WEHI Postgraduate Seminar hosted by the Scientific Education Committee

Professor David Komander

Division Head – Ubiquitin Signalling division, WEHI

(The struggle of) balancing academic, translational and entrepreneurial ambitions and outcomes

Davis Auditorium

Join via TEAMS

Including Q&A session

Our research in the ubiquitin system has continually posed questions about how best to exploit our discoveries for maximum impact academically, yet also realising the translational potential and our personal entrepreneurial ambitions. 

We have recently discovered that ubiquitin is part of glycogen metabolism, with tremendous implications for the field, yet also posing some of the most exciting translational avenues I have come across, with clear possibilities towards spinout creation. In my seminar I will discuss the status quo of ubiquitin research with its translational impact, and report the latest unpublished data from the lab on non-protein ubiquitination, in a form of a non-confidential slide deck that is currently being presented to potential industry partners and VCs. I will then discuss why and how I think these findings could/should be exploited translationally, and invite critique and insights from a panel of industry and BD leads, to help shape what we should do next.

Panel members: Victoria Jameson (BD), Heshan Peiris (66ten), Bernhard Lechtenberg (Ubs labhead and scientific lead at Ternarx)

All welcome!