Rensselaer Alzheimer’s Fellows to Accelerate Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences (RAFAELs)

Project Summary The proposed Rensselaer Alzheimer’s Fellows to Accelerate Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences (RAFAELs) program will augment existing research and entrepreneurial activities at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to train graduate students in commercialization skills in ADRD field. RAFAELs program is composed of three parts: aim 1, Launch annual summer RAFAELs courses focused on ADRD translation and commercialization, enriched by AI and data science; aim 2, Launch a RAFAELs course to nurture and evolve startups toward financial sustainability; aim 3, Establish a mandatory industrial internship for each RAFAELs fellow. Upon achieving these Aims, this Program will bridge the gap between foundational entrepreneurial knowledge and tangible commercial prospects. It will empower researchers to seamlessly navigate the ADRD translational journey from ideation to market realization, paving the way for flourishing careers beyond academia.