Pison In The Community: LIFT Fellows at UMass Lowell
Last week, Megan Blackwell represented Pison on a dynamic four-member panel evaluating pitches from the second cohort of the UMass Lowell Innovative Fellows Training (LIFT) program. This initiative equips doctoral candidates and postdocs in the sciences with essential entrepreneurial skills. Specifically, it helps them transform aging-related innovations from the lab into viable marketplace solutions.
As a result, the event had a lively “Shark Tank” atmosphere. Nine Fellows presented their ideas, market analyses, business plans, and resource needs to an expert panel for feedback. Panelists included neuroscientists, data scientists, and an investor, each offering unique perspectives.
Moreover, the LIFT program’s focus closely aligns with Pison’s mission. By advancing wearables and applications that monitor brain health and fatigue, Pison addresses two critical concerns for the aging population. Thus, the experience proved especially meaningful for our team.
During the session, the audience explored an impressive variety of projects, such as:
Enhanced circadian rhythm monitoring for Alzheimer’s Disease
A “matchmaking” platform linking researchers with contract research organizations
Novel treatments for mitochondrial DNA damage in macular degeneration
Microbiome assessments using organoid models
Expanded access to fruit fly stem cells for complex research questions
New insights into non-coding RNAs, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and G-quadruplexes—each from separate pitches
Ultimately, the LIFT program empowers scientists to pursue careers beyond academia. By providing real-world business exposure, it supports their transition into entrepreneurship. Seeing the Fellows’ progress over just three months was both impressive and inspiring.
