MASS AWIS Open House 2026

Get ready to connect, learn, and be inspired at the 2026 MASS AWIS Open House!

Join us on November 6, from 5:30–8:00 PM at the Koch Institute at MIT for an evening with a vibrant community of women and allies in STEM and the life sciences. Meet fellow scientists, researchers, students, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs while exploring new ideas and expanding your professional network.

The evening will feature a panel discussion: “From Lab Bench to Startup: How to Turn Scientific Ideas into Companies.”

What does it take to transform a scientific discovery into a company? Join three accomplished biotech leaders (bios below), Parastoo, Aimee, and Vasanthi, as they share their journeys from research and innovation to entrepreneurship, venture funding, and company building. Whether you're curious about startups, technology translation, or future leadership opportunities in biotech, this conversation will provide valuable insights into bringing scientific ideas from the laboratory to real-world impact.

Enjoy networking opportunities, professional headshots by Deborah Karson, and refreshments throughout the evening. Connect with MASS AWIS committees, discover our programs, and learn how you can get involved. Whether you’re a longtime member or joining us for the first time, we look forward to welcoming you!

We would like to sincerely thank Southern Model Organisms for their financial sponsorship of the event and support for our organization. Company representatives will be present to share information about company events and provide attendees with branded stationery.

Featured Community Partner: We are excited to welcome the Life Sciences Career Alliance, a collaborative initiative launched by Year Up United and MassBio to strengthen talent pipelines and expand access to life sciences careers across Massachusetts (more details below).

Agenda

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM Registration & MASS AWIS Committee Tables OPEN

6:00 PM - 6:05 PM Welcome Remarks & Introduction to MASS AWIS

6:05 PM - 6:45 PM Panel Discussion: From Lab Bench to Startup: How to Turn Scientific Ideas into Companies

Featuring Dr. Parastoo Khoshakhlagh, Dr. Aimee Raleigh, and Dr. Vasanthi Viswanathan

6:50 PM - 8:00 PM Professional Headshots by Deborah Karson

6:50 PM - 8:00 PM Refreshments, Networking, & MASS AWIS Committee Tables OPEN

7:30 PM - 8:00 PM Bingo/Raffle Winners Announcement & Closing Remarks

🏆 Including our Women-in-STEM Grand Prize Basket (details below)

Interested in Volunteering?

Volunteers receive complimentary access to the Open House and gain a behind‑the‑scenes look at how one of MASS AWIS's flagship events comes together. It's a great opportunity to build event-planning and leadership experience, connect directly with Board members, panelists, speakers, and attendees, and expand your professional network in the STEM community.

📧 Interested? Email events@massawis.org ASAP to learn more and join the team!

Panel Discussion: "From Lab Bench to Startup: How to Turn Scientific Ideas into Companies"

The path from scientific discovery to a successful startup is rarely straightforward. This panel brings together perspectives from company founders, scientific innovators, and venture capital to explore what happens after a breakthrough in the lab.

Featured Panelists:

Parastoo Khoshakhlagh, PhD – CEO & Co-Founder, GC Therapeutics; serial entrepreneur advancing regenerative medicine and synthetic biology.

Aimee Raleigh, PhD – Principal, Atlas Venture; investor and biotech strategist working with entrepreneurs to build companies around innovative therapies and emerging biology.

Vasanthi Viswanathan, PhD – Co-Founder & CEO, Coastline Biomedicine; scientist-entrepreneur translating groundbreaking discoveries in ferroptosis and neurodegenerative disease into new therapeutic approaches.

The discussion will be moderated by Pamela Klecki, President of MASS AWIS, and Kate Lu, Events Co‑Chair, who will guide the conversation and audience Q&A.

Discussion topics include:

• Identifying the commercial potential of scientific discoveries

• Building founding teams and entrepreneurial networks

• Finding mentors, advisors, and investors

• Securing early funding and navigating company formation

• Translating cutting-edge research into products and therapies

• Lessons learned from entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation

  
  

Attendees will gain insights into the opportunities and challenges of biotech entrepreneurship while learning how scientific ideas can evolve into impactful companies. Whether you're an academic researcher, student, industry scientist, entrepreneur, or aspiring founder, this discussion will offer practical perspectives on navigating the journey from lab bench to startup.

A live audience Q&A will follow the panel discussion, providing attendees an opportunity to engage directly with the speakers and moderators.

Guest Bio(s)

Dr. Parastoo Khoshakhlagh is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of GC Therapeutics (GCTx), a pioneering biotech company advancing regenerative medicine through its AI-powered TFome™ platform built on technology she co-invented during her postdoctoral research in Professor George Church’s lab at Harvard Medical School. Founded in 2019, GCTx is based in Cambridge, MA, and under Parastoo’s leadership has raised $75 million in total funding from leading life science investors to scale next-generation, iPSC-based therapies.

With Parastoo’s scientific expertise and strong sense of leadership, GCTx is building a robust pipeline in neurological and metabolic diseases, including multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes, and developing a first-in-class “plug-and-play” platform designed to streamline development, manufacturing, and regulatory pathways. Parastoo has led the company through positive interactions with both the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency.

With a deep scientific and entrepreneurial background, Parastoo has built a multidisciplinary career spanning drug discovery, tissue regeneration, and now therapeutic innovation through synthetic biology. She is the co-inventor of 28Bio, a company that develops nerve-on-a-chip models for drug screening, and the co-founder and co-inventor at Tympanogen, a company developing a non-surgical solution for eardrum repair. As a leader in biotech entrepreneurship, she has been invited by many organizations such as the Boston Business Journal, Termeer Foundation, BioFuture, and Life Sciences Summit to share her perspective on the future of biotechnology and drug development. Parastoo serves on the Board of Directors for Tympanogen and MassBio, and the Board of Trustees for Boston Ballet. She is deeply engaged and active in biotech policy, is a patient advocate, and is committed to inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs as an immigrant woman founder.

Aimee Raleigh is a principal at Atlas Venture where she works alongside stellar entrepreneurs to build companies focused on innovative therapies and exciting new biology. Aimee serves as a board director at Travin Bio and several stealth newcos. She is a board observer at Triveni Bio, Vima Therapeutics, and Remix Therapeutics. She was previously an observer at Kailera Therapeutics (NASDAQ: KLRA), Aiolos Bio (acquired by GSK), and Versanis Bio (acquired by Eli Lilly).

Prior to joining Atlas, Aimee was a life sciences consultant at L.E.K. Consulting. At L.E.K., she worked with pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients on strategy for early-stage therapies, including asset diligence, pipeline and indication prioritization, and commercial planning. Aimee received her Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, where she was mentored by Dr. Robert Sah and Dr. Gary Firestein. Her doctoral work focused on modeling biophysical mechanisms of disrupted synovial joint lubricant homeostasis in post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Aimee received her B.S.E. in biomedical engineering from Duke University, where she researched cell migration in response to chemokine gradients. Aimee now serves on the Duke Boston board.

Vasanthi Viswanathan, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of Coastline Biomedicine, where she is developing new medicines for neurodegenerative diseases. A chemical biologist by training, Vasanthi made foundational discoveries in ferroptosis and lipid peroxidation during her academic training at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard -- work that has been cited more than 15,000 times. She later led drug discovery programs based on these findings through the Bayer–Broad collaboration and went on to co-found and serve as Head of Research at Kojin Therapeutics, a leading venture-backed biotechnology company. At Coastline, she continues to focus on translating fundamental scientific discoveries into new therapeutic strategies, with an initial focus on genetic neurodegenerative diseases.

Community Partner Spotlight: Life Sciences Career Alliance

MASS AWIS is pleased to welcome the Life Sciences Career Alliance (LSCA) to the 2026 Open House.

Launched in 2024 by Year Up United and MassBio, the Life Sciences Career Alliance brings together employers, training providers, and community partners across Massachusetts to expand access to life sciences careers—especially for talent without four-year degrees—and support regional industry growth. The Career Alliance helps employers navigate the workforce ecosystem by connecting hiring needs with job-ready talent, trusted training providers, and workforce organizations that strengthen early career talent pipelines.

To learn more, visit www.yearupunited.org/life-sciences 

🎁 Win Our Women-in-STEM Grand Prize Basket!

As a special thank-you for joining us at the 2026 MASS AWIS Open House, attendees enter our raffle for a curated Women in STEM Gift Basket celebrating leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The grand prize features a copy of The Future Built by Women, exclusive MASS AWIS merchandise, assorted chocolates and treats, and a gift card to a local women-owned coffee shop.

🏆 Winner announced during closing remarks

🎟️ Raffle entry included with event attendance

Must be present to win.

Light refreshments will be served.

Registration Required. Register Here.

Registration Deadline: Wednesday, 04th November 2026, 09:00 AM ET.

Event Fee: FREE for Members and Volunteers (Optional Donation) & $10 for General Admission*

*Discounts are available for students and unemployed attendees. Contact communications@massawis.org to request one.

Special thanks to the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT for generously supporting the 2026 MASS AWIS Open House by providing the auditorium and lobby spaces that make this community gathering possible.