The Polsky Center welcomes five fellows and associates who will serve in roles spanning the two new programs.

Published on Thursday, June 27, 2024

The Polsky Center is welcoming five newcomers this summer to roles in two new fellowship programs.

The Polsky Innovation Fellowship will attract three 4+1 students with technical backgrounds who will support entrepreneurial ecosystem analysis and marketing efforts, while the Polsky Science & Technology Fellowship will attract two PhD students in science fields who will focus on reviewing new invention disclosures for potential intellectual property protection and analyzing the commercial landscape.

We met with each of the five new associates and fellows taking on these roles to learn more about their backgrounds, expertise, and what they’re most looking forward to in their new roles.

Innovation Fellowship

Isis Decrem

Tell us about your background.

I'm a Computer Science major from Palo Alto. I started my own company and participated in a small accelerator program run by Mozilla. This was my first “startup.” In high school, I worked at a startup called Ameelio, which won a NYT Best Tech award. At UChicago, I initially majored in Biology and Chemistry, and was interested in pre-med or biotech. I worked in labs on campus and was also in the Venture Capital club on campus. I felt more drawn to working at a startup, so I changed my major to Computer Science. I was the Vice President of Community Relations and Philanthropy for my sorority, AOII, on campus. I also spent time on campus coding some of my own apps as a hobby.

How will your background help you succeed in the role?

Working at a startup has given me a diverse skill set and helped me find comfort in the midst of chaos. I love working on new projects and learning anything and everything. With formal studies in both science and computer science, I believe I have a great academic background to work at the deep tech companies we support at Polsky.

What are you most looking forward to in your role?

I'm really excited to gain more experience on the business side of the tech world and learn more about investing, and I'm also really excited to see what new technologies emerge from the UChicago ecosystem and from accelerator focus areas around the world.

What are your hobbies?

I love exercising. I recently got into running and ran a half marathon in the spring. I surf in California. I also love cooking, spending time with friends, reading novels, listening to podcasts, and watching good old fashioned movies.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

My mom is a huge dog lover. At one point we (illegally) had four rescue dogs. My dad is a Belgian immigrant and my mom is Korean-American.

Alex Mosher

Tell us about your background.

I'm a college senior majoring in Data Science. Prior to coming to Polsky, I worked remotely part-time at TipTop Technologies, an AI startup in Silicon Valley. Last summer, I completed a software internship at Haske Ventures in Dakar, Senegal, and was a remote finance intern at a pharmaceutical company called Tolmar. I attended high school in Aspen, Colorado, and previously lived in India and the UK.

How will your background help you succeed in the role?

I believe that my technical skills and professional experience across a variety of industries help me bring a unique set of skills to Polsky.

What are you most looking forward to in your role?

I am most excited about being able to apply some of the technical skills I have gained as a Data Science major to real-world applications during my time at Polsky.

What are your hobbies?

In his free time he enjoys tennis, golf, snowboarding (when he can get back to the mountains), app programming and backpacking in his downtime.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I speak Macedonian fluently!

Matthew Chan

Tell us about your background.

I am a double major in Economics and Computer Science at the University of Chicago, moving on to the 4+1 Finance and Mathematics program. I am interested in further exploring the startup space, having previously held project management and strategy roles in startups and VC.

How will your background help you succeed in the role?

I believe these experiences will help me lead and coordinate projects while leveraging my strategic insight to make these projects meaningful and create value for the Polsky Center. I also bring multidisciplinary and quantitative expertise that will help me understand the market trends and technological innovations behind successful startups.

What are you most looking forward to in your role?

I look forward to working closely with companies at a critical stage in their startup lifecycle, learning more about the startup and commercialization ecosystem from an academic perspective, and contributing to the real, impactful work the Polsky Center is doing.

What are your hobbies?

In my free time, I like to cook (I've been trying new pasta recipes lately).

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

For my 20th birthday, my friends and I drove 3 hours to Bojangles (being a North Carolina native, I talk about this place often).

Science and Technology Fellowships

Montserrat Kwan

Tell us about your background.

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Immunology, focusing on how microbes in the body affect the immune response to organ transplants. My research aims to identify microbiome-based biomarkers that can non-invasively predict heart transplant rejection and ultimately improve patient outcomes. This clinical focus has fueled my passion to translate innovative technologies from the lab into products that can significantly improve people's lives. Throughout my graduate studies, I have engaged in multidisciplinary research and worked with a diverse team of clinicians, clinical researchers, bioinformaticians, and research faculty from various institutions, deepening my understanding of both the scientific and practical aspects of technology commercialization.

How will your background help you succeed in the role?

My background in immunology, specifically research on the microbiome and organ transplantation, has given me a solid foundation in scientific research and critical thinking. This experience taught me to methodically approach complex problems, from hypothesis generation to data analysis. My ability to effectively communicate with diverse teams and present complex scientific concepts to different audiences is invaluable in evaluating and marketing new technologies. Additionally, my leadership role in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts has honed the project management and collaboration skills essential to navigating the multifaceted aspects of technology commercialization.

What are you most looking forward to in your role?

I am very excited about the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with the Polsky Science and Technology team. The opportunity to gain insights from scientific, legal and business perspectives is very appealing as it broadens my understanding of the entire technology commercialization process. I am particularly keen to apply my scientific expertise to evaluate new invention disclosures and explore their commercial potential, especially in an area outside my field of expertise: transplant immunology.

What are your hobbies?

I love staying active (especially pilates and biking on lakeside trails) and baking, and since I have an egg allergy I'm always on the lookout for fun alternative recipes.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I recently drove around the entire island of Iceland in five days.

Dean Zhou

Tell us about your background.

I am currently a 4th year PhD student in Immunology in the Department of Biological Sciences. I previously completed my undergraduate studies in Biochemistry/Cell Biology and Economics at the University of California, San Diego. My research focuses on regulating pancreatic disease progression via the enteropancreatic axis. To complement my scientific background, I completed several internships during graduate school focused on technology translation and commercialization.

How will your background help you succeed in the role?

“This multidisciplinary background will enable me to excel in this role, which requires integrating scientific and commercial perspectives. I am most excited to leverage my skillset to accelerate the development of new therapeutics and contribute to improving clinical outcomes.”

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors hiking, playing tennis and hopes to become a certified skydiver in the near future.

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