Will Blair
Building in biotech
Hey, I'm Will. I grew up in Toronto, Canada, and have been passionate about science and engineering from a young age. From ages 6-8, I spent a lot of time in a hospital environment and around close friends affected by illness. I strive to do well by them and myself as a young patient.
I have spent my life working across biomedical engineering (handheld flourscence devices, hydrogel therapies, thermoelectric generators), research (infectious disease, neurodegenerative disease, genetics), and entrepreneurship (medical device, clinical trials, food systems, science education).
I care about:
- Curing disease through accelerated biotech innovation.
- Ensuring equal opportunity to all students to excel in STEM.
Work
- Co-founding a stealth startup in nanomaterials diagnostics.
- Co-founded Biogenesis, developing infrastructure to accelerate clinical trials.
- Founded ThermoBeat, a medical device startup developing thermoelectric generators to power implantable devices using body heat.
- Co-founded Seedling Hydroponics, providing food systems education to public schools across Baltimore.
- Led Charm City Science League, an after-school program working with 30+ schools to teach Science Olympiad to underprivileged students.
Research Highlights
- Stroke Treatment Research: Developed cutting-edge hydrogel therapies for ischemic stroke at University of Toronto, potentially transforming stroke recovery and patient outcomes. This research was conducted as part of the NSERC CREATE program.
- Leadership Studies Research: Worked as an Undergraduate Researcher under JHU Dean of Academics, Dr. Andy Wilson, focused on leadership studies and leadership psychology in undergraduate populations.
- Handheld Fluorescence Imaging: Contributed to the development of the Eagle 1, a handheld fluorescence imaging device for real-time breast cancer margin assessment during surgery. This work was presented at the 2019 World Molecular Imaging Conference.
- BALANCE-Kids Study: Researched BALANCE-Kids, a multicentre retrospective study on the duration of antimicrobial therapy for bloodstream infections in critically ill paediatric patients. This work contributes to optimizing antibiotic use in pediatric intensive care units. Learn more in this video presentation.
- Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS): Participated in this prestigious program designed to empower the next generation of leaders. YYGS fosters a global community and offers interdisciplinary programs that stimulate curiosity, deepen understanding, and inspire creative action across various fields of study.
Education & Experience
I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2023 with a BS in Cognitive Science (Honors) and a minor in Entrepreneurship. During my time at Hopkins, I was involved in:
- Neuroscience research on genetic inhibitors in Parkinson's disease at Johns Hopkins
- Biomedical engineering research developing hydrogel therapies for ischemic stroke at University of Toronto
- Science journalism and writing as the science editor for the JHU Newsletter
- Tutoring and mentoring through programs like Science Olympiad
I am very privileged to have had my work supported by NSERC CREATE, Z Fellows, Sigma Squared, South Park Commons, Lang Scholars, and Kleiner Perkins.
Let's Connect
Feel free to reach out to discuss biotech, startups, or science more broadly! Easiest contact is DM on LinkedIn or Twitter.