BOSTON—Two life science entrepreneurs, two biomedical engineers, an authority on molecular biology, a venture capitalist, an expert in stem cell therapy, a neuropsychologist, and a mechanical engineer are the 2010 recipients of the Robert S. Kaplan Life Sciences Fellowship at Harvard Business School. All are first-year students in the School's MBA program.
Established in 2008 to encourage students with life sciences backgrounds and career interests to attend Harvard Business School, the Kaplan Fellowships enable HBS to award $20,000 each to nine incoming MBA students who meet these criteria. Credentials may include academic achievements, recognition from outside organizations, and professional accomplishments. Preferences are given to students who are planning careers in science-related businesses or organizations. Awards are for only the first year of the Harvard MBA Program and do not affect the recipient's eligibility for the School's need-based fellowships.
These awards were created through the generosity of Robert S. Kaplan, a member of the Harvard MBA Class of 1983 and former vice chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., where he now serves as a senior director. He is currently a Professor of Management Practice at HBS.
"Science-based businesses play an important part in the world economy and in one way or another affect every one of us," said Deirdre L. Leopold, Managing Director of MBA Admissions and Financial Aid. "We are happy to welcome a group of individuals to the Class of 2012 who want to be leaders in this industry."
The Kaplan Fellowship Program reflects Harvard Business School's continuing commitment to trying to solve the array of problems facing the healthcare sector. In 2005, for example, HBS launched the Healthcare Initiative, a multidisciplinary program that brings together the extensive research, thought leadership, and interest in the business and management of healthcare that are now key parts of the School's agenda.
"These outstanding students bring an extraordinary array of talent and accomplishment to HBS. Their study of management and leadership during their two years here will provide them with new tools, competencies, and perspectives that will add to the impact they will have on society when they graduate," said HBS Dean Nitin Nohria. "We are deeply grateful to Rob Kaplan for his generosity in establishing these fellowships."
The 2010 Kaplan Fellows are:
- Jane Casey joins HBS from OmniGuide, Inc., designer and manufacturer of optical laser scalpels that enable precision minimally invasive surgery. She served as product manager of OmniGuide's Laryngology and Pediatric ENT line of business, which she helped grow 40%. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of science in biomedical engineering from Brown University, where she also received her master's in biomedical engineering.
- Martin Grasse comes from medical device startup Bridgepoint Medical, where he managed a development program for the CrossBoss catheter device. Prior to this he was a design engineer at St. Jude Medical, where he led the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic catheter devices to treat atrial fibrillation. He received his bachelor of science in biomedical engineering and certificate in business from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
- Peter Jurczynski has spent the last four years working with Johnson & Johnson, where he completed the Johnson & Johnson Global Operations Leadership Development (GOLD) Program. His most recent position was as a project engineer for Viskaton, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. He graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a master's in mechanical engineering from Stanford University.
- Melissa Matarese is the co-founder of BeFree! LLC and co-inventor of a mucosal drug delivery system that recently received funding from President Obama's Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Program. She was also recently a regulatory affairs associate for Stryker Orthopedics, where she provided strategic and regulatory input on the design and development of orthopedic implants and instrumentation. She has a BA in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and a master's in bioscience enterprise from the University of Cambridge.
- Mariana Mihalusova has spent the past six years at the Harvard University Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology as a graduate research assistant and teaching fellow. She received a bachelor of science in biochemistry from Brown University and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University.
- Avaleigh Milne was most recently employed as a life sciences analyst at Atlas Venture, an early stage venture capital firm. She previously served as a senior associate consultant at Bain & Company, where she focused on pharmaceutical companies. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a concentration in environmental science and public policy and received her master's in bioscience enterprise from the University of Cambridge.
- Frida Polli recently worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at MIT. She received a BA in English from Dartmouth College and a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology from Suffolk University, and did her dissertation work in the Psychiatric Neuroimaging Group at Massachusetts General Hospital studying cognitive functioning in health, schizophrenia and autism.
- Emmanuel Simons currently serves as an Entrepreneurial Fellow with Flagship Ventures, a life science venture capital firm. He also conducts research at MIT's Langer Research Laboratory, where he initiated a research program to improve the delivery of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and local anesthetics for enhanced treatment of outer, middle, and inner ear disease. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with an AB in neuroscience and music and received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from MIT.
- Jadelind Wong comes to HBS from biotech start-up Primegen Biotech, LLC, where she researched adult stem cell therapy technologies for applications in the field of regenerative medicine and fertility. She was instrumental in developing a patent for one of the company's core technologies in cellular preservation, as well as managing business development and marketing projects. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a BS in microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics.
About the HBS Healthcare Initiative:
The HBS Healthcare Initiative (HCI) serves as a gateway for healthcare research, educational programs, and collaboration. Priority is placed on applying the best principles of performance management and innovation to this complex industry. HCI engages with faculty, students, alumni, Executive Education participants, and many other parts of the University, including Harvard Medical School. Through this powerful alliance of key stakeholders, HBS aims to educate leaders who will make an immediate and lasting impact on the healthcare industry. For more information about related activities at Harvard Business School, please visit the Healthcare Initiative website.
