As a veterinary surgeon, I have led many academic, federal and industry funded projects at the intersection of science and the rapid advancements in healthcare technology. I built the program for medical translation at Penn Vet from ground up to create an ecosystem for multidisciplinary collaboration and the mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students in the translational sciences. This ecosystem represents the bridge that supports the continuum from discovery to invention to innovation in medical translation. Our core supports a number of large research consortia i.e. The Wyss-Campbell Center for Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome at CHOP, the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders at Penn Med and the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia (PJI, FRI, Biofilm). During my training as a Technology Fellow at the Mack Institute for Innovation Management, Wharton School, I developed a passion for supporting emerging technologies during early de-risking, creating value for PIs, development teams and investors alike. An important aspect of our work is the development of animal models, with a particular interest in model optimization towards clinical relevance, scientific rigor and reproducibility. As a clinician and translational scientist, I have the familiarity working with multiple species in a clinical and experimental setting. I am invested in understanding the value proposition of emerging technologies under consideration and their respective target of unmet clinical needs. Together, we employ this information to enhance the rigor of in vivo studies (experimental or naturally occurring disease models) through focused and technology-specific animal model development. Studies start on a small scale leading towards pivotal non-clinical trials in support of FDA or OUS-FDA submissions and lead or contribute to the design, execution, data collection and evaluation of all in vivo and ex vivo components of a given study. My program hosts PIs, trainees, sponsors during clinical procedures to support and enrich their experience in a cross-functional team setting. My platform at the Penn Vet New Bolton Center has a deep and multifaceted subject matter expertise and logistical capabilities in translational research benefiting PIs, sponsors and associated faculty to continue to pioneer, enhance and support the translational research enterprise at UPenn.

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