News and Congratulations
(From left to right the team member names are: Andrew Sangho Lee, Antranig Baghhdassarian, Brianna Leung, Dr. Shin Cheul Kim (event organizer), Justin Liu, and Johnson Liu)
Andrew Sangho Lee, an alumnus of the CTSC TL1 Training Award program, recently made waves at the HKUST-SINO One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition. Competing in the international student track, Andrew and his team, Empathera, secured both the International Sliver Award and the Elevator Pitch Award, bringing home a total of approximately $7,000 in cash prizes.
Empathera is dedicated to enhancing patient safety and alleviating the burden on caregivers by leveraging data-driven insights to prevent diseases. The team's innovative approach combines the diverse expertise of its members, including students from electrical engineering and medicine, fostering a uniquely comprehensive perspective on medical device innovation.
Andrew's journey is impressive; he is currently a Weill Cornell Medical student who completed a research year as a CTSC supported TL1 Trainee (from 2023 to 2024) with an expected graduation date in 2025. His research as a TL1 Trainee was on targeting fusion-dervied neoantigens for head and neck cancer immunotherapy. His mentors during the TL1 award included Luc Morris, MD, Attending Surgeon at MSKCC; David Kutler, MD, Otorhinolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medicine; and Xi Kathy Zhou, PhD, Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Weill Cornell Medical College.
This achievement not only highlights Andrew's entrepreneurial spirit but also underscores the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration in the biotech and healthcare sectors. Congratulations to Andrew and the Empathera team for their remarkable accomplishments!
Reflecting on the impact of the CTSC support, Andrew Sangho Lee stated:
“I am so grateful for the CTSC for supporting my journey as a physician-scientist and opening doors to new possibilities such as this one. From lab research to formal coursework alongside amazing peers to Empathera, the opportunities for learning through the CTSC have strengthened my skills in working with interdisciplinary teams. I am eager to take what I've learned in my TL1 year to the next step of my career.”
Looking ahead, Team Empathera plans to utilize their winnings to work on prototyping their innovations. They also aim to apply to more pitch competitions and incubators to further their entrepreneurial journey.
The goal of the CTSC TL1 Training Award is to support career development among pre- and early post-doctoral trainees near the beginning of their careers by providing rigorous training and mentoring to conduct translational team research across disciplines and institutions.