Background Flashcards
New Day Diagnostics:
•My responsibilities included preparing marketing materials, assisting in fundraising efforts, clinical outreach, and conducting diligence. One of my key activities was to source and evaluate diagnostics from international markets for us to in-license and bring to the US market. This work involved market research, competitive analysis, financial modeling, and connecting with physician KOLs. Our recent work culminated in an exclusive licensing agreement that will allow us to bring the first point of care test for Celiac Disease to the US.
ClearSpec LLC:
•Clearspec is a manufacturer of a disposable vaginal speculum designed to increase visualization of the cervix and minimize patient discomfort. I had similar responsibilities at ClearSpec, but with more of a focus on supporting our sales team and securing partnerships with distributors. This involved evaluating and prioritizing market segments, securing leads lists and creating promotional materials like flyers and videos.
Kovarvic LLC:
•Kovarvic manufacturers the CALM device, a consumer medical device designed to curb in-the-moment stress through rhythmic sensory stimulation. I joined the team very early, and had many different responsibilities. Chief among them was developing market research and developing our market strategy. These activities were backed mainly by primary market research. I also played a key role in prototyping the device and designing some of the software.
BSA
•The BSA is the student group that represents the biotechnology student body at Penn. As board members, our main responsibilities are organizing events and advising students.
InSITE
•The InSITE fellowship is a national organization that connects students with an interest in venture capital, startups, and consulting. The organization has all sorts of events, but the real bulk of the fellowship is semester-long consulting projects. I’ve participated in three total, one as a team member, one as a project manager, and one as a project director. One of the projects that I led was for a startup that was about to spin-off from CHOP. I can’t disclose too many details, but the project involved developing a market strategy and investigating partnerships for this company.
PBG Healthcare Consulting
•This is a Penn organization that gives students the opportunity to participate in semester long consulting projects with biotech startups. The project that I led involved conducting primary research with therapists and psychiatrists in order to assess market opportunity for a medical device. I’m really proud of my team and happy with the outcomes for this project. We were able to conduct over 40 interviews over the course of a semester and deliver the client some valuable insights.
The Wistar Institute
•I was part of the Chen lab at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. We investigated the formation of the premetastatic niche of brain that is induced by primary tumors elsewhere in the body. In simpler terms - when someone has a primary tumor in, say, the lung or breast, that tumor actually alters the blood brain barrier, making it more susceptible to receiving a metastasis. We studied the molecular mechanisms that underlie this process through cell culture and mouse models. We found that factors secreted by primary tumors altered expression of certain genes in the cells that make up the blood brain barrier. The hope is that, by better understanding how this occurs, we can develop therapies that can reduce the occurrence of brain metastases.
Penn Healthcare Case Competition
Sure so I participated in this case competition with a team of students from across the country. We were tasked with selecting a disease target for a hypothetical CRISPR diagnostic that would maximize commercial and patient impact, and then developing a market strategy for the diagnostic. Through a lot of deliberation as a team we ended up selecting Lyme’s disease. We eventually pitched our findings to a panel of consultants, and took home second place. It was a really fun experience and a great way to meet new people from different areas of expertise.
