Penn Undergraduate Biotech Society (PUBS) Podcast

From Invention to Impact: Inside Technology Licensing with Dr. Terry Bray

In this episode, Abby Joseph sits down with Dr. Terry Bray. Dr Brady serves as Executive Director of Licensing for Physical Sciences & Engineering at the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI). With over 30 years spanning academia and industry, Dr. Bray brings a rare view of technology deals from both the inventor and the licensing side. In this episode, we dig into the mechanics of technology licensing—structuring and negotiating agreements, building diligence and performance milestones that move projects forward, and more. Together, we’ll learn about Dr. Bray’s path into tech transfer and practical advice for how students can prepare for industry now. Edited by Abby Joseph and Divyash Shah

Building Biotech: Peptilogics CEO Dr. Jonathan Steckbeck on Innovation and Impact

In this episode, Mary Zawalick sits down with Dr. Jonathan Steckbeck to discuss how he entered the biotechnology industry and created his company, Peptilogics. Peptilogics has gained popularity recently for their development of a peptide therapy for Periprosthetic Joint Infections (PJI). Steckbeck talks about the current projects his team is working on, the challenges of running a biotech company, and the future of the biotech industry as a whole. The episode concludes with advice for listeners who are interested in biotech and are looking to create their own startup.

From Lab Bench to Startup: Innovation at Penn with Dr. Tomas Isakowitz

Today, undergradute Abby Joseph sit down with Dr. Tomas Isakowitz from the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) which helps researchers at Penn move their discoveries out of the lab and into the real world through startups, licensing, and entrepreneurship programs. Listen in to learn about what it really takes to turn research into real-world impact, lessons learned from working with over 150 startup teams, and advice for students who want to explore innovation and entrepreneurship.

CRISPR-Cas9 and its implications: a conversation with Dr. Mallory Evanoff

In this episode, postdoctoral researcher Dr. Mallory Evanoff sits down with University of Pennsylvania student Mary Zawalick to discuss her current research with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology at the University of California, San Diego. She discusses her specific research focuses and how they can be applied clinically to cure genetic diseases. She will also provide insights into how she became a postdoctoral researcher, explain different careers in science, and give advice to young students who hope to research in the future.

Studying Genomics with Advanced Technology: A Discussion with Dr. David Schlesinger

In this episode, we invite Dr David Schlesinger to speak with Lara Mizne about his experience as co-founder and CEO of Mendelics, the largest genomics lab in Latin America, exploring how it functions on a day-to-day basis, its growth over the past decade, and the impact of AI: both on the lab itself as well as on medicine as a whole.