e-Seminar Series on Translational Biomedical Engineering with Mr. Brent Godau (2020-10-14)

Title: “Entrepreneurship opportunities in grad school: how to turn your education into a business opportunity”

Abstract:
Graduate education can be a rewarding experience that shapes your future. With a large component of STEM grad school programs being self-directed, the decisions you make can have a life-changing effect on your career trajectory. Additionally, professional and entrepreneurial opportunities in grad school are not immediately obvious in the curriculum of your program. In this talk, Brent Godau will share, through personal experience, how to turn graduate education into a rewarding STEM career or, what’s more, an entrepreneurial opportunity. Topics include selecting a school or supervisor, identifying projects with commercial potential, building a network, capitalizing on extracurricular programming, and preparing yourself for the post-grad professional or entrepreneurial world.

Biography:
Brent Godau is the Senior Engineer at 4M BioTech, a Canadian biotech start-up developing technology that lies at the interface of cellular biology, biomaterials, mechanical engineering, and AI. Throughout his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and master’s in mechanical engineering, Brent conducted research in quantum dot synthesis for medical imaging, biomaterials science, advanced drug delivery, and biofabrication technologies. He has published articles in Lab on a Chip, Advanced Science, and Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology with a focus in tissue engineering, cancer modelling, and biosensing. In his extracurricular activities, Brent has brought together technical teams and founded a biomedical engineering club that won local and national engineering competitions, respectively, and won awards for his research in cancer modelling and tissue engineering. Brent is a firm believer in STEM outreach and has accomplished this through hosting and presenting in conferences, webinars, and workshops, collaborating with local Medtech companies, and organizing programs to facilitate professional development of students in the field.