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catalyst.mitlinq.org
Catalyst ProgramDeveloping people and ideas that will drive healthcare innovation
Catalyst is pioneering a new method of research-driven biomedical innovation An immersive, collaborative innovation program, Catalyst focuses on intensive, extended hands-on research and development, complemented by advanced technical and innovation training. Catalyst teams identify medical needs that can be met with innovative technologies, build multiprofessional teams to design these new technolo-gies, and launch projects that show strong potential for healthcare impact.
HOW IT WORKS• Fellows cohorts identify compelling
unmet medical needs solvable by new technologies
• Project ideas and work are not con-strained by the expertise or resources of a single lab or organization
• Mentors and collaborators drawn from diverse, open, and growing net-work across the innovation ecosystem
• Over 2–3 years teams show proof of technical concepts and de-risk to demonstrate feasibility and value.
• Teams have multiple exit options, from further research with new fund-ing to startups or licensing.
TO DATE• 34 Fellows, 131 collaborators • 88 research groups in 31 institutions• 16 teams advanced to project / prod-
uct development stage• 5 start-ups with funded launch
Projects advancing to commercial development
PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS
“The starting premise and driv-ing force [of the Catalyst pro-gram] is to devise projects that will make a big difference and, working together, we are on our way to doing that.” Catalyst Fellow
“Collaborating on the project has improved my approach to my own work…There is a before and after Catalyst in my career.” Catalyst project collaborator
75% of projects attract new investment
MIT Catalyst44%
60%
MIT overall15%
ContactDr Martha [email protected]+1 617 258.9225
MIT linQMassachusetts Institute of Technology E25-406Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Catalyst projects: Two examples
neuroQWERTYQuantifying motor impairmentThe motor signs of Parkinson’s disease and some other neurodegenerative conditions are subtle and difficult to diagnose objectively, especially early in the disease process when interventions may be more effective. Team neuroQWERTY realized that the solution for detecting this early decline may be literally at our fingertips—in daily in-teractions with computers, mobile phones, and tablets. Their technology can distin-guish changes due to motor impairment from these keyboard tactile interactions.
LeukoNon-invasive white blood cell countingImagine a blood cell count device that needs no blood and has the size of a cell phone. Team Leuko’s innovative optics sense through the skin, and count white cells as they flow past a miniature lens. The white cell count is the first line indicator for medical applications ranging from chemotherapy management to the detection of life threatening infection in as many as four billion people worldwide.
Catalyst process1: OPPORTUNITY VALIDATION5–6 months
Explore therapeutic and technology areas• Agnostic about inter-
ests of any single lab/ organization
Curated portfolio of opportunities• Valuable unmet
needs• Solution ideas• Plausible project
proposal
Project de-risking• Solution design• Engage collaborators• Proof of concept
Identify innovation opportunities • Iterative process en-
gages guidance from medicine, research, and business
Project selection and development• Exit to outside
funding (further R&D, startup)
2: RESEARCH EXECUTION18 months
3: DEVELOPMENTMonths 19+
Catalyst is an open program that wel-comes participation by diverse people and organizations, across the biomedical technoloy innovation lifecycle. Contact us to learn more about how to partici-pate in this groundbreaking biomedical innovation initative.
EARLY INTERVENTIONProjects that can enable earlier, better responses to disease and injury
Team Cell Reinventing cytometry to find rare cells in blood and to provide a wider reach for leukemia/lymphoma diagnosis
Team Colo Improving colonoscopy screening to reduce colorectal cancer mortality
Team Fetal Detecting an insufficient placenta that may put a fetus at risk and indicate the need for early delivery
Team neuroQWERTY Creating a new transparent technology to detect early signs of neurodegenerative disorders via finger interaction with electronic devices
Team Skin Developing a new technol-ogy to help primary care physicians to quickly identify potentially malignant skin lesions
MANAGING HEALTHProjects that can help people achieve and maintain better health
Team Brain Using imaging to find bio-markers that help distinguish bipolar disorder from major depressive disorder
Team Eye An affordable and accurate device, the “QuickSee,” to prescribe eye-glasses at the push of a button—increas-ing accessibility to eye care in low-re-source settings
Team Hydration Developing a non-in-vasive monitor that mitigates the wide-spread problem of dehydration in elderly care homes by directly sensing physio-logical hydration
Team Leuko Enabling non-invasive white blood cell counts – a first-line indicator of infection and risk of infection
Team Scolio Creating a new technology that enables scoliosis patients to con-trol their spinal alignment, potentially avoiding progression and more traumatic therapies
BETTER CARE DELIVERYProjects that can make clinical care safer and more effective
Team CT Developed automated image analysis methods to guide therapy fol-lowing pulmonary embolism
Team Lumbar Building an acoustic mi-croscopy technology as an alternative to difficult and painful lumbar punctures to test for meningitis in infants Team mPET Enabling simultaneous imaging of multiple PET radiotracers to improve oncologic, neurologic, and cardiac disease management
Team MS-SAR Working on hardware and software innovations to provide person-alized MRI to enable earlier detection of multiple sclerosis and imaging in patients with implanted electrodes
Team Pancreas Developing novel MRI approaches to measure tissue fibrosis in patients with pancreatic cancer as an indicator of therapeutic efficacy
Team TxResponse Developing new markers that provide early indication of whether a chemotherapy is effective
MIT linQ Catalyst Projects since 2012
catalyst.mitlinq.orgMIT linQMassachusetts Institute of Technology E25-406Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139+1 617 258.9225
The best analogy I can find for the Catalyst experience is that of learning a new language. When I joined Catalyst I knew the language of algorithms and academia, that is, how to generate code, design and perform experiments, and report them. However, re-search does not directly imply impact. It is only through the junction of a strong need, a viable solution and thorough scientific and business execution that ideas can turn into reality. Before Catalyst I did not know how to do spot needs, perform medical research, how to protect the discoveries or how to write a business plan.
“During Catalyst I learned what I was lacking. First, I learned what Intellectual Property really means. I was able to make six provisional patents; five of them were licensed to companies that are implementing them. This is a key milestone for me. It means that I could spot the need (new language), develop a solution, protect it through the collaboration with lawyers (new language) and get it to the hands of the corporations interested in taking it one step further (new lan-guage). Further, I am actively collaborating with such companies in their implementation as a scientific consultant (new language).
“Right now, three years after Catalyst, I am living in Spain and I have created a company, Sierra Research, to put to use the skills and know-how I have learned throughout the Catalyst experi-ence. It has been one year after its creation and I already have projects dealing with prediction of clinical outcomes or the development of cancer diagnostics, in collaboration with hospitals and companies both in the U.S. and Spain. It is a lot of work, but I can really say I am following my goals, which are a) to improve healthcare through the use of technology and b) having an im-pact in the country that show me grow and educated me. Before Catalyst I knew how to develop technology. Now I know the steps needed to have such impact.”
Germán was a Catalyst Fellow from 2011–2014. He was a member of Teams CT, Colo, and Cell.
PROFILE
Germán González Serrano, PhD
catalyst.mitlinq.org
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MIT linQMassachusetts Institute of Technology E25-406Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139+1 617 258.9225