Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator
From innovation to impact
Biomedical research at Harvard has the potential to improve countless lives, revolutionize industries, and create immense social and economic value. Translating this early-stage research into compelling, validated technologies requires careful planning, focused resources, and a tireless pursuit of results.
The Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator guides Harvard scientists toward translational impact by providing strategic, monetary, and advisory support for well-defined research projects. Our work is expressly aimed at hastening the pace of scientific progress, developing a shared vision with partners in industry, and ensuring that lifesaving technologies born at Harvard will become new products that impact the world for the better.
Read about the research projects recently funded or find out how to apply for funding in 2025.
Accelerating innovation to transform medicine
In this video created by the Blavatnik Family Foundation in 2020, learn how the targeted funding and strategic advising of the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator at Harvard University is helping Harvard scientists to understand disease and advance new treatments that may save lives.
Find out how to apply for funding in January or July 2025.
The Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator was established through a major gift from the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
Proving the value of big ideas
The Accelerator seeks to support innovative, investigator-initiated research, and to develop preliminary observations into robust intellectual property positions. Its primary goal is to advance technologies to the point where an industry partnership can commence.
We employ a proven strategy of selecting projects with significant commercial potential, and providing financial support and domain expertise to fuel translational research, proof-of-concept, and technological development. We simultaneously build relationships with industry, generating partnerships and licensing opportunities, and facilitating startup formation and investment.
New projects in 2024
In labs across Harvard University, 11 innovative research projects received new support from the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator in 2024. Our investigators are advancing crucial translational work in the areas of infectious and inflammatory diseases, oncology, cell and gene therapy, women’s health, and other areas. The Accelerator support will move them to an inflection point where they will be ready for commercial partnership. To learn more, please contact us.
Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases
Enhancing Food Allergy Treatment By Blocking the Activity of Monocyte-Derived Dendritic Cells
Kari Nadeau
John Rock Professor of Climate and Population Studies; Chair, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Evaluation of a Novel Linker to Display Antigens on Nanoparticles Towards Exposure of Cross-Reactive Antibody Epitopes
Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire
Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases; Radcliffe Assistant Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Women’s Health
A Long-Lasting Prolactin to Combat Lactation Insufficiency
Pamela Silver
Elliott T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School
Cell and Gene Therapy
Next-Generation Viral-Like Particles for Next-Generation Nucleic Acid Delivery
George Church
Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School
Engineering Erythroid Cell Lines for Universal Transfusion-Compatible RBC Production
Manoj Duraisingh
John LaPorte Given Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Oncology
Develop Small Molecules Against HECT-family E3 Ligase for Cancer Treatment
Ying Lu
Assistant Professor of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School
Targeting Selenoprotein Biosynthesis to Enhance Ferroptosis in Cancer
David Scadden
Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences / Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School; Gerald and Darlene Jordan Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Characterization of an Allosteric Cereblon Binding Site for Targeted Protein Degradation
Christina Woo
Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Other areas
Injectable Electrotherapeutic Scaffold for Celiac Plexus Stimulation for Medically Refractory Gastroparesis
Shriya Srinivasan
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Exploring the Potential of An Underexplored Covalent ‘Warhead’ in Drug Discovery
Emily Balskus
Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences