TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES

Applying our expertise in early-stage science and clinical development to invest in best-in-class life sciences opportunities.

UPMC Enterprises Value

Adding value through scientific expertise, clinical insights, and capital

The Translational Sciences group at UPMC Enterprises combines scientific, clinical, and investment expertise to invest $1B in life science companies of all stages that are targeting diseases of high unmet medical need. We accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries from bench to bedside, form companies, and invest externally in companies across geographies that are developing innovative therapies and products. In additional to capital, we provide full access to UPMCs vast clinical, payer, and operational resources and expertise.


$1B commitment to scientific advancements

We are investing $1 billion into our pipeline portfolio development, company formation efforts, and syndicated venture capital financings across all geographies. Our strategy incorporates a long-term view and high risk tolerance.


Committed to disease areas with high unmet need and approaches based on emerging science

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Key Focus Areas

Seeking ground-breaking science in key focus areas in addition to other disease areas with need for life-changing medicine

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Oncology

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Immunology

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Ophthalmology

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CNS

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Approaches

Committed to technologies that increase understanding of disease mechanisms and therapeutic responses

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Precision Health

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Cell Therapy

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Transformative Platforms

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Gene Therapy


Company Formation

  • Building companies around the most clinically promising and commercially viable ideas from our internal pipeline
  • Accelerating path from earliest stage of investigation through clinical development
  • Ensuring industry-grade quality standards at every step
  • Supporting early company operations with shared services, management, and strong financial backing from UPMC

Complementary Investments

  • Investing in best-in-class opportunities across geographies to complement our portfolio of UPMC-formed companies
  • Providing insights to syndicates of top-tier life science investors through our unique clinical, payer, and operational perspectives
  • Committed to advancing science and technologies that enable more personalized treatments and approaches that expand the tractable therapeutic target space

Portfolio Snapshot: Building Avista

At UPMC Enterprises, our work is focused on leveraging the ideas and resources of one of the largest research and clinical organizations to create life changing medicine. We accelerate the success of our portfolio companies by applying UPMC’s deep clinical and scientific expertise, providing expert venture creation resources, and utilizing our extensive industry network. This video will provide a unique insight into how we built and support Avista Therapeutics, our latest startup developing novel gene therapies for inherited forms of blindness.

Click the link below to learn more about Avista and the team developing these groundbreaking treatments.


Pipeline Portfolio Development

Learn More

Portfolio Development is the pipeline-generating engine for the Translational Sciences at UPMC Enterprises. We partner with technology transfer departments at universities nationally and internationally, looking for innovative science in areas of high unmet need.

We support the best ideas by partnering with scientific investigators to bring world-class science from the bench to the bedside. This support takes the form of monetary investment, subject matter expertise and guidance, along with industry-standard processes that accelerate a technology’s path to the clinic. To date, we have partnered closely with the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Institut de la vision in Paris, and company formation portfolio has resulted from this work.


Translational Sciences Team

Our people have the experience and connections to find and support the ideas that will enable life changing medicine.

James Bauersmith, JD, MS

Translational Sciences

Vice President, Translational Sciences

Rob Hartman, PhD

Translational Sciences

Senior Director, Translational Sciences

Julian Hassinger, PhD

Translational Sciences

Senior Associate, Translational Sciences

Ketki Karanam

Translational Sciences

Vice President Ventures

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Matthias Kleinz, DVM, PhD

Leadership Translational Sciences

Executive Vice President, Translational Sciences

Harrison Lands, MD, MBA

Translational Sciences

Director, Translational Sciences

John Lowman

Translational Sciences

Senior Associate, Portfolio Development

JoAnn Lucibello

Translational Sciences

Project Administrator

Anna Mamo, MS, MBA

Translational Sciences

Director, Translational Sciences

Dhanesh Shah

Translational Sciences

Director, Translational Sciences