Polsky Science and Technology Associates Helping Drive University Innovation Forward
The new cohort of the Polsky Science and Technology Associates includes three University of Chicago graduate students who are working with the Polsky Center’s technology and business development teams to support many aspects of the technology commercialization process.
The Polsky Science and Technology Associates Program is an opportunity for current graduate students to work with the Polsky Center with a focus on screening new invention disclosures for potential intellectual property (IP) protection and analyzing the commercial landscape.
The program provides the opportunity to gain valuable technology management experience from a scientific, legal, and business perspective while learning more about some of the University’s newest and most exciting technologies.
“The PST Associates program allows PhD students to become a part of a dynamic community that is driving University innovation forward. Students gain first-hand experience in assessing technologies for patentability and commercialization and it is rewarding to witness them continue to develop their capabilities,” said Anna Dembo, senior manager, intellectual property and technology development, Polsky Center.
The Associates are chosen through a competitive application process and hold the position for at least a year.
Meet the Associates:
// Joshua Glazier is a sixth-year PhD candidate in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. In the laboratory of Mark Mimee, he engineers non-model bacteria, such as Bacteroides species, to function as novel biosensors for microbiome-associated conditions, including inflammation and pathogen infection. As a PST Associate, Josh is eager to expand his knowledge of intellectual property and get hands-on experience in technology transfer and commercialization. He is also interested in exploring career paths for Ph.D. scientists beyond the lab bench that remain closely connected to emerging scientific discoveries and innovations.
// Emily Liu is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Melody Swartz’s Lab in the immunoengineering track at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. Her research focuses on investigating the role of lymphatics in cell therapies for cancer and developing in vitro assays to assess T cell longevity. She enjoys collaborating with and supporting other scientists, and I value the process of analyzing, debating, and refining scientific ideas.
As a Polsky Science and Technology Associate, Liu looks forward to contributing to the commercialization of innovative technologies and safeguarding valuable intellectual property from the earliest stages.
// Marta Majcherska-Agrawal is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology. Her doctoral research, under the guidance of Chuan He, explores the molecular mechanisms underlying Prader-Willi syndrome, with a particular focus on the role of small nucleolar RNAs. In parallel, she is developing tools to detect and selectively inactivate RNA modifications to pinpoint their functional relevance.
Majcherska-Agrawal is a senior associate at Orange Grove Bio, a therapeutics venture creation firm focused on cancer, autoimmune, and inflammatory indications, where she facilitates early-stage portfolio development. She was also the founding co-managing director of Nucleate Baltimore, where she led efforts to help academic founders launch new biotech ventures.
As a PST Associate, she looks forward to working with fellow researchers across the university to evaluate invention disclosures, shape early IP strategy, and support the critical first steps of moving academic discoveries toward real-world application.