Read Time: 3 minutes
Tech Topics In This Article: Emory startups, Atlanta startups
Benjamin Siciliano, a Neuropharmacology PhD Candidate at Emory University, knew he was interested in biotech. He just wasn’t so sure that the academic route was right for him.
Academia is a common route for those pursuing a doctorate. But it’s not the only option — particularly for students like Siciliano, who are eager to see their work have a direct, tangible impact outside of the classroom or lab. Many PhD students today are exploring roles in industry, consulting, or startups, where their research expertise can be applied to real-world challenges. For Siciliano, the question became: How could he leverage his scientific background to make inroads into the biotech business world?
He started looking for opportunities around campus and connected with the Emory Biotech Consulting Club (EBCC), a group connecting graduate students across Atlanta with BioTech innovators for help bringing their work to life.
Siciliano says the club is all about creating “synergy between business and science.”
“You have scientists, PhDs, and MDs who want to learn about the business side of startups, consulting,” Siciliano told Hypepotamus. “But we’re trying to reach more MBA students.” The goal is to help create a strong knowledge exchange between science and business students, which can ultimately help bring more biotech projects and companies to life.
Inside The Club
To date, most of the club’s consulting clients have primarily been Emory and Georgia Tech faculty-run startups. The club has been helping those companies figure out their business model, their direct competitors, and who their target customers should be. Students present their consulting project at an end-of-the-semester gala.
Students come not only from inside Emory, but also graduate and professional schools at Georgia Tech and Georgia State. The club typically has around 25 students participate in consulting projects each semester. The program, which is funded by Dean Lisa Tedesco at Emory’s Laney Graduate School, actively partners with Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) to help connect students with new STEM ventures. To date, most of the club’s consulting clients have primarily been Emory and Georgia Tech faculty-run startups. The club has been helping those companies figure out their business model, their direct competitors, and who their target customers should be. Students present their consulting project at an end-of-the-semester gala. Emory-based startups present at this past December’s gala included:
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CerebroBio (CNS Drug Development)
Founders: Arman Jahangiri, MD, PhD; Youssef Zohdy, MD -
Cell Target Therapeutics (Targeted Gene Therapy)
Founder: Matt Rowan, PhD -
SMART2 (Gene Therapy Delivery)
Founders: Reginald Tran, PhD; Wilbur Lam, MD, PhD -
Urearetics (Cardiac Drug Development)
Founders: John Calvert, PhD; Janet Klein, MD; Eric Ortlund, PhD; Jeff Sands, MD
Siciliano, who now serves as the club’s president, wants to help grow membership numbers and help get the word out about what the club can do for students and BioTech entrepreneurs across Atlanta.
For Siciliano and other students, the club is serving as a stepping stone for those with advanced degrees to figure out exactly what is next professionally. Beyond offering hands-on consulting experience, it’s giving them invaluable insights into the nuances of commercialization, intellectual property, and entrepreneurship—skills that aren’t typically emphasized in a traditional academic setting.
