Mentor as a sounding board for utilisation

2022-04-06

Liza Löf is one of the researchers who got a mentor from the business world in the UU Innovation mentor programme.

Hello there Liza Löf, researcher at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology. You are one of the researchers participating in the UU Innovation mentor programme, which is once again open for applications. What do you consider the best thing about the programme?

“The very best thing is being about to bounce questions off someone who has a lot of experience in a field relevant to the idea I’m developing. In my case, it is the life science industry. It helps me tremendously to be able to ask questions, listen to the answers, and thus gain much broader insight into what is needed in my future development work. It is also great to meet new people and learn new things.”

Liza Löf is a researcher in molecular diagnostics method development, and has developed a very sensitive and rapid method for detecting viruses, a method that requires no instruments. She is now working on developing the method into a rapid diagnostic test that can be a good complement to the well-established PCR assay. The aim is to be able to offer diagnostics in areas of the world that are a long distance from any hospital laboratory.

Why did you decide to apply for the mentor programme?
“I hope to commercialise my idea and there are many steps in that process that I want to learn, so I applied to the programme to get help with that.”

What has your mentor been able to help you with so far?
“My mentor has taught me an incredible amount already, some of which I never thought of before. I wanted, and got, a mentor with a great knowledge of the regulatory environment in medical device development, because I felt I lacked that skill set. We talk a lot about this, but also about other things that are important to consider when starting a company or developing a product. It is an incredibly rewarding dialogue!”

You also get support from UU Innovation advisors. How is that relationship working?
“Perfectly, I think. UU Innovation’s advisors have a broad range of expertise, are very professional, and can help with many different types of issues. Being able to complement this with a mentor in regulatory issues gives me even better coverage of my particular questions and issues.”

Why would you encourage other researchers at the University to apply to the mentor programme?
“Because it is a great programme! Getting the chance to learn from someone who has done what you want to do is incredibly rewarding. Take the chance!”

DO YOU WANT A MENTOR?

Applications to the UU Innovation mentor programme will be accepted until 30 April. The programme is open to researchers and doctoral students from all disciplines at Uppsala University, and is geared towards those who want to develop their results and ideas for wider use with the support of a mentor who works outside of academia.