to wanting to be an astronaut, to building his own rollerblades, to bicycling around the world, and eventually to imaging; how MRIs actually work for understanding what's going on within our bodies, and how they can be used for both research and clinical diagnostics; how he has recently been focusing on taking some of the world's most expensive and specialized pieces of equipment and making them cheaper, smaller, and more rugged, so that the remaining 70% of the world can finally have access to MRIs; and his advice for undergrads who may not yet have discovered their life's calling.

Dr. Ian Lipkin is the John Snow Professor of Epidemiology, Professor of Neurology and Pathology and Cell Biology, and Director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. He speaks about the role serendipity played in his path to epidemiology, his work at the beginning of the HIV epidemic in San Francisco, the surprising role that infectious disease may play in illnesses not often associated with infection, and the importance of ensuring innovations leave the lab and become products and services that make a positive impact on people's lives.

Dr. Anil Rustgi is Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Associate Dean of Oncology, Chief of Cancer Services, and Professor of Medicine at Columbia University. He speaks about his research in gastrointestinal cancers, why he cares that innovations in Columbia's labs get turned into products and services that improve patients' lives, the role that the NIH and National Cancer Institute play in cancer research, and what advice he would give early-career clinicians and researchers. 

Dr. Jeannette Wing is Executive Vice President for Research and Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University. She speaks about why making artificial intelligence trustworthy is so difficult, whether we are holding computers to a higher standard than we hold people, the role that the National Science Foundation plays in driving science research and policy, and the advantages that universities have over industry in terms of making fundamental discoveries.

Dr. Andrea Califano is the Chair of Columbia's Department of Systems Biology and co-founder of DarwinHealth. He speaks about how systems biology targets the body's master regulators, his experience launching DarwinHealth in New York, how he's working with big biopharma to identify known but overlooked compounds that might impact cancer, and how the culture of entrepreneurship at Columbia has changed since he joined. 

Dr. Sam Sia is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, faculty director of the entrepreneurship initiative for Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and founder of Harlem Biospace, a biotech incubator facility that has hosted over 70 startups. He speaks about his work in microfluidics, his experience launching three startups, and the role that failure plays in science and entrepreneurship. 

Dr. Harish Krishnaswamy is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University and founder of MixComm, a mmWave startup developing transformative solutions for emerging wireless applications. He speaks about starting, growing, and eventually selling MixComm, which was acquired for $155M during the pandemic, and the challenges faced by hardware startups.

Dr. Brent Stockwell is a Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry at Columbia University, a prolific inventor, and a serial entrepreneur. He speaks about his work studying cell death and metabolism in order to better understand and treat cancer and neurodegeneration, how launching startups in New York today compares to 20 years ago, and what got him interested in pursuing a career in science.

Dr. Elisa Konofagou is the Robert and Margaret Hariri Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology (Physics) at Columbia University and an inventor of ultrasound-based technologies. She speaks about how ultrasound can be used both for imaging and therapeutic applications, such as targeted drug delivery to the brain by opening the blood-brain barrier.

Dr. Ioannis (John) Kymissis is Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University and a serial entrepreneur, having spun out four startups from his lab. He speaks about his research on the application of thin film materials in the development of new electronic and optical systems, what it means for electronics to be unconventional, and his role in starting the Makerspace @ Columbia.

Dr. Elizabeth Hillman is the Herbert and Florence Irving Professor at Columbia's Zuckerman Institute and a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology at Columbia University. Her Laboratory for Functional Optical Imaging is developing novel biomedical imaging and microscopy techniques that use light to capture information about the structure and function of living tissues. She speaks about using light to probe the structure of the brain, how optical imaging is used in daily life, and her experience as a woman working in academia and male-dominated startups.

Dr. Theanne Schiros is a Research Scientist at Columbia University and Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology working at the intersection of advanced materials and sustainability. She speaks about how nature inspires her work and how her startups, Algiknit and Werewool, are working to reduce waste and increase performance in the fashion industry. AlgiKnit is creating durable yet rapidly degradable kelp-based yarns, and Werewool is developing biodegradable textile fibers with inherent, DNA-programmed color and performance.

Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic is the University Professor and Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia and a trailblazer in the regenerative medicine field. She speaks about her research in tissue engineering to grow and repair human bones and organs, as well as the effect platform technologies like hers have on scientific research. She also discusses the process of launching multiple startups based on her science, including TARA Biosystems, Immplacate, and EpiBone, all based in New York City.

Dr. Henry Colecraft is the John C. Dalton Professor of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Columbia and the inventor of engineered deubiquitinases, a breakthrough innovation that rescues proteins marked for destruction by many genetic diseases including cystic fibrosis, Long QT syndrome, and potentially many others. He shares what it's like to launch his new startup with a huge Series A investment from prominent venture capitalists; the critical role that graduate students and postdocs play in university innovation; and how Sherlock Holmes inspired him to become a scientist.

Dr. Alissa Park is the Lenfest Earth Institute Professor of Climate Change at Columbia and an expert in carbon mineral sequestration. Her research in carbon capture, utilization and sequestration became the foundation of her startup Greenore, which converts iron and steel making by-product, slag, into valuable chemical products (calcium carbonate, iron oxide, silica and alumina) while consuming CO₂ as a reactant. She shares how her student's interest in entrepreneurship began their path to Greenore; what motivates engineers and scientists; and how science is both her work and her hobby.