Startups in the Medical Sciences

Upcoming Sessions

The “Startups in the Medical Sciences” course starts on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025, and runs for six sessions on consecutive Wednesdays, concluding six weeks later on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025. Each discussion session will take place from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, both in-person and virtually. In-person sessions will be held in room HS 108, located in the Health Sciences Building at 155 College Street, University of Toronto.

Startups in the Medical Sciences Syllabus

Session dates (links to video discussions will be added after sessions conclude):
January 29, 2025
February 5, 2025
February 12, 2025
February 19, 2025
February 26, 2025
March 5, 2025

Resources & courses

Course Description

Majority of most early-stage emerging biomedical firms are coming from academic institutions. To leverage on the cutting-edge research performed by graduate students in the Institute of Medical Sciences, this course serves as a catalyst for innovation and growth. The introduction of novel commercialization concepts as well as providing real-time examples of companies in the industry will provide students a substansive understanding of being a founder or part of a startup.

Has your research or personal exploration sparked an idea you’re eager to pursue but feel overwhelmed on where to start and how to go about it? Well look no further as this course combines the technical fortitudes surrounding startups, specifically in the field of medical sciences. In addition to this, students will learn about the necessary soft skills of many successful founders. This 0.25 FCE course is primarily for students in a MSc or PhD program that would like to gain insight about startups. Topics discussed in the course include startup structure, value proposition, market and industry analyses, business planning, funding, and regulatory hurdles.

In light of inherent potential conflicts of interest, we prioritize transparency and have established clear guidelines for this course. Our instructor, who is also an entrepreneur, will openly disclose their roles and provide guidance regarding intellectual property (IP). These guidelines specify that students retain ownership of any created IP during the course. However, it is the student’s responsibility to not publicly disclose any pre-existing IP. This approach ensures that students’ IP rights are safeguarded within an ethically managed academic environment.

Course Objectives

Students will develop the ability to critically analyze startup ecosystems, including the evaluation of market trends, funding dynamics, and regulatory landscapes
Students will become adept at strategic planning, learning to articulate the value proposition of scientific innovations
Students will learn to navigate the complex regulatory environments and ethical dilemmas surrounding data privacy and intellectual property in the startup landscape
Students will develop an understanding of the vital role of team dynamics in startup success, learning to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders