November 2021
A Message from Lisa
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Yale Life Sciences PitchFest is this Friday! From noon to 5pm on December 3, thirty Yale innovators will present their therapeutic, medical device, digital health and healthcare IT projects to fifteen industry judges. It is sure to be an afternoon of important collaboration.

As you will see in this month's OCR Report, there is a plethora of progress and news from a number of Yale spinouts, some of whom have participated in PitchFest and other OCR events in the past.

Please join us this Friday for PitchFest 2021 to witness the next generation of Yale founders take shape.
Lisa D’Angelo, PhD
Interim Managing Director Yale OCR
Associate Provost for Research
What's Coming Up
Join us this week for Yale Life Sciences PitchFest. 30 of the most promising, cutting-edge therapeutic, medical device, digital health and healthcare IT projects developing within Yale will present their research or company in a 5 LIVE pitch to 12 industry executives. We ask you to join for audience choice voting, the chance to connect with Yale innovators and others in the ecosystem, and the opportunity to take home some Yale swag! RSVP now. For questions, please email michelle.mcqueen@yale.edu.

FREE FOR THOSE WITH A YALE.EDU EMAIL
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Please join us on Wednesday, 12/8, for the second Collaborative Connecticut networking event. This month’s event is supported by several organizations in our ecosystem: BioCT, Connecticut Innovations, Elm Street Ventures, Osage University Partners, Women in Bio – CT, and Yale’s amplifyHERscience.
 
Stop by Bear BBQ’s patio – equipped with fire pits and heaters – any time between 4:30 – 6:30pm for a cash bar, conversation and tasty BBQ bites sponsored by Women in Bio – CT. If too cold, or in case of inclement weather, we can move inside any time.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
Our News
Check out Yale OCR's Year in Review
News We're Following
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Yale Spinout, ReNetX Bio Completes Enrollment of RESET Study of AXER-204 for Chronic Spinal Cord Injury
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Yale University spinout, Inozyme Pharma, Begins Dosing the First Patient in Their First-In-Human Clinical Trial for Those with ENPP1 Deficiency
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Yale spinout, Wellinks Announces $25M in New Funding to Expand First Integrated Virtual COPD Management Solution to More Patients
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FDA Authorizes Sample Pooling for Yale's SalivaDirect PCR COVID-19 Test
Yale spinout, Alva Health Named One of the Top Medtech Startups of 2021
Yale spinout, Biohaven, and Pfizer Announce a Strategic Collaboration for the Commercialization of Rimegepant Outside of the United State
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Current, state-wide industry news.
Yale Faculty Spotlight
And PitchFest 2021 Presenter!
Jean-Ju Chung, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology

Jean-Ju will also be pitching at this week's PitchFest event - don't miss her in Block 2!
Overview of my current research programs and what I'm pitching at Yale Lifesciences PitchFest:

My lab studies cellular signaling in sperm capacitation and fertilization under normal and pathophysiological conditions using insights from human genetics and mouse models. Current focus of the lab is to study membrane signaling via ion channels and membrane receptors in gametes and gamete interaction and their translational applications. At this week's PitchFest, I'll present one example of such effort - developing a male contraceptive by targeting the sperm-specific CatSper calcium channel. 

Favorite off-time activities:

Walking Chloe the dog and other hands-on activities such as gardening and crafting/cooking/baking.

Best advice for new innovators & what I'm learning along the way:

As a new innovator myself, I'll leave the best advice for more seasoned and experienced ones to provide. However, I'm learning when data show you a new path - even one that you have not planned on your way - you'd better grab the opportunity!
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