Newsletter
June 2021

UCSF Announces the Creation of the Kunal Patel UCSF Innovation Fund in Support of the Catalyst Program
To support the challenging work of translating breakthrough academic discoveries into treatments that can benefit patients, Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor Mukesh Patel has generously donated $2.2 million to support the Catalyst Program through UCSF Innovation Ventures.

Mukesh and Harsha Patel are Bay Area residents who raised an active family in California while co-founding Smart Modular Technologies. In addition, Mukesh is an investor, board member, and mentor to Silicon Valley startup companies and entrepreneurs. He also understands the importance of meticulous research in healthcare and chose to support the University’s diligent pursuit of science. The Fund was created in memory of their son, Kunal.

UCSF is grateful to the Patel family and their generosity.


We would also like to thank our additional Catalyst Program donors: Julie M. Cherrington, PhD; Zach Collins, PhD; Edward Hurwitz, Managing Partner at MPM Capital; Susan M. Miller and Walter H. Moos; Ian Tong, MD; and Teresa L. Wright, MD. Thank you for your support of translational science! 

Catalyst Awardee Alan Verkman Reaches Exciting Phase I Clinical Trial Milestone
Congratulations to Professor Alan Verkman, MD, PhD on the initiation of a Phase I clinical trial evaluating CFTR activation for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. The compounds were licensed from UCSF based on the discoveries in the Verkman Lab and this work stems from the team's 2015 Catalyst Award Project titled "Small molecule CTFR activators for the treatment of constipation."

Catalyst Awardee Rima Arnaout Achieves Breakthrough in Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Heart Disease
Catalyst Awardee Professor Rima Arnaout, MD, has been making excellent progress on her team's 2018 Catalyst Project and recently published a study in Nature Medicine that shows an unprecedented detection rate of complex congenital heart disease using deep-learning to screen ultrasound imaging for fetal heart defects. Congratulations to Professor Arnaout and the entire project team!
Akili Interactive Secures $160 M in Financing to Deliver on the Promise of Digital Therapeutics
In Summer 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Akili's flagship product EndeavorRX (the first-ever video game therapeutic) as a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, based on research by Catalyst Awardee Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD. Now this funding will support a go-to market approach that brings EndeavorRx to families and healthcare professionals at scale and expand Akili’s global footprint within ADHD and beyond.

Advisor Spotlight
Former Catalyst Director and current Catalyst Advisor, June Lee, MD, FACCP is the Founder, President, & CEO at Esker Therapeutics, a precision medicine company reimagining discovery, development and treatment approaches for autoimmune diseases, which just launched with a $70 M Series A financing by Foresight Capital.

Upcoming Funding Opportunity
The University of California Drug Discovery Consortium (UCDCC) has formed partnerships with Astrellas Pharma and Ono Pharma for 2021 and is offering two cycles of $50,000 Seed Grants. Letters of Intent for 2021 are due June 14 and 27. Learn more here or contact UCSF site lead Professor Jason Gestwicki, PhD for details.
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