Innovation Translation Council
Our Mission
The Innovation Translation Council advises School leadership on strategies to translate innovative research from the School into impactful deliverables, including but not limited to commercializable products. The Council is responsible for monitoring the innovation and commercialization process and outputs at the School and its peers. The Council also identifies policies, procedures, educational activities, and investments to enhance faculty navigation of the commercialization process, and works with colleagues (such as Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, Office of External Affairs, and the Health Advisory Board) to enhance innovation translation.
Defined by three core Working Groups
The ITC members are organized into three working groups, which each enact the vision of the Council.
- The Idea Working Group focuses on pre-market technology innovation and problem-identifying and solving.
- The Trailblazer Working Group focuses on ready-for-market entrepreneurial activities and resources.
- The Compass Working Group navigates compliance, social responsibility, and ethics in innovation and translation.
Where should I get started?
Are you a BSPH investigator new to the public health innovation sector? Refer to any of the resources to the right or look to any upcoming ITC workshops or seminars to get started on your public health innovation journey.
For more in-depth resources, refer to the Research Wiki.
Innovation Translation Council Launch
Presented by research@BSPH, the launch of the newly formed Innovation Translation Council featured a keynote speech from Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, whose 1977 discovery of RNA splicing set the foundation for today’s biomedical industry. He spoke on his experience founding Biogen, a global biotechnology company that focuses on developing treatments and medicines for neurological and chronic diseases.
Monday, May 19, 2025
3:30-5:30pm W1214/Sheldon Hall
SEE SEMINAR LISTING
ITC Members
ITC members include innovation and translation-focused stakeholders from the School’s departments, offices, and the broader university community.
Connect with Us
Are you a passionate innovator interested in translating your research to commercialization? Reach out to learn more about how to bring your research to life.
ITC Launch Panel Discussion Podcast
On May 19th, 2025, as part of the launch of the Innovation Translation Council, a panel of leaders in the biotechnology industry, lead the audience through their experience in the sector. See panelist information and segments of their conversation, split by question, below.
Speaker Introductions
Public health and commercialization can often feel like opposing forces. One is mission-driven, focused on population health and equity, and the other driven by revenue, markets, and competition. Where do you see the tension, and where do you see the synergy?
You (Phillip Sharp) mentioned reengineering health care. How do you all see this involving public health translation?
For many busy faculty and staff focusing on research and other public health responsibilities, the path to commercialization and translation can feel overwhelming and unclear. If someone has a promising idea here but limited time and no prior experience, what practical first steps would you recommend?
Innovation has been framed around three D’s: drugs, devices, and diagnostics, which align closely with our lab-based departments. But much of our School focuses on data, "know-how," and digital venues. Some of these are commercializable, and some are not. How can we broaden how we define and support innovation?
What conditions or partnerships help make an ecosystem for innovation possible? What do we need more or less of to make a thriving innovation ecosystem at Hopkins and across Maryland?
Other questions from the audience: