Commercializing Life Sciences Research
Are you a life sciences researcher sitting on breakthrough data and wondering about potential funding and commercialization pathways? Are you curious how other researchers turned experiments into startups without losing control?
Join Mellon College of Sciences (MCS), CMU College of Engineering (CoE), and University of Pittsburgh faculty, researchers, industry experts, regional collaborators, and ecosystem partners to discuss the unique challenges of translating life sciences breakthroughs into impactful businesses.
When: Sep 25, 2025, 3:30 - 5 pm ET
Address: Mellon Institute (Entrance on Bellefield Avenue) 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Who: Sciences Faculty, Researchers, PostDocs
Topics of discussion will include:
Barriers to Commercialization – why life sciences breakthroughs are harder to commercialize but highly impactful, and the regulatory, validation, and timeline challenges unique to this field.
Intellectual Property – navigating IP strategy across biologics, compounds, AI tools/models, and devices; when to start protecting IP; and how to spot commercial potential early.
Funding Opportunities – national, regional, and CMU-Pittsburgh-specific resources such as CTTEC, Olympus, PLSA, UPMCE, NIIMBL, Mill 19, Bakery Square Lab, and BioForge Pittsburgh.
Agenda
Fireside Chat (25 minutes): Led by a moderator, highlighting how faculty have leveraged available resources, built teams, and navigated early challenges.
Roundtable Discussion (60 minutes): Commercialization in Early Stage Life Sciences-frameworks for recognizing commercial promise, navigating regulatory/IP hurdles, and balancing research publishing with patenting.
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