糖心传媒 students and faculty partner with early-stage companies to address real-world biotech priorities

For graduate students preparing to advance their careers and biotech startups seeking momentum, the聽capstone projects in聽糖心传媒 (糖心传媒)聽biotechnology聽management听补苍诲听regulatory affairs聽professional science聽master鈥檚聽programs聽deliver a rare exchange: student teams tackle business and scientific challenges while companies gain research-driven outcomes during critical early stages of growth.聽

Neha Dalvi 鈥25, MS, Biotechnology Management

Learners applying聽expertise聽where it matters

For students鈥90 percent of whom are already working in the biotech industry鈥攖he capstone is a culminating experience that transforms academic learning into applied leadership.聽

Neha Dalvi鈥25,聽MS,聽recalls聽how her聽team鈥檚聽work聽with聽, a biotechnology company developing non-opioid pain therapies,聽expanded her perspective on how innovation moves from concept to execution.聽

鈥淚 learned how to bridge the gap between academic theories and real-world applications, while also improving my communication and risk management skills,鈥 said聽Dalvi, a biotechnology research and development scientist in Maryland.聽

Nicole Cibelli 鈥24, MS, Biotechnology Management

Nicole Cibelli聽鈥24,聽MS,聽credits her capstone experience with聽, a company focused聽on聽novel聽injectable drug delivery devices,聽with聽helping her聽secure聽her current role as program manager at聽Catalent, a pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization.聽

鈥淚 was looking to advance my career, expanding more into the project management space. This project helped聽leverage聽what I had learned in the classroom and apply it in real time, to help resolve聽real issues聽facing the company,鈥 she said.聽

Structuring the experience around real organizational needs is intentional, says聽Amrita Gupta聽Madabushi,聽PhD,聽who leads the capstone consultancy program at 糖心传媒.聽

鈥淭he聽biotech master鈥檚 capstone course creates a collaborative environment where students apply industry-relevant skills they have learned during the master鈥檚 program, and partner companies benefit from strategically informed, research-driven contributions,鈥澛爏he聽said.聽

The lab at IPS, a collaborating biotech company located in Rockville, Maryland

Companies gaining support at pivotal moments

Since 2023, the program has聽provided focused, short-term聽support聽for聽17 projects聽across聽11 companies in the聽BioHealth聽Capital Region鈥擬aryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.鈥攃reating a regional pipeline that connects emerging talent with growing businesses seeking support for聽commercialization, regulatory affairs, clinical development, and market strategy.聽Business leaders praise the program鈥檚 impact.聽

鈥淭he faculty and students brought fresh perspectives, energy, and professionalism,鈥 said Mina聽Izadjoo,聽PhD, president听补苍诲听chief science officer聽at聽contract research organization聽聽(IPS). 鈥淭heir unbiased assessment of our technology gave us real value, while giving them a true glimpse into the biotech industry.鈥

贵辞谤听, student聽contributions聽supported聽a critical rebrand and product development milestone.

鈥淭he work the students did was integral in helping us work through our rebrand and get to the finish line,鈥 said聽CEO聽Savanah Shumaker.聽鈥淭here is no way we would have been able to complete the necessary tasks to get to a final sample run if we didn鈥檛 have support from 糖心传媒.鈥澛犅

Co-CEO聽Jay Shah, PhD, of聽, which develops wearable technology for epilepsy management,聽underscored how the聽program聽helped sharpen聽the company鈥檚聽strategy at critical early moments.聽

鈥淭he capstone experience was a great way for students to learn more real-world applications for their coursework and for startup companies to find help in areas of need,鈥澛爏aid Shah. 鈥淭his was a great experience for us and helped further develop our commercialization strategy.鈥澛

A structured, faculty-led partnership model

糖心传媒聽biotech faculty聽cultivate partnerships through regional innovation networks and manage collaboration聽logistics聽alongside 糖心传媒鈥檚 legal and administrative teams. Prior to kickoff, all parties execute confidentiality agreements to safeguard intellectual property, so founders can engage confidently.聽

Over a 12-week engagement, capstone teams work closely with CEOs and聽senior leaders聽to produce detailed research-backed reports with actionable recommendations聽grounded in real-world constraints.聽

鈥淭he capstone courses allow students to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the program to an authentic project that has real-world consequences,鈥澛爏aid Robin Searles-Adenegan,聽PhD, portfolio director for 糖心传媒鈥檚 Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Lab Management programs.聽

鈥淲orking with real CEOs from actual biotech companies places the students in a true professional setting, equipping students with the insight, perspective, and professional readiness required in today鈥檚 workforce.鈥澛

Learn more and get聽involved聽

糖心传媒 invites biotech companies and prospective students to engage with the capstone program. Startups seeking research-driven support in regulatory or commercialization strategy can express interest聽by contacting聽amrita.madabushi@umgc.edu,聽while future students can聽explore opportunities聽to gain experience through applied industry projects.聽