Lessons learned: How Jeff Karp stays at the forefront of innovation

Serial entrepreneur Jeff Karp has a philosophy for his laboratory: find important problems and get solutions to people quickly. To learn about the exciting technologies emerging from Karp’s lab, join us at DeviceTalks Boston on Oct. 8-10. After Jeff finished his PhD in chemical and biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto, he knew he wanted to work with Robert Langer. “He’s the intergalactic translational superstar,” Karp said. Langer, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the most cited engineers of all time, receives thousands of applications per year from people looking to join his lab, Karp said. So when Langer wrote back to Karp telling him that his lab didn’t have enough funding to take him, Karp took matters into his own hands. “So I wrote him back and said, ‘Well, if I brought my own funding, would you take me?’ and he wrote back immediately and said, ‘Yes,’” Karp told us. “And then I said, ‘Would you put that in writing?’” Karp He applied for a fellowship with the Canadian government, attaching Langer’s promise to his application. He was soon on his way to Massachusetts for a two-year fellowship, where he trained under one of the world’s most prolific innovators. The lessons Karp gleaned from his time with Langer have stuck with him throughout his career. Now that he runs his own lab at Boston’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital, he tries to embody some of the things he learned from Langer. ...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: Drug-Device Combinations Pharmaceuticals Research & Development DeviceTalks Boston Frequency Therapeutics Source Type: news