Cornell’s Center for Life Science Ventures (CLSV) has been nominated for a Prix Galien USA Award in the “Best Incubators, Accelerators and Equity” category.

The Galien Foundation, a leading global institution that recognizes and rewards life sciences innovation, will announce the 2025 winners during the Prix Galien USA Awards Ceremony on Oct. 30 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

“We are honored that the Center has been recognized among the outstanding peers in the Prix Galien USA Awards,” said Ying Yang, interim director of CLSV. “This nomination highlights the innovation in our incubation model and the collaboration in the broader Cornell innovation ecosystem. It is a privilege to help translate groundbreaking research into life-changing solutions in human health.”

Prix Galien USA awardees receive a Galien medal, a certificate of recognition and access to the Prix Galien alumni community, a prestigious network of trailblazers working to advance scientific innovation and improve human health. They also join the Galien Foundation Hall of Fame.

“As Jury Chair, I am honored to recognize these exceptional nominees who exemplify the transformative power of innovation in medical technology, digital health and entrepreneurship,” said Kenneth C. Frazier, Chair of the Jury, Prix Galien USA Awards Committee. “Their groundbreaking work represents the future of healthcare and our shared commitment to improving lives through scientific excellence.”

Other Prix Galien USA Award categories include Best Pharmaceutical Product, Best Biotechnology Product, Best Medical Technology, Best Digital Health Solution, Best Startup, and Best Product for Rare/Orphan Diseases.

Read the full press release from the Galien Foundation to discover all the 2025 nominees.

 Just before the world shut down in 2020 due to COVID-19, Hao Shi, Ph.D. ’20, finished the last experiment for his doctoral research. He had developed an advanced imaging tool that visualizes the gut microbiome – the community of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in human intestines – and saw the innovation’s potential for real-world impact for fighting disease.

“I wanted to do something that will make a real difference I can feel in my lifetime,” Shi said. “The pandemic really gave me this drive to actually try to do something now.”

Shi is now chief technology officer of a company leveraging his work to start clinical trials with cancer patients.

That year, Shi launched Kanvas Biosciences with his Ph.D. adviser, Iwijn De Vlaminck, and medical microbiologist Matt Cheng. The team licensed the technology through Cornell’s Center for Technology Licensing and joined the Center for Life Science Ventures, where they explored potential markets for the mapping platform. Eventually, they identified cancer immunotherapy as an area where their innovation could meet an urgent demand.

Read the full article on the Cornell Chronicle.

Ying Yang, associate director of the Center for Life Science Ventures and the Praxis Center for Venture Development, has become interim director of the Center for Life Science Ventures, effective July 1. In this role, Ying will continue to support the Praxis Center, led by Bob Scharf ’77.

“Ying Yang has earned a reputation as a skilled business strategist, administrator, and mentor who commands a remarkable breadth of knowledge about the life sciences sector,” said Gary Koretzky ’78, interim vice provost for research. “As associate director of both CLSV and the Praxis Center, Ying has guided deep-technology startups in diverse fields through early-stage development, fundraising, and commercialization.”

Yang joined Research & Innovation in 2019 with years of global consulting experience at McKinsey & Company, where she advised pharmaceutical and other life sciences businesses. She was promoted from assistant to associate director of CLSV and the Praxis Center in 2022. She holds an MBA in Health Care Management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Yang steps into the interim director role as CLSV’s founding director, Lou Walcer ’74, retires and commences a new phase of his career as a startup expert, mentor, and passionately dedicated Cornell alum. A life-long entrepreneur, Walcer launched Cornell’s first on-campus incubator in 2011. He developed a unique approach to business incubation built on intensive mentorship, accountability for meeting incubation milestones, and access to affordable lab space. Companies incubated at CLSV have created more than 525 jobs and raised nearly $600 million in private equity investment.

As interim director of CLSV, Yang will continue to work closely with Scharf, director of the Praxis Center.

“All of us who support Cornell’s culture of innovation owe Bob Scharf our immense gratitude for his continued service to Cornell’s innovation community,” Koretzky said.

Since the Praxis Center launched in 2019, Scharf has led a rapid expansion of specialized resources and support for high tech digital, engineering, and physical sciences startups at Cornell. Companies incubated at the Praxis Center have created 451 jobs and raised $421 million in private equity investment.

“The successes of CLSV and the Praxis Center are critical parts of a larger picture that includes all the ways that Research & Innovation teams contribute to turning Cornell discoveries into real-world technologies that create jobs, grow the economy, and benefit society,” Koretzky said. “I have the utmost confidence that the leadership of Ying and Bob will bring continued success for our two Ithaca campus-based business incubators, and I look forward to working with them to continue efforts for innovation and collaboration.”