Each year, Yale Ventures recruits students across Yale’s various schools to join our interdisciplinary teams as Yale Ventures Associates. These associates provide crucial support to Yale faculty entrepreneurs and innovators, engaging in a wide array of projects ranging from research and strategy to financial modeling, technology marketing, and market sizing for new ventures. They work closely alongside Yale faculty, industry experts, and Yale Ventures staff. Throughout the academic year, these teams generate valuable strategic and technical insights that accelerate the pace of Yale innovation and increase the potential for the commercialization of Yale research.  

This year, Yale Ventures recruited its largest cohort to date — 48 exceptional professional and graduate students from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Yale School of Management, Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Public Health, and undergraduate Yale College students. Their expertise spans diverse domains, including life sciences, medicine, law, and business, enabling them to provide invaluable support Yale faculty to reach their next commercialization milestones.

“I am looking forward to engaging with faculty members on innovative and groundbreaking work, and bringing their ideas to fruition,” said Gauri Binoy MBA/MPH ’26. “I also hope to build intersectionality in the fields of technology, health, and medicine. Additionally, the vast range of topics that Yale Venture Lab covers will enhance my understanding and increase my exposure to this fast-developing field.”

These dedicated student teams play a pivotal role in advancing Yale Ventures’ mission of supporting faculty innovations that impact the world’s most pressing challenges.  

Meet this year’s students:

Blavatnik Associates  

Blavatnik Associates are Yale graduate and professional school students selected through a rigorous and competitive application process. These students will provide both technical and business insight for current awardees pf the Blavatnik Fund or those being considered for support. Collaborating closely in small teams with Yale Ventures staff, entrepreneurs-in-residence and Blavatnik Fellows, Associates actively contribute to the identification of the most promising healthcare projects.  

• Ali Alshuwaykh, PhD, Associate Research Scientist, Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, Ph.D. in Neuroscience 
• Kevin Chung, Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (GSAS), 2024
• John Havlik, MD/MBA, 2024, University of Chicago
• Yaqing Huang, PhD in Pathology, 2024  
• Justin Kim, MPH/MBA at YSPH/SOM, 2026, BA in Mathematical Biology from University of Pennsylvania, BS in Economics from Wharton School
• Oh Sang Kweon, Postdoc in MCDB, Ph.D. Organic Chemistry / Chemical Biology from Yale Chemistry Department, 2023
• Olivia Meisner, Ph.D. Candidate in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, 2025, B.S. in Neuroscience, Emory University
• Daniel Pak, Postdoc, PhD, SEAS, 2023, BS in Bioengineering from UIUC, MSE in Robotics and Bioengineering from UPenn, PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Yale
• Anmol Seth, M.S. Statistics & Data Science; Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 2024, Bachelor's degree, Molecular Biology and Public Health, UC Berkeley
• Sonia Seth, Yale School of Management, 2025 & BA/MD, Biology from Upstate Medical University

Canaan-Yale Fellows

Canaan-Yale fellows are a highly distinguished graduate and professional school students in the biological sciences, as well as medical school students with strong backgrounds in the life sciences. These students provide strategic guidance and leadership within multidisciplinary teams, engaging in tasks ranging from in-depth due diligence to exploring investment opportunities for startups in the Canaan Partner’s seed and early-stage portfolio. Upon successful completion of the program, students gain the chance to explore projects focused on select Yale research. This fellowship is made possible through the generous support of early-stage venture capital firm Canaan.  

• Erika Hoyos-Ramirez, Associate Research Scientist, Yale School of Medicine, PhD, Biomedical Science, University of Connecticut
• Heraclitos (Max) Lefcochilos-Fogelquist, Physics Ph.D. Program, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, 2025, B.S. in Physics with Honors, Georgetown University
• Brooks Leitner, MD/PhD Candidate, Yale School of Medicine, 2024, PhD, Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University, BS, Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park
• Kevin Zhu, PhD in Chemistry, GSAS, 2024, B.A. in Chemistry and Computer Science, Washington University in St. Louis, 2019
• Shengyan Jin, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Ph.D Program at Yale, 2025, Bachelor of Sciences, Fudan University
• Toshinari Ishikawa, MBA / MPH, Yale School of Management & Yale School of Public Health, 2024, Bachelor of Pharmacy in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration, University of Tokyo
• Yasmeen Ajaj, 4th year PhD candidate in the Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, Yale Stem Cell Center. Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology from UC San Diego, 2026
• Zhongyu Yuan, PhD in Immunobiology, 2024, BS Shanghai JiaoTong University

Roberts Innovation Fund Associates

Launched in 2022, The Roberts Innovation Fund at Yale serves as a catalyst for Yale’s School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) engine of innovation, thanks to the generous gift of Yale alumnus Will Roberts ’90. This fund is dedication to advancing technologies with the potential to make significant contributions in artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning, blockchain technology, trustworthy computing, computational modeling and more. Student associates provide strategic and tactical support during the various stages of the award process.  

• Suim Woo, MBA, School of Management, 2024, B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Korea University
• Ethnie Xu, MBA & MArch, Yale School of Management & Yale School of Architecture, 2024, Bachelor of Design (BDes), The University of Sydney, 2018
• Michelle Xu, MBA, MAM, Yale School of Management 2024
• Bojung Kim, MBA / School of Management, 2024
• Austin Cai, MBA, Yale School of Management, 2025, B.S in Computer Science, University of Michigan
• Jack Zhang, MBA Yale School of Management, 2024

Technology Marketing Associates

Technology Marketing Associates collaborate with Yale Ventures’ business development team to create compelling marketing materials for public consumption. Their responsibilities encompass conducting market research to analyze the competitive landscape, and crafting materials that elucidate the technology’s business proposition and its attractiveness to investors and other public audiences.  

• Anastasiya Andriyash, 4th Year PhD Candidate in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, 2026, B.S. in Biology and B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of New Mexico
• Bryan Bollinger MD, Yale School of Medicine, 2025

Colton Associates

The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Yale, founded through a generous donation from Judith and Stewart Colton, is committed to advancing innovative and translational research in autoimmune and allergic diseases. Colton Associates support faculty innovators in their pursuit to advance research findings to a stage where technology transfer to a commercial partner or a start-up company becomes a viable prospect.  

• Andrew Takeda, Immunobiology PhD, GSAS, 2024, B.S., Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, UCLA
• Charlotte Sagan, MBA Yale School of Public Health, MPA 2024
• Eunate Gallardo, Yale School of Medicine, PhD  
• Jiaying Chen, PhD in Genetics at Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 2024

Venture Lab Associates

Launched in 2022, Yale Venture Lab expedites the progress of Yale faculty ventures that have already demonstrated proof-of-concept. Operating within six significant domains— Therapeutics, Medtech, Digital Healthcare, Data Science, High Tech, and Climate Tech — graduate and professional students collaborate with teams, including faculty innovators to craft project briefs and facilitate a series of interactive coaching sessions.

• Siddharth Arun, Yale SOM MBA, 2025, B.S. Biomedical Engineering (Johns Hopkins), M.S.E. Biomedical Engineering (Johns Hopkins), B.S. Computer Science, B.S. Mathematics, University of Chicago 2023
• Janani Baskaran, Degree Program & School; Expected Graduation Date: Yale PhD Department of Biomedical Engineering, 2026
  Education History - BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University
• Gauri Binoy, MBA/MPH- Yale SOM, Yale SPH, 2026, BA in Biological Sciences and Developmental Sociology, Cornell University
• Cat Dai, Yale SOM, MBA, 2024, Northwestern University BA Majors in Economics, Statistics, and Anthropology
• Nabeel Kassam, MD/MBA, Yale School of Medicine, Yale School of Management, 2024, B.A. Neuroscience, Psychology, Northwestern University
• Rohan Kumar, Computer Science PhD (GSAS), 2028, B.S. Computer Science, B.S. Mathematics, University of Chicago 2023
• Sreesha Sivakumar, MBA/MPH Yale School of Management and Yale School of Public Health, 2025, B.A. Economics from New York University
• Jai Singh, Yale SOM, MBA, 2025, University of Virginia B.S. in Commerce 2016
• Natalie Tang,Yale SOM, MBA, 2024, Bachelor of Commerce, Specialization in Finance, University of British Columbia
• Aaron Turczynski, Yale SOM, MBA, 2024, Indiana University - Kelley School of Business (2018)
• Yesenia Ye, Yale SOM – MBA, 2024, Economics and Psychology at New York University

Yale Ventures Associates

IP & Licensing

• Isaiah Yim, PhD in Biomedical Engineering, 2025
• Leonardo Mateus,  Yale College, BS in Chemistry, 2024

Corporate Strategy

• Zoey Duan, Yale College, Global Affairs/History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health, 2026

CBIT / Rothberg Catalyzer Ambassador

• Ashley Kwak, Yale College, Biomedical Engineering, 2024
• Ryan Bose Roy, Yale College, 2024

Innovation Community

• Hailey O’Connor, Yale College, English & Fiction Writing Concentration, Yale Journalism Scholar, 2024
• Sianna Xiao, Yale College, 2025