The Innovation Advisor has experienced a California startup success and wishes to support the startup community while drawing on their inspirational creativity.
Though very different sides of the brain, science and art are often connected in forms of creativity and innovation. Parisa Khosropour, innovation advisor at UCI Beall Applied Innovation, is fascinated by this connection and has volunteered her time to help share her journey and advice with the startups at Applied Innovation.
In 1992, Khosropour began her career in academia and as she was preparing to apply for graduate school, was hired onto a startup known as Diagnostic Reagents Inc., (DRI) located in the Bay Area with focus on small molecule and protein monitoring. She joined DRI’s R&D team and, with her background in organic chemistry, taught herself cellular immunology and assay development where she developed and successfully launched multiple assays for therapeutics and drug screening.
“I enjoy science and learning new things, I always have and hopefully always will,” said Khosropour. “You see the application of innovation – how it can actually impact someone’s life in a very positive way. It’s extremely motivating.”
Despite her career based in science, Khosropour enjoys theater, attending plays, traveling, architecture and history.
“I like to exercise the other side of my brain,” said Khosropour. “You get to learn about yourself and your fellow man and your capabilities. What people are able to accomplish is truly amazing.”
Khosropour’s role expanded with increasing responsibility as DRI grew, became part of a public company and was eventually acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific, a world leader that provides the scientific community with instrumentation, consumables, software and services.
In 2012, Khosropour’s role transformed into president of Transplant Diagnostics, a division of Thermo Fisher Scientific with a mission to improve the quality of life for transplant patients.
“I think, as human beings, we are most vulnerable when our health is in question … science can enable you to have a better quality of life, take care of you, improve your disease, improve your health condition,” said Khosropour.
She then moved to Southern California to manage the division and retired in 2019. Wanting to still move the entrepreneurial needle and help others, she is now an innovation advisor where she helps guide startups by providing advice on business and regulatory strategy as well as guidance on manufacturing.
“It’s about application of the device, the device should truly add value, focus on that, especially in the life science industry,” said Khosropour. “There’s a lot of distractions, however you should focus on how you are bringing your first product to market.”
Khosropour has worked with several startups in Applied Innovation’s Wayfinder incubator program, including Biopico, Biomentum, SyringePro and Teen MindGames.
“She helped us get into the mindset of ‘starting with the end in mind,’ which means setting our long-term goal first and working ourselves backward from there,” said Martin Banda, CEO of startup Biomemtum and recent UCI Biotechnology Management graduate. “She’s also suggested people from her network to whom we should talk to help aid us in the regulatory strategy, as well as sent us attractive strategic partners to potentially engage with.”
Biomemtum is a Wayfinder biotech company that develops medical devices with biotechnology-based ingredients. The team has recently developed their first product, a medical device that heals wounds two times faster than regular treatments. Khosropour is helping them with their go-to-market strategy from both a commercial and regulatory standpoint.
“I honestly think the startups today have much tougher regulatory hurdles to go through,” said Khosropour. “The regulations and compliances are becoming more and more complex, especially around the world.”
Khosropour plans to continue mentoring and helping startups navigate regulatory and commercialization processes while at Applied Innovation.
“I hope I can add some value and help some of these startups successfully progress from one milestone to the next,” said Khosropour.
Reach Khosropour at khosropour61@gmail.com.
*Main Image: Parisa Khosropour, innovation advisor at UCI Beall Applied Innovation, meets with Martin Banda, CEO of Wayfinder biotech startup Biomentum, to discuss expanding Biomentum’s network.
Photo: Julie Kennedy, UCI Beall Applied Innovation
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