Lab to Launchpad (L2L) is a new seminar series, hosted by the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells (IBSC), which focuses on non-academic career paths in science. This series is meant to give trainees the opportunity to network and
Meetings are typically held on a Tuesday each month in Biomed 200. ****schedules may change, please refer to the specific scheduled date to confirm location and time.
Do you have feedback and suggestions to improve Lab to Launchpad? Let us know! ibsc@ucsc.edu
Upcoming Lab to Launchpad Seminars
Cory Nicholas – Co-founder and CEO of Neurona Therapeutics
Coming soon.
Recent Meetings
Benedetta di Robilant – Co-founder and CEO of ProMIND Therapeutics
Dr. Benedetta di Robilant is a biotech entrepreneur and scientist with a PhD in Immunology and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University, where she studied stem cells, aging, and age-related diseases including Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and fibrosis. She has experience translating academic discoveries into biotech ventures. Dr. di Robilant previously founded Dorian Therapeutics, a Stanford spinout acquired by Altos Labs and is now the co-founder and CEO of ProMIND Therapeutics, developing first-in-class therapies for neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her work sits at the intersection of aging, neuroscience and translational medicine, with a focus on advancing fundamental discoveries toward meaningful patient impact.
Sharmilla Chatterjee – Principal Scientific Manager, Genetech
Dr. Chatterjee is a molecular and cellular biologist with expertise in single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, and other molecular profiling methods. As a Principal Scientific Manager at Genentech, she leads single-cell molecular profiling efforts supporting biomarker discovery and translational research to enable drug discovery. Her previous work at 10x Genomics contributed to the development of key multiomic platforms, including Multiome ATAC+GEX, Visium Spatial and the FLEX assay. Dr. Chatterjee’s research spans mammary gland developmental biology, angiogenesis, and cancer signaling, resulting in multiple peer-reviewed publications, patents, and competitive awards including CIRM fellowships and recognition at Gordon and ASIOA conferences.
Matt Eckler – Healthcare Investor, Samsara Biocapital
Dr. Matt Ekler, a Healthcare Investor from Samsara Biocapital. Matt is a Principal at Samsara, where he leads the firm’s public equity strategy. He joined in 2025, bringing over two decades of combined experience in healthcare investing and scientific research. Before joining Samsara, Matt held investment roles at ArrowMark Partners, GMT Capital, and RBC Capital Markets, and earlier in his career, conducted research on the genetics of early brain development and circuit-level plasticity. Matt received a BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a PhD in Molecular Biology from UC Santa Cruz, and completed his postdoctoral work in neuroscience at UC San Diego. Please join us to hear about his exciting career trajectory!