Thane Campbell

In 2014, DARPA's Dan Wattendorf used "scoping" to predict COVID and invest £25m in RNA vaccine technology at Moderna, at the time, 3 people. See 23:31 here 👇🏾 podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6L…

From Lab to Launch: New PhD Program Empowers Science-Based Ventures 🚀 👉 Read more: t1p.de/z4r0y 👉 Apply now: t1p.de/hpm7r #HelmholtzMunich is partnering with @deepsciventures and @SPRIND to support the Venture Science Doctorate (VSD) – a PhD program that merges #science and #entrepreneurship. Instead of traditional lab research, VSD scholars develop scalable #solutions to global challenges such as climate resilience or pandemic preparedness. The VSD program offers: 🔹 Full 3-year funding 🔹 Freedom to define research focus 🔹 Access to a global innovation network 🔹 Commercial training and investor preparation 💡As a key partner, Helmholtz Munich will provide technical input on research themes, co-supervise successful doctoral projects on its campuses, promote interdisciplinary collaboration across the Helmholtz Association, and support prototyping and commercialization with global partners. This collaboration forms part of the broader Biomedical Engineering Initiative recently initiated by Helmholtz Munich, which aims to accelerate solutions and company formation across the Helmholtz Association. 💬 “What we need are people who make it their career not to discover, but to find solutions,” so Prof. Vasilis Ntziachristos, Director of the Bioengineering Center at Helmholtz Munich. @helmholtz_de @Health_talents #VentureScienceDoctorate #ScienceToStartup #PhD2026 #BiomedicalEngineering #InnovationInScience #DeepTech

Jetzt für ein Promotionsstipendium bewerben und Durchbrüche für Klima und Gesundheit vorantreiben sprind.org/magazin/deep-s…

Who is Dan Wattendorf~ Director of Innovative Technology Solutions in the Global Health Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, leading efforts to develop biotechnology platforms for global health. Program Manager at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Program Manager at DARPA, played a crucial role in pushing rapid pandemic response to the top of the agency’s priority list, citing the 1918 flu pandemic as a key reference point. In 2010, Wattendorf pitched an idea for a solution to address the challenges in developing DNA vaccines, which was met with skepticism by many experts. However, DARPA’s willingness to support innovative research, as exemplified by Wattendorf’s leadership, ultimately contributed to the development of mRNA vaccines. Wattendorf’s emphasis on the 1918 flu pandemic highlighted the devastating impact a novel pathogen can have on the American military and society as a whole. This historical event served as a catalyst for DARPA’s focus on biology and biotechnology, leading to the establishment of the agency’s first biotechnology office in 2014. DARPA’s Support for mRNA Vaccine Development Under Wattendorf’s leadership, DARPA’s ADEPT program supported research on mRNA vaccines starting in 2010. Despite initial skepticism from industry experts, the program’s willingness to take calculated risks and provide managers like Wattendorf with autonomy to direct their programs helped overcome the challenges faced by mRNA vaccine development. In the conference room, Wattendorf outlined his ideas to agency higher-ups. Regina E. Dugan, the DARPA director at the time, ribbed him for the writing on his hand before greenlighting his proposal. The result was a program called ADEPT, which invested $291 million from 2011 to 2019 in an array of technologies — including a credit card-sized device for rapid antibody discovery developed by the Vancouver-based firm AbCellera — that, taken together, could significantly reduce the timelines for vaccines and antibodies. gatesfoundation.org/ideas/articles… washingtonpost.com/national-secur… ifp.org/progress-defer…

Transforming scientists into high-impact founders is in our DNA. Our Venture Science Doctorate empowers innovators to create impactful ventures, not just papers. Check the teaser for the Venture Science Doctorate mini-doc. Applications are open! dsv.vc/49mx6BG

In the first session of the 'Inside VSD' series @DominicFalcao, gave an overview of DSV's origin, & vision behind the reinvented PhD program, the Venture Science Doctorate (VSD). Apply to the VSD: dsv.vc/3tstbn3 Watch the webinar: dsv.vc/3Tupbx1

@ryanbuscaglia @MIT And! we got into similar terrain with @arpa_h and @arbesman at our webinar on Roadmapping Innovation 👉 youtube.com/clip/Ugkxsj4WX…

@ryanbuscaglia Thanks for summarizing! I loved Gopal's thoughts on the next scientific leaders! @MIT's William Bonvillian sets out why "Innovation Product Managers" may be needed for US industrial policy here itif.org/publications/2…

ARPA-H Program Managers - will be "hair on fire". 🔥🫡lnkd.in/eWQqx9cX. Craig Gravitz describes them and the model he built from @DARPA, @ARPAE, @BARDA and accelerator best practice. To get ARPA-ready 🔥through a venture-led PhD 👉Apply now 👉deepscienceventures.com/venture-scienc…

The Venture Science Doctorate (VSD) is a new fully funded PhD program developed by @deepsciventures to train science entrepreneurs. It's a program for commercially-minded, scientific visionaries. The focus is not just on research but getting it out into the real world.

@faith_uwadiae @dj_kemist @blackettlabfam @OllieFolayan74 @AFBE_UK @AletoFoundation

If you know of any incredible UK, Black-led organisations that could be involved in this project, please tag them. Please share and retweet! 5/5

📢Calling all Black-led grassroots organisations, supporting the careers of UK Black researchers, @wellcometrust needs you! Today, we're launching an exciting project to see how we can strengthen your work! Join our mailing list to get more info! 1/5 wellcome.org/news/learning-…

All the amazing deeptech climate people:🌎💚 Check out this event @Survivaltechnow & @fiftyyears organize on the @SFClimateWeek✨ See you there!

Why is @fiftyyears' @sethbannon excited about the Venture Science Doctorate? 🤔 Find out 👉youtube.com/clip/UgkxDLh5r… If you want to be in the first cohort of the PhD program that's getting Silicon Valley fired up 🔥 Apply here 👉deepscienceventures.com/venture-scienc…

We asked @sethbannon to speak at our Unveiling for the Venture Science Doctorate and he told it like it is 🫳🎤youtube.com/clip/UgkxjMACF… To join a PhD putting venture at the heart of research apply here 👉deepscienceventures.com/venture-scienc…

@Tom_Westgarth15 @txp_io @stianwestlake Thanks so much @Tom_Westgarth15 and everyone @txp_io for a night of important questions. Your concerns around STEM career paths and deep tech inequality echo @DigiCatapult, @WellcomeLeap, @ESRC and @deepsciventures and beyond twitter.com/arbesman/statu…

Another great @txp_io on funding and scaling innovation, this time at Digital Catapult’s swanky HQ. Thanks to @stianwestlake @Thane_ac and Holly Baines for being great panellists, and our audience for asking fab Qs 🚀 🧠

New @txp_io event at Digital Catapult (feb 22nd) on how we need to reshape funding and scaling of innovation to achieve science superpower status. Ft: @stianwestlake Thane Campbell - @deepsciventures Holly Baines - Life Sciences/Health programme manager partiful.com/e/jgk230EvZbhf…

This is insane - answering (arguably) the biggest pain point I’ve encountered in my life. I want to be an expert to commercialize technology, not to become a professor.

.@wellcometrust is developing plans for new targeted funding to support early-career, Black, UK-based researchers. Today, we are launching an engagement piece to help us develop the best funding we can build! 1/8 wellcome.org/news/were-expl…

@arbesman Honestly such a privilege to have your support Sam!

“venture at the heart of research”! Check out the Venture Science Doctorate program, a fascinating new initiative from Deep Science Ventures.

The next @txp_io is on 22nd Feb at @DigiCatapult, all about funding & scaling innovation, ft. @stianwestlake @Thane_ac & Holly Baines. Couple of changes this time: - switching to partiful for signups - first 50% tickets open to anyone, lottery after that partiful.com/e/jgk230EvZbhf…