The Bench2Market Talks series is created to provide commercialization guidance to the university research community. For more details on the series, visit our website.

ABSTRACT
The plasma membrane serves as the critical interface where cells endure and respond to their physical environment. We recently revealed that the PIEZO1 mechanosensing axis actively safeguards membrane integrity through a hierarchical, two-layer mechanoprotective mechanism. This involves rapid architectural buffering followed by a calcium-dependent positive feedback loop engaging Calmodulin and Filamin A to reinforce cortical stability. This fundamental discovery in mechanoprotection serves as the blueprint for our translational innovations in "Thrombo-protective Oncology." By engineering a microfluidic "CAT-on-chip" to recapitulate venous shear stress, we discovered that metastatic cancer cells exploit a strikingly similar mechanobiological network to trigger pathological clotting. Specifically, tumor-induced hypercoagulation is driven by a Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK)-Calmodulin (CaM) axis, which structurally "decrypts" Tissue Factor (TF) by disengaging it from cytoskeletal Filamin A. To translate these microfluidic discoveries into clinical practice, we developed "SmartClot", an AI-driven Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) platform that rapidly stratifies cancer-driven thrombotic risk using blood diffusion kinetics. This seminar will highlight how decoding fundamental nanoscale mechanosensing paves the way for next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.

BIO
Professor Lining Arnold Ju (PhD, GAICD, FHEA) is a Snow Fellow, Australian Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow, and recipient of the Australian Academy of Science John Booker Medal. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech and Emory University in 2013 and now directs the Mechanobiology and Biomechanics Laboratory (MBL) at the University of Sydney's School of Biomedical Engineering.

Ju’s research operates at the intersection of fundamental mechanobiology and biomedical engineering. His team recently decoded the PIEZO1 mechanosensing axis and has pioneered multiple biomechanical nanotools, including multi-parametric thrombus profiling microfluidics ("CAT-on-chip") and patient-specific vessel-on-a-chip platforms. His novel understanding of the mechanics behind blood clot formation has directly driven the development of point-of-care testing (POCT) technologies, such as the machine learning-assisted SmartClot diagnostic tool. His overarching vision integrates advanced biomanufacturing, high-throughput microfluidic phenotyping, and generative AI to create intelligent biosensing technologies to predict and prevent cardiovascular and cancer-associated thrombotic risks.

Andrés García, faculty host

• Lunch provided for in-person attendees
• REGISTER HERE for virtual attendance

Presented by:
Anjali Kumar - Pharma/Biotech CBO, Scientist, Advisor  
Vincent Ling - Chief Business Officer, Morphocell Technologies  

This interactive fireside conversation will explore key trends shaping pharma and biotech and what they mean for academic innovators and early-stage startups. Brief opening perspectives will set the stage, followed by an audience-driven Q&A and discussion.

 

• Attend in-person at the Petit Biotechnology Building (IBB) - Lunch provided, while supplies last
• REGISTER HERE for virtual participation link

Avant South 2026

Oct. 12 - 13

Atlanta, GA

Register Now

Avant South is back, bringing together the builders, thinkers, and leaders shaping the future of technology and innovation in the South.

As Atlanta’s premier tech and innovation event, Avant South continues to advance the city’s position as a leading hub for innovation, convening founders, executives, investors, policymakers, researchers, and students for two days of big ideas, sharp insights, and meaningful connections.

This year, we’re diving into our theme: AI in Action.

From logistics and fintech to healthcare and media, we’ll explore how AI is actively transforming the industries that define Atlanta’s growth, and how leaders across sectors are putting AI to work in real, practical ways.

Join us for a forward-looking conversation on what’s next and what’s already happening in Atlanta.

Register Now

Presented by: 
Roman Zantl, ibidi CEO
Jenna Rogalinski, Sr. Technical Sales Representative

This workshop co-hosted by the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and the Institute for Matter and Systems will introduce researchers to ibidi technologies supporting cell-based research, microfluidics, hydrogel modeling, microscopy, and perfusion-based applications. Activities will include:

• Presentation by Roman Zantl, ibidi CEO.
• Introduction to the new ibidi Micro Illumination System
• Hands-on demonstrations using hydrogel materials.
• Integration of the Micro Illumination System with the ibidi Pump System.
• Opportunities to discuss individual research applications and perfusion system needs.
• Networking with ibidi representatives and members of the Georgia Tech research community.
• Food will be provided and photos will be taken.

Pre-Event Webinar | Tuesday Oct. 13 from 1-1:30 p.m.
This webinar will introduce the ibidi and the Micro Illumination System and will act as a pre-requisite for people who are not familiar with the technology. Registration is required for this webinar

 Agenda
10 – 10:30 a.m. - Check-in
10:30 – 11 a.m. - Opening Remarks (Roman Zantl)
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. - Seminar and Demonstration
12 – 1 p.m. - Lunch and Networking
1 – 2 p.m. - Demo in IBB 1120

*Attendees are welcome to register for and attend only Roman Zantl's presentation.

Abstract:

Fungal metabolites are well known for providing humanity with medical benefits, with penicillin and the antibiotics revolution that it stimulated probably the greatest example from the 20th century. Our team has been studying fungi for drug leads effective in the fight against cancer, with an emphasis on ovarian cancer, and this presentation will peer into two different chapters of that ongoing story. The verticillins are potent, cytotoxic leads, first discovered over 50 years ago. Our emphasis has been on amplifying their supply, generating semisynthetic analogues, understanding their mechanism of action, and optimizing their delivery. In contrast, wheldone is a molecule that we first described recently. Interestingly, it is only biosynthesized via the antagonism of two fungi fighting for limited resources in co-culture. We’ve spent considerable effort developing ways to supply this compound on a larger scale, as the scale up of fungal co-cultures is not discussed in the literature. We’ve also probed its mode of action and are starting to generate semisynthetic analogues. In sum total, this presentation will provide a glimpse into how natural products drug discovery from fungi is carried out in the modern research setting.

Bio: 

Nicholas Oberlies received his B.S. in Chemistry from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in 1992 and his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy from Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana) in 1997, where he studied under Professor Jerry L. McLaughlin. He then spent a year as a postdoctoral chemist at American Cyanamid (Princeton, New Jersey), where he investigated leads with insecticidal, herbicidal, and fungicidal properties from natural sources. In 1998, he joined the Natural Products Laboratory at Research Triangle Institute (RTI) in North Carolina, specifically to be mentored by the late Dr. Mansukh C. Wani and the late Dr. Monroe E. Wall, who are most well known as the co-discoverers of taxol and camptothecin. He rose progressively through the ranks of RTI and eventually directed the Natural Products Laboratory. In 2009, he moved his research group to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

He has received several awards that speak to his accomplishments, including the Matt Suffness Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Pharmacognosy, the 40 under 40 Leadership Award from the Triangle Business Journal, and the North Carolina Distinguished Speaker Award from the NC Section of the American Chemical Society. 

He is a Fellow and Past President of the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

Abstract:

The development of controlled polymerization methods has broadly expanded the chemical space accessible for polymerization and enabled the production of well-defined synthetic materials targeting numerous applications, including polyolefin thermoplastics and styrenebutadiene- styrene (SBS) rubber. These achievements represent decades of advancements in polymer technology; however, our ability to prepare materials with backbones comprised of functional groups beyond alkyl or ester chains remains limited. Well-defined materials featuring unique molecular structures, and by extension exhibiting unique properties, will be required to meet the demand for high-performance materials that address contemporary challenges. This presentation will discuss our recent eForts in post-polymerization modification, monomer design, and methods development towards achieving this goal.

Bio: 

Aaron earned a B.S. degree in Chemistry in 2012 from the University of Nevada, Reno prior to attending the University of Texas at Austin, where he completed a PhD in Chemistry in 2016. His dissertation work with Prof. Christopher Bielawski focused on the design and development of photoswitchable N-heterocyclic carbenes for enhanced control over organocatalyzed and transition metal catalyzed transformations. Aaron subsequently joined the lab of Prof. Frank Leibfarth at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a postdoctoral fellow. His work at UNC focused on the development of new stereoselective ionic polymerizations and subsequent exploration of the resulting polar thermoplastics. Aaron joined the faculty at the University of Kansas as an Assistant Professor in 2021, where his group is focused on the design and synthesis of new, functional synthetic macromolecules.

ABSTRACT
Using patients’ own T cells, engineered and redirected to target cancer, have now been established as a standard of care in certain blood cancers such as lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Dr. Maus will discuss novel designs of chimeric antigen receptors and modifications to enhance T cells and the main challenges and future prospects for the development and use of this powerful form of immunotherapy.

BIO
Marcela Maus grew up in New York, NY and attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology for her undergraduate degree in Biology and Literature. She then earned her MD, PhD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where she studied the biology of human T cell activation under the direction of her PhD mentor, Dr. Carl June. After completing her doctorate degrees, Marcela did a one-year postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Kathy High at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia studying patient immune responses to liver-directed AAV-mediate gene transfer as a treatment for hemophilia. She then completed her clinical training in internal medicine, hematology, and oncology as a resident at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and a fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. While at Memorial Sloan Kettering, she worked in Michel Sadelain’s lab to engineer new genetically modified T cells to target the cancer-testis antigen NY-ESO-1 and received specialized training in Phase I developmental therapeutics. She was also awarded a K08 grant by the NIH to facilitate her transition to a faculty position.

Following her extensive training (11 years), Marcela returned to the University of Pennsylvania in 2012, where she was recruited by her former PhD mentor, to expand their research efforts in the development of CAR T cells for lymphoma, myeloma, and other cancers. While there, Marcela continued her efforts on preclinical development of CAR T cells and correlative studies of CAR T cell-related toxicities and resistance to therapies. They discovered and reported on the first cases of anaphylaxis to CAR T cells and off target cross-reactivity. She also led an entire arc of translational research, from preclinical testing to a first-in-human clinical trial of EGFRvIII CAR T cells for treatment of recurrent glioblastoma. Correlative data collected from this trial led to an understanding of CAR T resistant mechanisms that have led further refinement of these CAR T cells, which is one current area of focus in her current laboratory and has led to the development of another Phase I clinical trial for GBM patients.

Now, Dr. Maus is a Professor of Hematology and Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she runs a laboratory focused on developing and improving CAR T cell therapy for cancer patients while also periodically attending for the bone marrow transplant service. Marcela is the Paula O-Keeffe Endowed Chair of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and the Director of the Cellular Immunotherapy Program. She has won numerous awards for her transformative research and is achieving her goal of using science to determine the best way to treat patients by harnessing the power of the immune system to solve intractable problems like cancer. She also enjoys training clinicians and scientists and watching her mentees succeed and become independent scientists and collaborators.

Peptide hydrogels formed by self-assembly are increasingly used in medical applications ranging from drug delivery to wound care. The chemical composition and stereochemistry of the peptides, the mechanisms by which they assemble to form a given material, and the structures of the mesoscopic assemblies underlying material formation all influence the mechanical and biological properties of these materials. Dr. Schneider will explore these factors in molecular detail to develop materials for clinical applications, including antibacterial wound dressings, delivery of miRNA nanoparticles for mesothelioma treatment, and modulation of the immune system.

Bio:

Dr. Schneider received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Texas A&M University with Jeffery Kelly and then went on to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics where he was a George W. Raiziss Fellow with William DeGrado studying protein design. In 1999, he began his independent career at the University of Delaware as an assistant professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and was promoted to associate and then full professor in 2009 with a secondary appointment in Materials Science and Engineering. He joined the NCI in 2010 as lab Chief of the newly established Chemical Biology Laboratory and was later appointed Deputy Director in 2015. He currently serves as the president of the American Peptide Society and Executive Editor of Biopolymers-Peptide Science.

Join faculty from across the Georgia CTSA for an energetic and dynamic virtual networking session!

Bio: Enric Boix-Adsera is an assistant professor of statistics and data science. His parents are originally from Barcelona, and he grew up mostly in Princeton, New Jersey. Before coming to Wharton, he earned a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT.

Boix-Adsera studies the learning processes of artificial intelligence models, such as ChatGPT, with the goal of improving their efficiency and reliability.

 For CODA guest access, please contact shatcher8@gatech.edu at least 2 business days prior to the event.

Bio:  Hal Daumé III is a professor of computer science with appointments in the Maryland Language Science Center and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, where he is also the director of TRAILS. In addition to fairness and natural language processing, his research focuses on understanding computational properties of learning and language as well as trustworthy AI.

For CODA guest access, please contact shatcher8@gatech.edu at least 2 business days prior to the event.

Bio: Jeremy D. Brown, the John C. Malone Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, explores the interface between humans and robotics, with a specific focus on medical applications and haptic feedback.

Brown’s research sits at the intersection of engineering, biomechatronics, medicine, and psychophysics. He develops novel haptic interfaces for upper-limb prosthetics and minimally invasive surgical robotics. Applications of this research include giving amputees a sense of touch through their prostheses ,and helping surgeons use surgical robots to improve their accuracy and precision when performing delicate procedures.

Bio: Tapomayukh "Tapo" Bhattacharjee is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University where he directs the EmPRISE Lab (https://emprise.cs.cornell.edu/). He completed his Ph.D. in Robotics from Georgia Institute of Technology and was an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA postdoctoral research associate in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington. His primary research interests are in the area of physical robot caregiving and physical human-robot interaction. He is the recipient of TRI Young Faculty Researcher Award'24, NSF CAREER Award'23, AFCEA 40 under 40 Award'22, and his work has won Best Systems Paper Award at HRI’26, Best Paper Award at RSS’25, Best Paper and Student Paper Award Finalist and Best HRI Paper Award Finalist at ICRA’25, Best Systems Paper Award Finalist at HRI'24, Best Demo Award at HRI'24, Best RoboCup Paper Award at IROS’22, Best Paper Award Finalist and ABB Best Student Paper Award Finalist at IROS’22, Best Technical Advances Paper Award at HRI'19, and Best Demonstration Award at NeurIPS’18. His work has also been featured in many media outlets including the BBC, Reuters, New York Times, IEEE Spectrum, and GeekWire and his robot-assisted feeding work was selected to be one of the best interactive designs of 2019 by Fast Company. 

Bio: Nadia Figueroa is the Shalini and Rajeev Misra Presidential Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania, with secondary appointments in Computer and Information Science and Electrical and Systems Engineering. She is also a core faculty member of the GRASP Lab. Before joining Penn, she was a Postdoctoral Associate in the Interactive Robotics Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She earned her Ph.D. in Robotics, Control, and Intelligent Systems from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and previously conducted research at the Robotics and Mechatronics Institute of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and at NYU Abu Dhabi. She holds a B.Sc. in Mechatronics Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey and an M.Sc. in Automation and Robotics from TU Dortmund. Her research focuses on developing integrated learning, control, and estimation algorithms that enable fluid human-robot training, co-existence and collaboration with formal guarantees of safety, efficiency, and robustness. Her work bridges control theory, machine learning, AI, perception, and biomechanics through the lens of physical human-robot interaction. She is a recipient of a 2025 NSF CAREER Award, a finalist for the 2020 Georges Giralt Best Ph.D. and 2017 KUKA Innovation Awards, and has received multiple best paper honors at leading robotics venues such as ICRA, RSS and T-RO.

Bio: The Ghosh group engages in cross-disciplinary collaborations and welcomes students from diverse academic backgrounds. Most projects focus on addressing challenges in fundamental physics and astrophysics using computational and AI/ML tools, making the group a natural fit for students with strong skills or interests in these areas. We develop methods to automate theoretical physics calculations using reinforcement learning and LLM agents, enabling rapid testing of new theories. We also work on simulation, experimental design and high-dimensional statistical inference techniques powered by AI to accelerate scientific discovery. Data analysis problems at the scale of the Large Hadron Collider or multi-messenger astronomy often demand rapid decision-making, and we design efficient AI algorithms that can be deployed on fast hardware to meet these challenges.

For CODA guest access, please contact shatcher8@gatech.edu at least 2 business days prior to the event.

Bio: TBA

For CODA guest access, please contact shatcher8@gatech.edu at least 2 business days prior to the event.

C. Shawn Burke
University of Central Florida

Establishing and maintaining a productive research team is a difficult challenge across all stages of an academic’s career. The science of good teamwork applies across an academic career: from incorporating graduate students and post-docs to your first research team to crossing-boundaries in the creation and maintenance of an interdisciplinary expert team. In conjunction with Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance, we are offering a skill series to develop the skills necessary to build and maintain your research team by leveraging existing teams research. This workshop will focus on leadership within your team. Graduate students, post-docs, and all levels of academic faculty are all welcome to attend this workshop.

Team consult opportunity:

Our Team Science Skills presenters have graciously opened their schedules to provide a limited amount of attendees with direct feedback and guidance on their personal team issues. During a one-hour consulting session, attendees will be able to directly ask our experts questions and get personalized advice on how to effectively move their team forward. Requesters must attend the full session and complete the post-evaluation survey to be eligible. 

Team consult opportunity:

Our Team Science Skills presenters have graciously opened their schedules to provide a limited amount of attendees with direct feedback and guidance on their personal team issues. During a one-hour consulting session, attendees will be able to directly ask our experts questions and get personalized advice on how to effectively move their team forward. Requesters must attend the full session and complete the post-evaluation survey to be eligible.

Register HERE to participate virtually

Ashish Ranjan is an Endowed Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He also serves as Vice Chair for Comparative Oncology and Research Innovation and Director of the Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic. He earned his B.V.Sc. degree (DVM equivalent) from Madras Veterinary College, in Chennai, India, followed by a Ph.D. in biomedical and veterinary sciences from Virginia Tech. Ranjan was then a visiting fellow at the Center for Interventional Oncology, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Ranjan's research interests are in the application of device-directed nanoparticles for solid tumor chemo-immunotherapy. His lab is actively engaged in preclinical and bench-to-bedside veterinary clinical trials and has received funding from several federal, state, and private sources. Ranjan has received several distinguished awards, including the NIH Merit Award. He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Focused Ultrasound Foundation, UK's Humanimal Trust, and NIH panels.

Faculty host: Yue Chen

 

Register HERE to participate virtually

Bianxiao Cui is the Job and Gertrud Tamaki Professor of Chemistry and a fellow of the Wu Tsai Stanford Neuroscience Institute at Stanford University. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from the University of Chicago and a BS degree from the University of Science and Technology of China. Cui develops new tools to study the nano-bio interface, membrane curvature, electrophysiology, and signal transduction in cells at normal and disease conditions. As a scientist and a teacher, she enjoys working with young scholars to explore the natural world with scientific innovations. Research in her group spans the disciplines of biophysics, cell biology, chemistry, material science, nanotechnology, and neurobiology. Her awards and distinctions include Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative award, Barany Award from the Biophysical Society, NIH New Innovator Award, NSF CAREER award, NSF Inspire award, Packard Fellowships in Science and Engineering, Hellman Scholar, Searle Scholar Award and Dreyfus New Faculty Award.

Faculty host: Cheng Zhu

 

Meetings are open to Members, Guests, Sponsors, Partners, and presenting Entrepreneurs from any of our Keiretsu Forum Global chapters and regions.

Due to SEC 506(c) regulations guests MUST pre-register to attend our meetings.

Meetings are open to Members, Guests, Sponsors, Partners, and presenting Entrepreneurs from any of our Keiretsu Forum Global chapters and regions.

Due to SEC 506(c) regulations guests MUST pre-register to attend our meetings.

Meetings are open to Members, Guests, Sponsors, Partners, and presenting Entrepreneurs from any of our Keiretsu Forum Global chapters and regions.

Due to SEC 506(c) regulations guests MUST pre-register to attend our meetings.

He is Professor of Bioengineering and Materials Science at UC Berkeley and Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Materials Research Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In addition to his research, he mentors and teaches students in the fields of biomaterials design, materials science, polymer science, and nanomedicine.

Faculty host: Felipe Quiroz

 

Special emphasis is given to Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and particular applications and more details are described on the lab web page.

Faculty host: Alexander Vlahos

 

BIO
Jeffrey Hubbell is a pioneer in the field of immuno-modulatory materials whose research spans biology, chemistry, and engineering to generate novel solutions to common health problems. His work focuses on using biomaterials and engineered proteins to enhance the body’s own immune system to fight inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, allergies, and disease states like cancers. With more than 400 papers and 100 issued US patents, Hubbell uses biomaterials and protein engineering approaches to investigate topics in regenerative medicine and immunotherapeutics. In regenerative medicine, he develops both materials and protein therapeutics to address issues such as chronic wound healing in diabetes and bone repair after trauma. In immunotherapeutics, he pursues nanomaterials in vaccination for infectious disease and cancer as well as targeted therapy with RNA, protein-material conjugates for inverse vaccines to induce antigen-specific tolerance in autoimmunity and allergy, and in protein therapy to tip immune balances toward aggression in immuno-oncology and toward tolerance in inflammatory disease. His interests are both basic and translational, having founded or co-founded six biomedical companies based on his technology.

Before moving to New York University, Hubbell was at the University of Chicago in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, where he helped build its strength in immunoengineering. Prior to that, he was on the faculty of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL, where he served as founding Director of the Institute of Bioengineering and Dean of the School of Life Sciences), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and University of Zurich, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of Texas in Austin. He was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering in 2010, the National Academy of Medicine in 2019, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021, and the National Academy of Sciences in 2023.