How Postdocs at the Jacobs Institute’s Runway Program are Tackling COVID-19

Live From Technion Webinar with Ron Brachman, Server Ertem, Rebecca Brachman, and Tomer Morad

What happens when industry intersects academia? Join Ron Brachman, director of the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute housed at Cornell Tech in New York City, for this special webinar. Learn about the unique collaboration that has led to 28 startups incubated at the Jacobs Institute’s Runway Startup Postdoc Program, and the many Runway Fellows who are tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

Hear from Runway Fellows Server A. Ertem and Rebecca Anne Brachman, who are developing a test to determine if a patient has developed sufficient immunity against the coronavirus to safely return to public life. In addition, Tomer Morad ’’01, Ph.D. ’15, a graduate of both the Runway Program and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, will share news about his latest venture.

The Jacobs Institute is aimed at applying innovative science and technology to address the world’s most pressing needs. It is no wonder that its entrepreneurs are leaders in the fight against COVID-19, one of the greatest global challenges of the modern era.

About the Speakers:

• Ron Brachman is responsible for all programming at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, an experimental graduate school created by a partnership between the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell University. An expert in artificial intelligence, he has built an outstanding career at institutions including Bell Labs, AT&T Labs, DARPA and Yahoo Labs.
• Server Ertem is founder and CEO of Katena Oncology, whose cancer detection tool is being adapted to fight COVID-19. He received his Ph.D. in cancer biology from Weill Cornell Medicine/Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute and a postdoctoral degree in immune-oncology at MSKCC.
• Rebecca Brachman is a neuroscientist focusing on preventative psychopharmacology, a field aimed at developing drugs to prevent mental illness. She earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University, was a fellow at the National Institutes of Health, and is co-founder and director of the Social Outcomes Initiative.
• Tomer Morad ’01, Ph.D. ’15, is a serial entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in the high-tech industry. Currently, he is CEO and co-founder of the AI-powered optimization software provider Concertio.