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Realizing the Full Potential of Harvard’s Promising Life Science Research

Harvard faculty researchers are at the forefront of life science and biomedical innovation.

The Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator at Harvard University provides essential gap funding, development support, and business expertise to help faculty investigators achieve the full potential of their work.

The Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator provides principal investigators employed by Harvard University with:

  • Financial support to fuel translational research, proof-of-concept, and development of nascent technologies—funding that is difficult to obtain from traditional sources
  • Commercial expertise to help faculty investigators successfully navigate the transition of their technologies from the academic lab to the commercial sphere
  • Pathways to partnership, helping generate licensing opportunities, facilitate startup formation and investment, and realizing other commercialization avenues for novel technologies
BBA RFP 650sm 225 150

View the current Request for Proposals (PDF). Proposals are welcomed from Harvard principal investigators with early-stage research in a range of life science areas, including therapeutics, diagnostics, drug delivery technologies, medical devices/instruments, and enabling technologies for drug discovery.

Take note: a major aspect of the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator's suite of support is the access to industry consultants, available to Harvard faculty regardless of project funding.

In addition, the Accelerator can connect emerging startups with external resources, such as Golden Ticket opportunities — please reach out.

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Could your research benefit from Accelerator funding?

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Request for proposals

The Request for Proposals for funding in 2024 is now available. Download the PDF for more information about the program's mission, application criteria, and helpful guidelines.

Resources year-round

The Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator provides valuable access to industry consultants for Harvard faculty, regardless of project funding.


The Accelerator has been indispensable in helping me in the translation process for a number of my technologies, especially by providing support for medicinal chemistry, which was essential to design and make compounds to advance my work.

Junying Yuan, PHD

Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School


Consultants for faculty

Bringing innovative new technologies to market doesn’t just require dogged scientific research—it requires deep experience in product development as well. So in addition to project funding, the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator provides access to specialized consultants with extensive industry experience, as well as to a network of 100+ contract research organizations (CROs) that can be engaged for projects as needed. The Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator makes these resources available to Harvard faculty regardless of project funding. If you are a Harvard principal investigator, please contact us at blavatnik_accelerator@harvard.edu to learn more.

Mike Bleavins HS 400sm 282 282

Mike Bleavins, PhD, DABT Expertise: Safety and Toxicology

Dr. Bleavins is the founder and managing member of White Crow Innovation, LLC, a Michigan-based drug development consulting company...

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William Brubaker HS 400sm 282 282

Bill Brubaker, PhD Expertise: Pharmacokinetics, ADME, Bioanalytics, Non-clinical Development

Dr. Brubaker is the founder and President of Farmington Pharma Development Corporation. He has more than 30 years of international experience leading scientific teams...

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G Cuny HS 400sm 282 282

Gregory Cuny, PhD Expertise: Medicinal Chemistry

Dr. Cuny provides strategic and operational consultation in the area of medicinal chemistry. He obtained his PhD in Organic Chemistry from MIT...

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Garvey HS 400 282 282

David Garvey, PhD Expertise: Medicinal Chemistry

Dr. Garvey is the founder and Principal of DSG Pharma Consulting, LLC. Dr. Garvey has over 30 years of experience in drug discovery and pre-clinical development...

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Mel Landon

Melissa R. Landon, PhD Expertise: Business Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Chemistry

Dr. Melissa (Mel) Landon is an interdisciplinary scientist and business executive with a passion for bringing cutting edge technology to bear on challenging problems in the life sciences.

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Fred Lasky

Fred D. Lasky, PhD Expertise: In Vitro Diagnostics

Fred D. Lasky, Ph.D., is Principal Consultant, Lasky Consulting, which helps to formulate regulatory strategies and solutions for the medical device and biotechnology industry.

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Jinbo Lee HS2 400 282 282

Jinbo Lee, PhD Expertise: Medicinal Chemistry

Dr. Lee is the founder and President of Sage Partner International, LLC. He is also co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Scilligence Corporation...

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Lee Mcdonald HS 400 282 282

Lee McDonald, PhD Expertise: Cell and Gene Therapy, Product Development Strategy, Regulatory Compliance

Dr. McDonald is the Owner and Principal of Sota Biotech, a consulting firm providing advice and hands-on work for bench-to-bedside product development programs...

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Peter Rix.

Peter Rix, DABT Expertise: Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology

Peter Rix is President of Launch Bioscience, Inc. and a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. During his 28 years in the pharmaceutical industry...

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Ken Simon HS 400sm 282 282

Ken Simon, PhD Expertise: Biologics, Antibody Development and Engineering, Product Development Strategy

Dr. Simon has over 20 years of experience focused on the development of biotherapeutics for neurology, oncology, autoimmunity, fibrosis, and infectious disease...

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