SBU Startup, Lahara Bio, presented in the start-up stadium event at the 2023 BIO International Convention in June.

Christopher Ashdown, a MD/PhD student at Stony Brook University, and Center for Biotechnology Program alumnus presented on behalf of Lahara after securing a spot in the coveted forum by winning multiple pitch competitions from NIH SEED office.

According to Ashdown, “Bio 2023 was an amazing experience, and I was thrilled to be able to share the exciting work that we’re doing at Lahara Bio with the greater bioscience community. The CfB was incredibly helpful in preparing the company for this conference and has done an excellent job of helping me develop on a personal/professional level”.

In addition to the main stage presentation, Ashdown also presented Lahara Bio at the NIH booth. Lahara Bio was sponsored to attend BIO by the NIH after Ashdown won the national investor pitch competition at the NIH Proof of Concept Network annual meeting this past spring.

Lahara Bio is an early-stage biotechnology company using cell-specific mechanical vibration to non-invasively improve biomanufacturing outcomes. Learn more about the company and the team behind Lahara at laharabio.com.

The Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University (CFB) has announced the recipients of the 2023-2024 Applied Research & Development (ARaD) awards. The ARaD Program is designed to help bridge the gap between the early-stage technology discovery and development capabilities of the academic community, and the later-stage commercial development interests of the bioscience industry.

The CFB is supporting the project*, “Wearable Haptic Device for Catheter Based Cardiac Procedures” that is being developed by HapticHeart Solutions. The company is collaborating with Dr. Wei Lin of the Department of Biomedical Engineering to upgrade the haptic handle of their current prototype to a sleek wearable device for a better experience and reduced cost. The technology has the potential to revolutionize the $14B cardiac catheterization market.

Additionally, the CFB will support the project* entitled “”Development of a Structural Model and Enzyme-Inhibitor Interactions for a Novel Cancer Target” by Lime Therapeutics, a startup spun out of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in collaboration with Dr. Ivet Bahar, who serves as the Louis and Beatrice Laufer Chair and Director Laufer Center for Physical & Quantitative Biology within the Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Stony Brook University. The goal of this project is to leverage the computational and molecular dynamics capabilities of Dr. Bahar’s lab to achieve three specific aims related to optimizing the company’s lead compound.

The program currently provides matching funds on a competitive basis to support collaborations between Stony Brook University faculty and New York State corporate partners in all areas of medical biotechnology. The primary interest is in supporting development of technologies that will help companies hit commercially relevant milestones, and that have the potential to positively impact the New York State economy.

Companies that are looking to connect with expertise at Stony Brook University are encouraged to contact Dr. Phuong Nguyen at the Center for Biotechnology to explore options. Dr. Nguyen can be reached at: phuong.t.nguyen@stonybrook.edu.

*pending finalization of contract

View the full press release here.