WSU College of Arts and Sciences Innovative Leaders Lecture Series 2025
About the event
PDX Pharmaceuticals’ Journey in Developing Next-Generation Cancer Therapies: Opportunities and Challenges of Building an Academic Startup
Keynote: Dr. Wassana Yantasee, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and the Founder & CEO of PDX Pharmaceuticals
Presentation: PDX Pharma’s mission is to find cures for cancer. Recognizing that targeting cancer cells alone is not enough, the company develops next-generation drugs that kill cancer cells, train the immune system, and modulate the immunosuppressive environment for durable responses and potential cures. Its proprietary PDX-NP™ platform enables delivery of multiple drug types to cancer and immune cells. With nearly $14M in grants and investments, five drug candidates in the pipeline, 40+ patent applications, and numerous publications, PDX Pharma is advancing cancer research while training the next generation of scientists. Dr. Yantasee, CEO, will share her experience transitioning from academia to entrepreneurship, including fundraising, IP protection, and launching a biotech startup.
About Dr. Wassana Yantasee
Dr. Wassana Yantasee is Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University and Founder & CEO of PDX Pharmaceuticals. She earned her PhD in Chemical Engineering and MBA from Oregon State University in 2001, then worked at PNNL (2001–2009) with accelerated promotions to Level 4. She joined OHSU as an Oregon Nanomedicine Signature Researcher and has received numerous honors, including the Ronald L. Brodzinski Early Career Scientific Achievement Award, the Council of Outstanding Early Career Engineer Award, and two corporate philanthropy awards. A Fellow of AIMBE and member of the National Academy of Inventors OHSU Chapter, she has published 70+ peer-reviewed papers and served on 40+ federal grant review panels.
About the WSU College of Arts and Sciences Innovative Lecture Series
The Washington State University (WSU) Innovative Leaders Lecture Series is designed to invite visionary leaders, academic entrepreneurs, and industry innovators who have successfully brought transformative research and technological advancements to the market. This series offers an exclusive platform for these distinguished innovators to share their entrepreneurial journeys, address the challenges they overcame, and provide valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. By fostering stronger connections between academia and industry, this initiative aims to inspire the next generation of innovators and enrich WSU’s entrepreneurial culture.
Sponsored by:
Washington State University College of Arts and Sciences
Washington Research Foundation