BME Seminar Series (Zoom): From Engineering to Entrepreneurship

Zoom: https://uci.zoom.us/j/95801011310 Password: 239488

Abstract: Biomedical engineers, now more than ever, have the opportunity to engage in entrepreneurial pursuits. As social impact entrepreneurs, biomedical inventions are breathing life into underresourced communities. Literally. As inventor of a device called PremieBreathe, Anjelica Gonzalez has used her engineering training to help countries overcome the limitations of clean water and electricity to help babies take their first breaths. Gonzalez is a biomedical engineer by training committed to technology development with a social impact. As faculty director of the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (CITY), she helps students and faculty turn their ideas into tools to have a positive impact on the world. Tsai CITY provides programming and resources for students, trainees and faculty to successfully launch startups based on their own innovations. This work is spurned by inclusive education for human-centered design, a concept that motivates affordable, accessible and adoptable biotechnology in the global context.

Bio: Anjelica Gonzalez currently serves as faculty director of Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale and associate professor of biomedical engineering. Her research has focused on the development of biomimetic materials for use in investigation of immunology, inflammation and fibrosis. The specific applications of Gonzalez's engineered human tissues have been focused on discovery and validation of therapeutics for stroke, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and inflammatory dermatosis diseases. Gonzalez also serves as co-founder of her company, AeroTherapeutics, which creates respiratory devices for infants in underserved communities.