UCLA INVENTS is a monthly bulletin published by the Office of Intellectual Property (OIP) to highlight entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology commercialization at UCLA. [subscribe ]
OIP to Announce New Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Program
Connecting UCLA technologies with serial entrepreneurs and investors to bolster entrepreneurship across campus.
The Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Sponsored Research is piloting an Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) program to connect UCLA technologies with industry executives, serial entrepreneurs, and the larger investor community. EIRs will lend their own industry and startup experience to help guide and bolster entrepreneurial efforts across campus.
The charter class of EIRs includes a select group of seasoned executives who have demonstrated entrepreneurial successes in markets most applicable to UCLA’s strongest areas of research. Over the course of three months, EIRs will work closely with UCLA inventors, entrepreneurs, and the OIP-ISR team.
EIRs will be involved in a range of activities on campus, including:
Meeting with UCLA inventors including faculty, postdocs, and graduate students, to lend commercial perspective on research/technologies
Provide guidance to faculty and student entrepreneurs interested in starting a company
Hold on-campus speaking engagements to share their own experiences and advise faculty, post-docs, and students on startup matters
Please join us on Thursday, April 11th, at 4:00pm at CNSI for a panel discussion and networking reception with the charter class of EIRs. For more information on the program and launch event, please contact Thomas Lipkin, Assistant Director of Entrepreneurship and New Ventures in OIP-ISR (thomas.lipkin@research.ucla.edu).
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FDA Approves First Retinal Implant for Adults with Rare Genetic Eye Disease
Wentai Liu, UCLA professor, Bioengineering, is a co-inventor.
For UCLA bioengineering professor Wentai Liu, more than two decades of visionary research burst into the headlines last month when the FDA approved what it called “the first bionic eye for the blind.”
The Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System — developed by a team of physicians and engineers from around the country — aids adults who have lost their eyesight due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), age-related macular degeneration or other eye diseases that destroy the retina’s light-sensitive photoreceptors...
Fibrocell/UCLA Study on Human Skin Cells Yields Promising Results
The development of a more stable method to create iPS cells from skin cells allows for the potential of a reproducible commercial manufacturing process.
March 20, 2013, EXTON, PA – Fibrocell Science, Inc. (OTC: FCSC) announced today that its research collaboration with UCLA has resulted in a discovery that may lead to a more predictable, commercially viable method of producing stable, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from adult skin cells. The study has been accepted for publication in the Stem Cell Research and Therapy peer-reviewed journal and the provisional paper is available online . It was conducted under the guidance of James Byrne, PhD, assistant professor, UCLA Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.
“We continue to be pleased with the results of our collaboration with UCLA to pursue the full potential of fibroblasts,” said David Pernock, CEO and Board Chair, Fibrocell Science...
Short Film on UCLA's Supercapacitor Research Goes Viral, Finalist in Competition
More than 1.5 million views... and counting.
Richard Kaner, Ph.D. of the department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was featured in Brian Golden Davis’ short film entitled
The (Super) Supercapacitor, a finalist in the GE Focus Forward short film competition designed to “highlight exceptional people and world-changing ideas that have impacted the course of human development.”
The video features Dr. Kaner's research on graphene supercapacitors, an innovation that could revolutionize energy storage. A graphene supercapacitor, as stated by Dr. Kaner, is “like a battery, but charges and discharges 100-1,000 times faster” which eventually could lead to minimal charge times, 30 seconds for an iPhone or a couple of minutes for an electric car. Graphene is also biodegradable which could limit the environmental impact of battery and fuel based technology potentially replaced by the graphene supercapacitor.
The (Super) Supercapacitor went viral on the internet clocking in 1.6 million views to date. This led to Dr. Kaner’s research to be featured by a number of national and international news outlets such as Gizmodo.com and the Daily Mail.
Not only is Davis’ film cinematically impressive, it encapsulates the brilliance of the invention and its potential to improve our day-to-day lives, as told by Dr. Kaner in his own words outside of the technical confines of a scientific journal article.
UCLA Venture Capital Fund & Startup UCLA Announce Fellows Program
UCLA undergrad student entrepreneurs to receive mentorship and startup experience in Silicon Valley.
The UCLA Venture Capital Fund and the Startup UCLA program are proud to announce the UCLA Venture Capital Fund/Startup UCLA Fellows Program. This program will provide UCLA undergraduate students the opportunity to learn from today’s leading startup companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Successful candidates will be benefit from Venture Capital Fund’s alumni mentorship along with a paid summer fellows program at a NorCal entrepreneurial company. Application Deadline: April 19, 2013
Program Benefits:
Mentorship with a UCLA Venture Capital Fund member while working in the San Francisco Bay Area
UCLA Venture Capital Fund/Startup UCLA Fellows program will provide a paid opportunity to gain hands-on experience and guidance from industry professionals
Opportunity to receive a living expenses stipend or an opportunity to live with a family in the VC and entrepreneur community
Increased marketability and value to employers for future internships or full-time positions
Program Qualifications and Application [web]
UCLA Venture Capital Fund [web]
Startup UCLA [web]
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New Technologies Discovered by UCLA Inventors Available for Licensing
UCLA technology is commercialized by entrepreneurs and established companies - locally and worldwide.
Join us for a panel discussion and networking reception with the charter class of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.
For more information on the OIP EIRs program and launch event, contact Thomas Lipkin .
FIRST LOOK LA
Date: June 12, 2013 Time: 9:00am - 7:pm
Place: ROC, Santa Monica
First Look L.A. supports, nurtures and stimulates our unique culture in Southern California, while furthering L.A.s position as a center for start-ups and emerging technology.
In addition to the presenters, venture capitalists and early stage angel investors attend the event, along with local elected officials, business leaders and senior administrators from the universities.
The UCLA INVENTS News Bulletin is published by UCLA's Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Sponsored Research (OIP-ISR). UCLA INVENTS highlights entrepreneurial and technology commercialization developments, and opportunities at UCLA.
PLEASE ATTENTION editorial comments, corrections, and topic suggestions to:
Bob Nidever, bnidever@research.ucla.edu
Editor Bob Nidever Contributors Erin Bowers
Neil Bajpayee Sarah Honig To subscribe, please visit: UCLAinvents.com
UCLA INVENTS UCLA Office of Intellectual Property and Industry Sponsored Research 11000 Kinross Ave., Suite 200; Los Angeles, CA 90095 | tel. 310-794-0558 | http://oip.ucla.edu
