Join the Vanderbilt Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization for a Lunch and Learn Event! Lunch will be provided to the first 50 attendees to arrive.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location: Vanderbilt University Alumni Hall Memorial Room (2205 West End Ave, Nashville, TN 37240)
Making an Impact While Keeping Your Day Job:
How to Commercialize Research While Staying True to Academic Values and Career Goals
About the Panelists
This panel session will include insights into how faculty can pursue innovation and entrepreneurial activities while balancing their research, teaching, and clinical responsibilities. Faculty will discuss challenges they have encountered and discuss strategies and resources that have helped them succeed.
About Panelist: James Weimer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering
James Weimer is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. His research develops foundations and tools for ensuring safety guarantees and predictable performance in learning-enabled cyber-physical systems (CPS), with applications in medical devices and autonomous systems. As a medical-device entrepreneur, Weimer has received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for advancing the safety and efficacy of machine learning and AI systems.
Learn more about James by viewing his profile here.
About Panelist: Abhishek Dubey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering
Abhishek Dubey is an Associate Professor of Computer Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Vanderbilt University. His research focuses on resilient and intelligent cyber-physical systems, with applications in smart cities, transportation, and healthcare. He leads the SCOPE (Smart Cyber-Physical Systems for Energy and Transportation) Lab, developing AI-driven solutions for real-time system monitoring, predictive maintenance, and autonomous decision-making. As an entrepreneur, Dubey has co-founded a startup leveraging distributed computing and machine learning to improve urban infrastructure efficiency. His work has been funded by NSF, DOE, and industry partners, and he is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award for advancing resilient distributed systems.
Learn more about Abhishek by viewing his profile here.
About Panelist: Duke Herrell, MD, FACS
VUMC Professor of Urology
Duke Herrell is a Professor of Urology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and a nationally recognized leader in robotic and minimally invasive urologic surgery. A pioneer in image-guided surgical technologies, Dr. Herrell has co-founded multiple medical device companies focused on improving precision in robotic surgery and cancer ablation. His innovations include FDA-cleared systems for real-time tissue feedback during procedures. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications and numerous patents, he bridges clinical practice with translational research and entrepreneurship. Dr. Herrell mentors faculty and trainees in balancing high-impact clinical care with innovation and commercialization.
Learn more about Duke by viewing his profile here.