A Q&A with Jed Lampe, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CU Anschutz Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
HIE Impact Innovation Champions are CU Anschutz faculty and staff embedded across campus who are helping shape a culture where ideas become impact. Through this spotlight series, we’ll introduce you to the Champions driving change from within, the connectors, catalysts, and collaborators who are making innovation more visible, accessible, and actionable for all. Get to know what motivates them, the discoveries they’re championing, and how they’re helping move bold ideas toward patient and societal benefit.
Why are you passionate about advancing healthcare innovation at CU Anschutz?
My greatest passion is finding safer and more effective therapies for neglected patient groups, particularly the pediatric population. Too often, pediatric patients are just considered "little adults" when it comes to pharmacotherapy, which can lead to serious adverse drug reactions and/or lack of drug efficacy, with potentially disastrous results. I originally came to CU Anschutz due to the world-class Colorado Children's Hospital and the opportunity to collaborate with clinicians who have the same vision of bench-to-bedside care that I have. It's been great to watch the success of the CU Anschutz campus grow simultaneously with the success of my lab and the new scientific discoveries that we're making on a daily basis.
“My greatest passion is finding safer and more effective therapies for neglected patient groups, particularly the pediatric population.” -Jed Lampe
How did you catch the innovation bug / what was your first exposure to innovation?
After I completed my undergraduate degree, I knew that I wanted to go to graduate school, but I wanted to get some experience first, so I took a job at a small biotech company and really loved the collaborative, goal oriented environment. Despite not yet having a PhD, all the senior scientists treated me like an equal and really supported my career and professional development. To be honest, I always thought that I would end up back in industry, but I really caught the bug for basic research in graduate school - a bug whose only treatment was an academic research career as a PI. Starting a small company has let me get back to those original biotech roots, which has been extremely enjoyable and rewarding.
What innovation work are you currently involved in (or have supported), and what impact are you hoping it will create?
My company, Mycotherapeutics, LLC, was established to discover and develop new antifungal therapeutics specifically designed to treat pediatric patients. Many people are familiar with the threat of fungal infections from "The Last of Us" series and video game franchise. While the fungal infection represented in that type of science fiction is fantastical, systemic fungal infections driven by Candida albicans, Candida auris, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus fumigatus are very real and extremely difficult to treat. There are very few therapies available and they tend to be quite toxic, particularly to the neonate and developing infant. Our goal is to identify new drug leads that have a better safety and efficacy profile than existing therapies. We do this not by identifying new drug targets, but by improving on the drugs themselves so that they are safer and more efficacious.
Is there anyone in your department doing particularly interesting innovation work?
Yes, practically everyone! Every day I am so amazed by the hallway conversations that I have with faculty and students about their research and their passion. It is truly inspiring. Most of them are doing innovative work with commercial potential, they are just not aware of it. In some cases, it may be a licensing opportunity whereas in others there may be an opportunity for a start-up. There is an amazing amount of innovative research going on in the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy.
If you could wave a magic wand, what is the most important thing you would be able to accomplish as an Innovation Champion?
I think that the most important thing for any inspiring entrepreneur is to have a clear line for funding and idea/product development. Often, red tape gets in the way and/or the funding is simply not there. If I could use a magic wand to improve this path and make it easier for people on campus to get their idea to market faster, I would.
What excites you most about the future of innovation on this campus?
I am an optimist by nature, so I believe that the future will be full of possibility. Despite the current difficulties of private equity fund raising and scientific research funding on the federal level, I truly believe that this time - right now - is the most exciting time of my entire career. Looking at the multiplicity of new drug modalities that have come online in the past five years makes me excited to see what comes next. Layering the possibilities of AI on top of that truly creates endless possibilities. CU Anschutz has an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of the incredible change happening specifically in drug discovery and healthcare in general. CU Anschutz has the resources, personnel, and vision to really make these dreams reality.
Any particularly interesting or surprising learnings along the innovation journey?
On the one hand, I had no idea how difficult it would be to try and commercialize some of my ideas but, on the other hand, I also had no idea how rewarding it would be. Also, there have been surprising deviations brought on by serendipitous scientific discoveries along the way that I would have had no idea about when we first started.
What advice would you give a colleague who has an idea but isn’t sure where to begin?
Don't be afraid to just get in there and start. There is a very low barrier to entry and folks will be there to help you along the way. There are some great resources at CU Anschutz - including CU Innovations - that are available just for the asking, so I would highly advise to take advantage of them. Also, talk to colleagues who have been successful in starting their own companies to get a feel for what it takes and what the pitfalls might be. Most importantly, enjoy the journey! When it gets hard, as long as you are still enjoying what you do, this will carry you through the difficult times.
