The Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship 2021/22 Cohort
Three Fellows Join Yale’s Office of Cooperative Research (OCR)
The Blavatnik Fellowship at Yale, made possible by a generous grant from the Blavatnik Family Foundation, is designed to identify promising scientists and businesspeople with a passion for biomedical entrepreneurship, and to provide a proactive experience for building their entrepreneurial skills while simultaneously providing mentorship and professional development responsibilities. Melisa Lopez-Anton, PhD, Megha H. Unhelkar, PhD, and Dmytro Ustianenko, PhD began their fellowship in June 2021.
During this one-year fellowship, these highly talented professionals will engage in new venture concepts being advanced across the life science spectrum at Yale University, and work alongside a wide range of world-renowned scientists, investors, entrepreneurs, and other domain experts.
Lopez-Anton, Unhelkar, and Ustianenko were selected from an extensive group of applicants after a rigorous interview process in early 2021. They will work within Yale’s Office of Cooperative Research and report to James G. Boyle, Ph.D., Executive Director of Faculty Entrepreneurship and Venture Development.
“This year’s Blavatnik Fellows exemplify the scientific expertise and enthusiasm for entrepreneurship required to succeed in the complex innovation ecosystem we occupy. Melisa’s expansive oncology experience, Dymtro’s background as an RNA biologist and Megha’s past entrepreneurial pursuits make this group of Fellows an incredibly well-rounded cohort. I have no doubt they will all quickly become requisite members of the OCR machine.” said Boyle.
The Blavatnik Fellowship at Yale is a proven professional catalyst. The intensive hands-on experience has prepared many for C-level positions within startups they have helped to build. To see where past Yale Blavatnik fellows are working currently, please visit: https://ocr.yale.edu/blavatnik-where-are-they-now.
Meet the 2021/22 Blavatnik Fellows:
Melisa Lopez-Anton is a Ph.D. biomedical professional and entrepreneur with technical and diligence background in cancer and fibrosis. Her scientific excellence has been recognized by prestigious European awards including the Marie Curie for her Ph.D. at Cardiff University and the Leonardo da Vinci to work at the Institute of Cancer Research in London. She was a venture capital fellow at FundRx in New York, where she helped to conduct scientific and market due diligence for life science startups. Melisa is chair of the Spanish Women Scientists in USA (MECUSA) were she spearheaded the planning of courses on Entrepreneurship addressed to women scientists’ and promotes women’s visibility. Outside of work, Melisa enjoys dancing salsa and bachata, long bike rides, and socializing with friends. Melisa earned her B.S. in Genetics, Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Valencia (Spain), her M.Sc. from the University Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain), and her Ph.D. on Biomarkers in Fibrosis from Cardiff University (UK).
Megha H. Unhelkar joins the 2021 Blavatnik Fellowship as an entrepreneur and a scientist with a passion for improving healthcare. Prior to the Blavatnik Fellowship, Megha was a Life Sciences Strategy Consultant with Charles River Associates, performing early-stage product feasibility assessments to help guide commercial development of therapies across different areas including oncology, immunology, and rare diseases. Megha’s industrial experience includes working at Celgene to understand the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics of cancer targeting drugs and at BASF, investigating enzyme kinetics. Megha earned her PhD in Biophysical Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine, where she invented a bioinformatics pipeline to discover new proteins from carnivorous plants to characterize them using NMR. She also earned her MS in Pharmacology from Northeastern University, Boston and BS in Pharmacy from the University of Mumbai. Outside of work, Megha has founded and runs a non-profit called “The Science of Colors”. She also enjoys cooking, reading, and running; she is training for the Chicago 2022 Marathon.
Dmytro Ustianenko has an extensive experience in discovery research with a strong focus on RNA biology in human health and disease. He obtained his Masters in Asia, PhD in Europe, and most recently, completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the US, at Columbia University. Dmytro's research focus has ranged from studies of molecular pathways involved in the development and progression of various types of cancers, to establishment of platforms for the discovery and validation of novel RNA therapies. Dmytro's interests extend beyond discovery research; he is also passionate about translating research into real world solutions, and most recently he has co-founded a digital startup focused on the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients that won several pitch competitions.
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About the Yale Venture: Since its founding in 1982, the Yale Venture (OCR) has built a significant portfolio of inventions and patents and has grown into an engine of regional economic development. Its mission is to facilitate the translation of research from Yale’s labs into products and services that benefit society. OCR is recognized as a leading force for catalyzing economic growth by identifying, counseling and nurturing early-stage technologies and guiding the transition into robust companies.
About the Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale: The Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale is made possible by a generous grant from the Blavatnik Family Foundation and supports Yale faculty in the commercialization of applied research and technology in the life sciences. A significant obstacle to the development of early-stage university discoveries is the lack of funding for the proof-of-concept and validation studies needed to demonstrate commercial potential. To overcome this barrier, the Fund provides funding and business development support to help validate nascent technologies and identify potential industry partners to advance these technologies to the marketplace.