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Our mission

Longhorn Life Sciences Inc. (LLS) is a MedTech venture led by a strong and diverse team of scientists, clinicians, and entrepreneurs at UT Austin and MD Anderson. Our mission is to develop needs-driven medical technology to improve patient outcomes and experiences.

Learn how we are revolutionizing the management of post-operative wound care at home...

Our story

  • Spring 2021

    Our Humble Beginnings

    Our team came together as part of the inagural Texas Biodesign program. The program was geared at teaching a Needs-Based approach to innovation in the medical sector. Our team identified several quality needs, eventually leading to the idea-inception of the Infection Detective.

  • July 2021

    Longhorn Life Sciences is Founded

    After completing the Texas Biodesign program our team began pursuing development of the Infection Detective. By the summer of 2021 we had taken an important step in bringing our technolgy forward, incorporating as a Delaware C Corp.

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    2021-Present

    Engaging Strategic Partners

    During our tenure as a company we’ve sought out strategic parnterships, including NASAs Office of Technology Transfer.

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    Spring 2021 - Fall 2021

    Venturewell E-Team

    We were selected as an E-team in the prestiguous Venturewell E-team program at the Pioneer, and Propel levels. We participated in their workshops where we received coaching, mentorship, and conducted a series of customer discovery interviews that helped us adapt and improve on our value propositions, and our market strategies.

  • Fall 2021 - Present

    Pitch Competitions

    Over the past year we’ve competed in several pitch competitions. We’ve participated twice in the prestigous Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition where we won 5 awards incuding the award for the top health innovation. We were an alternate for the Texas A&M New Ventures Competition where we won the elevator pitch and 2 other awards.

  • Spring 2022 - Present

    Customer Discovery Interviews

    The team, led by Miles Massidda and Dr. Cristina Checka, have completed 75 customer discovery interviews to date through business mentorship programs (VentureWell and Washington University’s Equalize). The interviews have targeted doctors, nurses, patients, and clinical purchasing teams to validate the clinical need for the device, mitigate regulatory hurdles, and identify viable sales channels.

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OUR TEAM

Miles Massidda, PhD

CEO
PhD in Biomedical Engineering, UT Austin

Nicholas Schneider

CTO
MBA, UT Austin

Dr. Cristina Checka, MD

CMO
Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, MD Anderson

James Clarke

CSO
PhD Candidate in Physics, UT Austin

Scott Alpard

COO
Chief Business Officer/Dept Admin and Director, Innovation
Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, MD Anderson

OUR ADVISORS

Ashley Jennings

Managing Director, Texas Innovation Center
Director, Entrepreneurship Initiatives, UT CNS

Julie Goonewardene

Chief Innovation and Human Resources Officer, UT Austin
Managing Director UT Horizon Fund

Gazell Call, PhD

IP Specialist for Life Science, UT Austin Discovery to Impact

Scott Evans, PhD

Director Texas Inventionworks, UT Austin CSE

Prof. Emily Porter, PhD

Assistant Professor, UT Austin, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering

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