ELEMENTAL

Shortly after developing a research project for her Ph.D., in 2017 Safavi translated this passion to Purist, a UC Irvine startup and Wayfinder graduate that focuses on low-cost, rapid production and distribution of radioactive supplies that are used to diagnose and treat life-threatening diseases like cancer. She co-founded the startup with Mikael Nilsson, former professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

“I was fearful of anything nuclear related at the time…the thought of radiation kind of scared me,” said Safavi, CEO of Purist. “But he [Mikael Nilsson] talked about this project and that there’s a huge need for isotopes for medical applications, and we have a shortage.”

Often used for imaging and radiation therapy, radioactive isotopes, or radioisotopes, have a limited shelf life and, once they are created, need to quickly be administered otherwise the ingredients lose their affects. Additionally, these radioisotopes often require a nuclear reactor to be produced, and despite the handful of larger scale reactors across the nation that have the capability to produce these radioisotopes, Safavi realized there are smaller research reactors available across the U.S. that with the development of the right technology can produce these important ingredients, increase our supply chain and decrease dependence on foreign resources.

CUSTOMER DISCOVERY

After participating in UCI Beall Applied Innovation’s I-Corps program, Safavi was able to determine her technology’s use in the marketplace by interviewing potential customers.

“She fits the bill perfectly of someone who has the passion for the technology and that she wanted to make an impact above and beyond the academic environment,” said Doug Crawford, MBA, senior licensing officer at Applied Innovation. “The most important distinguishing factor about Leila was that she embraced the customer discovery process.”

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the I-Corps program trains innovators to expand their research project to a broader scope and use that to develop solutions to real-world problems. Safavi used this program available at UCI Beall Applied Innovation to hone her focus and learn more about her customer’s pain points and needs, including availability of the necessary medications for patients with life-threatening diseases. Safavi also made impactful connections and created a business plan from the I-Corps program.

“The most important thing was the connections I made,” said Safavi. “It’s a very easy, non-threatening way to make connections with potential partners and customers without really wanting anything. I-Corps has been a very valuable technique throughout my whole journey.”

Not long after, in 2016, she filed a patent for her technology and in 2017, won first place and $10,000 in the Tech Surge track of the New Venture Competition, through UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business. In the same year, Purist won first place in UCI’s School of Medicine’s new venture competition, taking home a grand total of $25,000 to kick off her startup journey. Safavi continued to pursue non-dilutive funding through government grants and in early 2019 received a $223,000 Small Business Innovation Research Award from the National Institutes of Health. She used that money to conduct more R&D so her technology could meet medical and pharmaceutical industry requirements, in addition aimed to collaborate with Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

In late 2019, Safavi was accepted into Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Innovation Crossroads two-year program, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy that connects the nation’s top innovators in the energy sector. Safavi found additional funding through this program and continued research her startup’s technology. However, as 2020 quickly brought many programs to a screeching halt, Safavi, still maintained relationships with the laboratory and returned to UCI.

“During my time there, I got connected to so many amazing people—great scientists. I think Oak Ridge is the pioneer in nuclear in the country,” said Safavi. “I was among the top scientists, and the top brains in anything nuclear-related, so it was a great experience even though it was a little shorter than I wanted to be.”

But 2020 didn’t damper Safavi’s determination.

In October 2020, her technology was officially patented, and she continues to pursue non-dilutive funding to support her startup’s research.

CROSS CAMPUS COLLABORATION

Safavi is not the only one to discover the impact that radioisotopes could have on medications for patients with serious illnesses. Joyce Keyak, Ph.D., UCI professor of Radiological Sciences including multiple join appointments, has been working to develop a radioactive bone cement through her startup Bone-Rad, which produces an innovative and cost-effective targeted treatment for bone and spinal tumors.

“She’s so passionate and honestly, at times, I couldn’t see the end of the tunnel, so being able to connect with her was really a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Safavi. “She’s been on this journey and not given up, so every time I interact with her, it’s helpful for me personally to see her resilience.”

Without her co-founder in the country, Safavi and Keyak found common ground in Keyak’s need for radioisotopes after reconnecting in 2020.

“Leila and I have different but complementary perspectives when it comes to our technologies and personalities” said Keyak. “We look to each other as partners in the process in the field of radioisotopes for medical treatment, and during this time of COVID-19, we have found it especially helpful to collaborate.”

The pair have teamed up to use Purist’s technology to potentially produce radioisotopes for Keyak’s radioactive bone cement.