October Innovation

News

NSF I-Corps Hub Northwest

NSF I-Corps Northwest 2026 Fall Cohort

Over the course of two weeks, the UCSF NSF I-Corps program hosted its immersive regional customer discovery training course focused on healthcare products. The 8 teams who participated collectively interviewed over 200 customer stakeholders, resulting in thousands of insights! Below is a summary of the teams and what they are working on: 

• Constrix Bandage (UCSF): An adhesive bandage designed to quickly control bleeding following hemodialysis.
• CarePlex (UCSF): A mobile platform that helps caregivers of medically complex patients coordinate resources, information, and care.
• InTerp (UCSF): Accessible audio and visual tools to help patients with limited English proficiency better understand medication instructions.
• DermisCura (UCSF): Microbiome-based tools to support personalized skin health insights and monitoring.
• Quiet Therapeutics (UCSF): Targeted therapies designed to selectively disable harmful T cells involved in autoimmune disease.
• Atmosthera (UC Berkeley): A mobile hyperbaric oxygen therapy unit designed to expand access to treatment.
• PrepGuide (UC Berkeley): A digital guidance platform designed to improve precision and consistency in restorative dentistry.
• Naya Applicator (University of Washington): A reusable tampon applicator and subscription platform designed to reduce waste and menstrual product costs.

Eligible teams that qualify for the National NSF I-Corps program receive a $50,000 NSF grant for additional customer discovery and commercialization training. Additionally, teams that complete I-Corps are three times more likely to be awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant, and nearly 1,400 of these teams have launched startups that have cumulatively raised $3.16 billion in subsequent funding.

UCSF will host 4 Regional I-Corps cohorts focused on healthcare products in 2027!

We have our first 2027 cohort sessions scheduled on February 17, February 24, and March 3. All sessions are held from 5 pm to 8 pm via Zoom.

Coming

LGR Innovation Showcase 2026

Next Week!

The Laboratory for Genomics Research (LGR) at the University of California, San Francisco is advancing functional genomics to accelerate scientific discovery and explore new opportunities for therapeutic innovation.

The LGR integrates advanced automation, high-throughput screening, genome engineering, and data science to tackle complex biological challenges. Dedicated to driving scientific breakthroughs through strategic collaboration, the LGR recently connected with researchers and industry leaders at the UCSF IHG Genotech Symposium 2026.

Building on this momentum, the LGR will host its inaugural

LGR Innovation Showcase at UCSF Mission Bay:

Date & Time: November 4, 2026 | 12:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Location: UCSF Mission Bay Campus, San Francisco

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