In this episode of Lab Rats to Unicorns, John Flavin sits down with Dr. Tejal Desai, Sorensen Family Dean of Engineering at Brown University and a nationally recognized leader in biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, and translational medicine. A member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine, Tejal has spent her career developing technologies that improve drug delivery while helping bridge the gap between scientific discovery and patient care.

Tejal shares how an early introduction to biomedical engineering shaped her career and reflects on advances in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and cell-based therapies that have transformed once-impossible ideas into clinical reality. She also discusses why successful innovation depends on interdisciplinary collaboration, entrepreneurial thinking, and designing research with real-world impact in mind.

Throughout the conversation, Tejal explores what it takes to build thriving innovation ecosystems, drawing on her experience leading initiatives at UCSF and now Brown University. From educating entrepreneurial scientists to advancing partnerships like Ocean State Labs, she offers insights on creating environments where breakthrough ideas can flourish. She closes by sharing her vision for the future of biotechnology, highlighting the convergence of AI, engineering, and biology, and the importance of investing in the next generation of scientific leaders.