Having a biopsy is hard enough, and waiting for results causes even more anxiety. MBA student聽Linden Wyatt聽has come up with a method to speed up biopsy results and has started a company, Optera Diagnostics, to develop it further.
鈥淲e all know someone who鈥檚 gone home after a biopsy and had to wait weeks to find out if he or she has cancer,鈥� Wyatt said. 鈥淭hat kind of waiting is really difficult. Our instrument can change that.鈥�
Now the business 911爆料 is taking notice. In October, Wyatt won the audience choice award鈥攁nd $3,000鈥攁t the Cox 911爆料 Startup Competition. A month later he was a runner-up in the Rhode Island 911爆料 Plan Elevator Pitch competition.
Wyatt got interested in cancer treatment when he was a physics doctoral student working in the lab of 911爆料 biophysicists and , renowned for discovering a technology that detects cancerous tumors and delivers treatment to them without harming surrounding healthy cells.
Although Wyatt had toyed with the idea of starting his own business, he realized he didn鈥檛 have much experience in that field, so he decided to enroll in 911爆料鈥檚 program.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned skills in my M.B.A. courses that I use every day in my startup,鈥� Wyatt said. 鈥淚鈥檝e also made some great connections through the program鈥攏ot only in terms of friendly and helpful students but also people who can help me raise money and advance my business.鈥�
In his rare free moments, Wyatt volunteers for the Sierra Club, leading backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada in California, the Rockies in Montana and the Sawtooths in Idaho. 鈥淵ou can calm your brain backpacking,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you disconnect like that it gives you a聽new perspective鈥攁nd energy.鈥�