Summer at The Querrey InQbation Lab was vibrant and full of activity. We concluded the Q Summer Scholars program, where undergraduates gained hands-on experience through startup internships. We continued Q Founder webinars, piloted the inaugural AI4Health Pitch Challenge, selected five standout finalists competing for Q MedTech Studio awards, and launched the Business Research Fellowship for Feinberg medical students. We introduced Donut Fridays to foster community and connection at The Q, but more importantly welcomed two new members to the InQbation Lab family!

It’s been inspiring to witness faculty, students, alumni, mentors, and startups collaborating to accelerate Northwestern innovations toward real-world impact. As we begin a new academic year, we’re energized to continue expanding our ecosystem and deepening our commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.

Elan Ness-Cohn joins our lean and dynamic team as our new Venture Research Associate to help lead commercialization programs centered on biomedical and healthcare innovation. His background as an Entrepreneurial Fellow at the Chicago Biomedical Consortium and Senior Consultant at Guidehouse equips him with a strong foundation in commercial strategy and program design—skills that will directly benefit our stakeholders, from research scientists to emerging startups. Elan brings a distinctive blend of expertise in computational biology, data science, and translational research. His academic journey includes a PhD in Biomedical Research from Northwestern and an BS in Biology from MIT. His passion for commercialization and education, combined with our Lab’s commitment to solving complex problems, makes him an outstanding addition to our team.

Jennifer Chadwick joins The Q as its first Director-in-Residence. This role was created, recognizing the importance of her unique background as a former faculty member, a university startup founder, and an executive of a startup that was expanded and acquired under her leadership. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of scientific innovation and business strategy, Jen has held leadership roles across biologics, gene and cell therapy, analytical services, and translational research. In her new capacity, she will provide board-level guidance to academic entrepreneurs, helping Northwestern innovators navigate the journey from discovery to product development. Jen holds a PhD in Chemistry from Purdue University and a BA from Miami University. Her deep expertise and commitment to advancing science through commercialization make her an invaluable addition to our team.

AI4Health Pitch Challenge

The inaugural 2025 AI4Health Pitch Challenge was a new showcase for university faculty and clinicians developing AI-enabled HealthTech solutions. Congratulations to our finalists- Drs. Mohamed Abazeed, Andrew Naidech, Markus Rottman, Robbie Cantrell and Fabian David. READ MORE

Q Business Research Fellowship

The second cohort of Q Business Research Fellows met together with instructors, mentors, PIs and Q Consultants. We are gearing up for an intense 10-week program equipping Feinberg medical students with essential skills in evaluating medical innovation for commercialization. READ MORE

2025 SF Deep Tech Week

In June, Northwestern joined University of Chicago' Polsky Center and UIUC's Grainger College of Engineering in showcasing some of Chicago's leading startups. Ventures based on Northwestern research included NylaNova (Prof. Tobin Marks, WCAS), Coral Innovations (Prof. Vinayak Dravid, McC), Go-Eco (Prof. SonBinh Nguyen, WCAS), Mattiq (Prof. Chad Mirkin, WCAS), HIDENN-AI (Prof. Wing Liu, McC), Volexion (Prof. Mark Hersam, McC)

2025 Office of Research Innovation Award (ORIA)

The Q's Senior Project Administrator, Sarah Stein, was recognized at the inaugural OR Innovation Award Ceremony in August. She was selected among 17 nominees to win in the category of Operations. Since joining our team in August 2024, she has transformed our capabilities and streamlined and organized our complex initiatives that benefit all Northwestern stakeholders. Thank you, Sarah, for your cheerful disposition and incredible work ethic! Congratulations on this recognition!

Amphix Bio (Prof. Samuel Stupp, WCAS) received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for its therapy based on regenerative bioactive scaffolds offering future promise for spinal cord injury. In a study published in Science, the Lab demonstrated a one-time injection of Supramolecular Therapeutic Peptides that helped severely injured mice regain the ability to walk. PRESS RELEASE NORTHWESTERN NOW

Coral Innovations (Prof. Vinayak Dravid, McC) has successfully demonstrated in-line manufacturing of our OleoSorb® product at their contract manufacturing partner’s facility—soon reaching board-foot volumes of our first product. Congratulations on achieving this milestone of bringing OleoSorb® to scale. READ MORE

Prof. Ryan Truby (McC) and his team have developed a soft artificial muscle that mimics real musculoskeletal function, demonstrated in a humanoid leg that can even kick a volleyball, paving the way for more lifelike, adaptable robots.

READ MORE

Led by Radiation Oncology Chairman Dr. Mohamed Abazeed (FSM), scientists at Northwestern Medicine have developed iSeg, a 3D deep learning AI tool that matches doctors in mapping lung tumors for radiation therapy and can even detect high-risk areas some physicians miss.

READ MORE

Prof. Prem Kumar (McC) and collaborators at BU and UC Berkeley have developed the first commercial foundry-made chip that integrates quantum light sources with electronic control circuits, a breakthrough toward scalable quantum photonic systems.

READ MORE

Q Founder Series: Boarding with Steven R. Deitcher, M.D.

Friday, September 26, 2025 12:00 - 1:00 PM CT (Virtual)

Steven Deitcher will discuss two critical entrepreneurial topics. In his first interactive webinar, he will provide practical strategies for selecting, engaging, and structuring scientific and clinical advisors to maximize value, credibility, and growth for life science start-ups. REGISTER HERE

Q Founder Series: Flunking with Steven R. Deitcher, M.D.

Friday, October 3, 2025 12:00 - 1:00 PM CT (Virtual)



In his second session, Steven Deitcher will explore why life science ventures fail, how to recognize warning signs and address challenges, and how lessons from setbacks can strengthen future decision-making and resilience. REGISTER HERE

Northwestern Medicine and Techstars have launched a second cohort for their Healthcare Accelerator partnership. Apply to be part of this exclusive 3-month immersive, in-person program to gain access to funding, mentorship and collaborations. LEARN MORE APPLY NOW

Angels, VCs, and Industry Partners-

In the last newsletter, The Q announced its new dashboard highlighting startups in fundraising mode. Learn more about Northwestern startups that are translating pioneering research and opportunities to meet, advise and invest. VISIT DASHBOARDS

Current and Future Founders-

If you are a current founder or are contemplating becoming one, consider completing this 70-question survey that will help you understand the strengths and gaps in commercializing your innovation. The tool, co-created with 3Pillars Solutions, is available to all Northwestern innovators. Those who complete the survey will receive an assessment across 6 functional areas (Market, Technology, Product, Regulatory & Compliance, Strategy & Co GTM, and Team) and a resource list that supports innovators. COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT HERE

Entrepreneurship at Northwestern Newsletter

SUBSCRIBE to the Entrepreneurship at Northwestern Newsletter. This newsletter is a monthly roundup of university-wide news featuring the launches, raises, and milestones of our students, faculty, and alumni! This snapshot celebrates the wide-ranging impact of the Northwestern community and enables us to stay in touch with our Wildcat entrepreneurs. Please share your own milestones through the newsletter.

Visit the Querrey InQbation Lab to learn more.

Previous Q newsletters may be found HERE.

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