Columbia Invents

Tommy Vaughan

Dr. Tommy Vaughan is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology at Columbia and one of the world’s great leaders in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). He discusses his meandering path during his early years, from a love of gardening, to wanting to be an astronaut, to building his own rollerblades, to bicycling around the world, and eventually to imaging; how MRIs actually work for understanding what’s going on within our bodies, and how they can be used for both research and clinical diagnostics; how he has recently been focusing on taking some of the world’s most expensive and specialized pieces of equipment and making them cheaper, smaller, and more rugged, so that the remaining 70% of the world can finally have access to MRIs; and his advice for undergrads who may not yet have discovered their life’s calling.

Ian Lipkin

Dr. Ian Lipkin is the John Snow Professor of Epidemiology, Professor of Neurology and Pathology and Cell Biology, and Director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University. He speaks about the role serendipity played in his path to epidemiology, his work at the beginning of the HIV epidemic in San Francisco, the surprising role that infectious disease may play in illnesses not often associated with infection, and the importance of ensuring innovations leave the lab and become products and services that make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Anil Rustgi

Dr. Anil Rustgi is Director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Associate Dean of Oncology, Chief of Cancer Services, and Professor of Medicine at Columbia University. He speaks about his research in gastrointestinal cancers, why he cares that innovations in Columbia's labs get turned into products and services that improve patients' lives, the role that the NIH and National Cancer Institute play in cancer research, and what advice he would give early-career clinicians and researchers. 

Jeannette Wing

Dr. Jeannette Wing is Executive Vice President for Research and Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University. She speaks about why making artificial intelligence trustworthy is so difficult, whether we are holding computers to a higher standard than we hold people, the role that the National Science Foundation plays in driving science research and policy, and the advantages that universities have over industry in terms of making fundamental discoveries.

Andrea Califano

Dr. Andrea Califano is the Chair of Columbia's Department of Systems Biology and co-founder of DarwinHealth. He speaks about how systems biology targets the body's master regulators, his experience launching DarwinHealth in New York, how he's working with big biopharma to identify known but overlooked compounds that might impact cancer, and how the culture of entrepreneurship at Columbia has changed since he joined. 

Sam Sia

Dr. Sam Sia is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, faculty director of the entrepreneurship initiative for Columbia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and founder of Harlem Biospace, a biotech incubator facility that has hosted over 70 startups. He speaks about his work in microfluidics, his experience launching three startups, and the role that failure plays in science and entrepreneurship. 

Harish Krishnaswamy

Dr. Harish Krishnaswamy is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University and founder of MixComm, a mmWave startup developing transformative solutions for emerging wireless applications. He speaks about starting, growing, and eventually selling MixComm, which was acquired for $155M during the pandemic, and the challenges faced by hardware startups.

Brent Stockwell

Dr. Brent Stockwell is a Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry at Columbia University, a prolific inventor, and a serial entrepreneur. He speaks about his work studying cell death and metabolism in order to better understand and treat cancer and neurodegeneration, how launching startups in New York today compares to 20 years ago, and what got him interested in pursuing a career in science.

Elisa Konofagou

Dr. Elisa Konofagou is the Robert and Margaret Hariri Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology (Physics) at Columbia University and an inventor of ultrasound-based technologies. She speaks about how ultrasound can be used both for imaging and therapeutic applications, such as targeted drug delivery to the brain by opening the blood-brain barrier.

John Kymissis

Dr. Ioannis (John) Kymissis is Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Columbia University and a serial entrepreneur, having spun out four startups from his lab. He speaks about his research on the application of thin film materials in the development of new electronic and optical systems, what it means for electronics to be unconventional, and his role in starting the Makerspace @ Columbia.