Real Projects. Real Commercialization Impact.
The Penn Health-Tech (PHT) Student Fellows Program offers graduate students a hands-on opportunity to support the commercialization of cutting-edge medical devices and health technologies emerging from Penn and CHOP. Student Fellows are matched with teams in the Health Tech Accelerator (HTA) portfolio, where they play a key role in assessing commercial readiness and shaping strategies that help innovations reach patients and the market.
Fellows receive structured training through a dedicated curriculum in health tech commercialization and immediately apply their learning to real technologies. The program is ideal for graduate students exploring careers in medical device commercialization, healthcare innovation, consulting, or life sciences venture support.
Eligibility
The Student Fellows Program is open to Penn graduate students in clinical, scientific, technical, and business disciplines.
Commitment:
8–12 hours per week from August to May.
Ideal candidates:
- Have a strong scientific/technical or business background
- Are eager to take on new challenges
- Demonstrate interest in medical device commercialization
- Communicate effectively and work independently
- Can commit to at least one academic year
Student Fellows will:
- Support evaluations of new healthcare technologies
- Create pitch decks and commercialization materials
- Provide project support to accelerator and seed grant teams
- Assist in event coordination, communications, and progress reports
- Work on special projects supporting the Penn Health-Tech mission
What You'll Gain:
The PHT Student Fellow experience is designed to accelerate your growth as a future leader in health technology. Through this program, you will:
- Gain expertise in medical device commercialization
- Learn from experienced industry professionals
- Work directly with startups and innovators
- Develop technical and business acumen
- Build lasting connections across disciplines and schools
2025-2026 Student Fellow Cohort
Nicholas Hanchak
Masters of Integrated Product Design ‘26
Dana Bahng
BA in Cognitive Science ‘26, Masters of Integrated Product Design ‘27
Yuwei (Carmen) Chang
Masters of Integrated Product Design ‘26
Zack Goldblum
PhD in Bioengineering ‘28
Jieru Shu
Masters of Business Administration ‘26
Ding Tang
PhD in Bioengineering ‘27
Interested in applying to be a Student Fellow at
Penn Health-Tech? Learn more about the role and sign up
to be notified when the next application cycle opens.
Program Timeline
Stage Date / Period
Application Opens February 2027
Application Deadline March 2027
Interviews March 2027
Fellow Selection April 2027
Fellowship Term August 2027 – May 2028
Apply to be a Student Fellow