Several SUNY Upstate Medical University students have taken the initiative to help bridge the gap between medicine and industry. The newly-formed “Upstate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group” was created by Avishek Sanjel Chhetri, Allen Luo, Shervin Razavi, and Jack Sedaka to help students enhance their knowledge of business-related ventures in medicine. 

Founding members of the Upstate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group from left to right: Avishek Sanjel Chhetri, Jack Sedaka, Shervin Razavi, & Allen Luo.

“We envision a student-led initiative focused on enhancing the knowledge of business-related ventures in medicine, such as industry consulting, hospital administration, and healthcare startups, through experiential pro-bono consulting and educational seminars,” says one of the group’s founders, Avishek Sanjel Chhetri. The group is looking to connect medical students who want to gain hands-on experience working with companies that contribute to the progression of medicine and science. 

They also hope to facilitate educational seminars led by individuals with a
demonstrated history of success in the biotech sphere. The group is in contact with representatives of the CNY Biotech Accelerator, serving to streamline student
engagement with emerging companies of interest.

“We envision this initiative to be an open environment where motivated students and professionals from all colleges at SUNY Upstate, regardless of prior experience and background, can work directly with interested companies and create innovative solutions and products,” says co-founder Ali Razavi. They want to emphasize that anybody at Upstate, whether a student in any of the colleges or a Professor or attending physician, can be part of this group and is welcome and encouraged to collaborate.

 The group is hosting an interest meeting on 9/23 at 12 PM in Setnor Hall, room 2507-2508. For more information on the meeting or with any questions about the group, email upstateinnovationgroup@gmail.com.