The Humans of the Wyss (HOW) series features members of the Wyss community discussing their work, the influences that shape them as professionals, and their collaborations at the Wyss Institute and beyond.
Alex Li has always been fascinated by the idea of using living systems to make a positive impact. He initially pursued his interest in science, but after working at a venture capital firm, he realized he was passionate about helping great innovations leave the lab. At the Wyss, Alex is the Senior Business Development Manager, working with researchers to prepare their technologies for commercialization. Learn more about Alex and his work in this month’s Humans of the Wyss.
What is your job, and what does it entail?
I am the Senior Business Development Manager. I coach, support, and strategize with scientific teams to help them translate their technologies from ideation or inception to a stage where the innovations are ready for commercialization, whether as a startup or by being licensed to an existing company. There is a lot of bouncing ideas back and forth, and helping them understand where their technology fits into the current market. Even really great science only makes sense commercially in a specific context.
Each member of the Business Development Team has their own portfolio. My portfolio includes the Brain Targeting Program, the Sustainable Futures Initiative, and other diagnostic and therapeutic technologies that aren’t necessarily a part of a particular program or initiative. We work independently with the research teams, but also collaboratively with each other to understand best practices to advance these technologies to the point where they can have a real-world impact. The Wyss supports technologies to a certain stage before identifying opportunities to further support their long-term goals, which could come from investors, industry partners, or other collaborators.
What real-world problems do the projects you’re supporting solve?
The Brain Targeting Program is developing new ways to deliver therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier, which is essential to ensuring drugs reach their targets in the brain and in their correct concentration to have the desired effects. I’m a point of contact that connects the research team with organizations and companies interested in pairing the Wyss technology with their own therapeutic.
On the sustainability side, we’re all actively seeing the effects of climate change. At the Wyss, we’re advancing technologies that reduce our use of harmful substances and optimize our resource consumption. I am working on projects like PFASense, a biosensor platform for rapid, affordable, on-site PFAS detection, that not only help the environment but also keep humans safe from pollutants by monitoring contamination levels. We’re also investigating ways to safely dispose of petroleum-derived plastics and engineer new bioplastics at scale. Planetary health and human health are part of the same equation.
Why are you passionate about addressing Grand Challenges like brain health and sustainability?
I have an uncle who has Parkinson’s Disease, so that keeps me personally motivated. There’s so much we don’t know about the brain, and it’s so important because our cognitive abilities and awareness make us human. The more we can learn about it and address problems like neurodegenerative disease, the better.
As for sustainability, I’m an animal and plant lover. I’ve always been naturally curious about what’s happening in the world I live in. When I joined the Wyss, there were sustainability efforts underway, but they were a bit nebulous. Once Emily Stoler joined the Wyss, she organized the Sustainable Futures Initiative, centralizing our efforts. It’s been so exciting to see this grow and offer my support.
What inspired you to get into this field, and how did your path lead you to the Wyss?
Because I was interested in science as a kid, I applied to and attended Biotechnology High School, a specialized public high school. While there, I was immersed in what biotech could do. I learned how they cloned Dolly the sheep and how we can make products from microorganisms. I realized there were so many cool ways to change life to make useful outcomes. That allowed me to envision all of the possibilities in this broad field.
I realized there were so many cool ways to change life to make useful outcomes.
So, I decided to major in biotechnology during my undergraduate studies, then went on to do a master’s in biotechnology and genomics. During that time, I worked in the lab and gained hands-on experience.
After I graduated, I wanted to find a job where I could see multiple projects at the same time and make an impact by translating the work out of the lab. I got a job at an early-stage venture capital firm focused on healthcare and on spinning out technologies from universities in the area. During that time, I earned my MBA and learned more about commercializing scientific innovations to benefit patients.
After a few years, I wanted to broaden my horizons beyond New Jersey and settle in a biotech hub like Boston, San Francisco, or San Diego. That’s how I learned about the position at the Wyss in 2021.
What is unique about the Wyss? How has that impacted your work?
The first thing I learned when I got to the Wyss, besides how to pronounce the name, was that there is a lot of self-assembly. There is a structure and a common mindset, but people can find collaborators and chart their own path to success. Everyone has short-term and long-term goals and has the freedom to determine the best way to reach them. I appreciate the ability to find your own value.
What continues to motivate and excite you? What are some of the challenges that you face?
What keeps me motivated now is seeing the potential of life sciences to solve many problems. It’s exciting to encounter so many intelligent people, each excited by their own creativity and approaches to address global issues. You realize how many ideas are still untapped.
What keeps me motivated now is seeing the potential of life sciences to solve many problems.
The other side of the coin is that it can be challenging to bring people with unique perspectives together to communicate and build understanding. But ultimately, everyone’s goal is to have the best possible outcome and help patients and the planet. We just have to meet in the middle and agree on how to get there.
How have your previous work and personal experiences shaped your approach to your work today?
Coming from a scientific background, I have a fundamental understanding of what’s happening at the Wyss. However, new, specialized technologies are always emerging. I can apply what I’ve learned in biotechnology to continue learning, and I do my best to stay abreast of developments in the field. Working at the venture capital firm helped me understand how a technology could translate and what makes an innovation stand out to potential funders. Now, I’m helping Wyss teams on the other side of the table as they seek support from VC firms or industry partners.
What do you like to do outside of work?
1/4 Alex poses with a meerkat on his trip to South Africa and Botswana. Credit: Alex Li 
2/4 On a recent trip to Iceland, Alex had the chance to try a local delicacy, fermented shark. Credit: Alex Li 
3/4 Alex loves trying different foods. Credit: Alex Li 
4/4 Alex enjoys traveling and being in nature, for example visiting Grand Canyon National Park. Credit: Alex Li
I like to work out, and I love to travel. What I find really cool about traveling is not just going to places but trying different foods and really seeing the cultures. For example, in Iceland, I got to try fermented shark. It’s really bitter and has a chemical taste, like ammonia. Then, they give you a drink called “black death” or Brennivín to wash it out. I didn’t like the taste, but the experience was so cool. One exotic food I did enjoy was ostrich, which I tried on a trip to South Africa and Botswana. The meat is very lean and tender. I also have a big sweet tooth, and I love bubble tea.
What is something fun or unique about you that someone wouldn’t know from your resume?
I like to sketch. I’ve been doing that since I was a kid. I haven’t had as much time to do it lately, but I enjoy drawing animals, nature, and comic book characters.
If you had to choose an entirely different career path, what would it be?
Maybe I’d want to be a personal trainer, so I could keep up on my fitness and help other people. Another option would be to open my own bubble tea shop with tea from all over the world.
What does it feel like to be supporting technologies that have the potential to have a real and significant impact on people’s lives and society?
Not many people can say that their job is helping to find the next solution to an unmet need. Even though I’m not making the discoveries, I’m helping enable the technologies to be translated so they can reach patients.
It feels amazing. Not many people can say that their job is helping to find the next solution to an unmet need. Even though I’m not making the discoveries, I’m helping enable the technologies to be translated so they can reach patients. When I am talking to friends or family members with chronic diseases and illnesses, it’s great to be able to tell them that research is being done in those spaces. Even though the drug discovery process is long, it’s cool to know we are initiating the discovery of solutions that can make an impact one day.