Yin's role will primarily focus on identifying and evaluating startup investment opportunities to advance Washington state innovations for public benefit

SEATTLE, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Frank Yin, Ph.D., has joined the staff of Washington Research Foundation (WRF) as its investment associate.

WRF supports the advancement of Washington state innovations to improve lives, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies. The Foundation has awarded more than $170 million in grants to Washington state nonprofit research institutions and has invested in 132 local startups working to commercialize products and services for public benefit.

Yin's role will focus on sourcing and evaluating new investment opportunities in Washington—primarily in startups advancing technologies developed in the state's research institutions—in addition to managing many of the active investments within WRF's 44-company portfolio. He will provide additional expertise to WRF's grantmaking team and assist with WRF's venture analyst program.

Yin brings a diverse background spanning biotech, pharma, computer science and business administration. He is currently completing his MBA at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Before Wharton, Yin spent seven years at GlaxoSmithKline as a principal investigator in research and development, where he leveraged artificial intelligence and machine learning to advance drug discovery and development. His investment experience includes internships with private equity and venture capital firms Health Catalyst Capital in New York City, Qiming Venture Partners in Shanghai, China, and Lilly Asia Ventures in Menlo Park, California, where he focused on life sciences, healthcare IT and tech-enabled services companies.

"I am thrilled to join the Washington Research Foundation and contribute to its mission of improving the lives of people in the region and around the world," Yin said. "Washington state has a thriving life sciences ecosystem, and I look forward to partnering with entrepreneurs and scientists to transform their breakthroughs into impactful healthcare solutions. WRF's commitment to fostering innovation aligns perfectly with my background and passion, and I am excited to collaborate with the team to drive meaningful progress in life sciences and enabling technologies."

WRF's president and CEO, Tom Daniel, Ph.D., said, "We are delighted to welcome Dr. Frank Yin as our new investment associate at the Washington Research Foundation. Frank brings a wealth of experience from diverse sectors, all of which will be invaluable as we continue to identify and support groundbreaking innovations that strengthen the life science ecosystem in our state. His expertise in leveraging AI and machine learning for drug discovery, coupled with his experience in pharma and investment analysis, positions him to make an immediate impact in our work. We are excited for the contributions he will bring to our team and the future of life sciences."

Yin holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia, a master's in computer science with a specialization in machine learning from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a bachelor's in chemistry from Peking University in Beijing, China. He will primarily work remotely until he relocates to Seattle in June following the completion of his MBA program.

About Washington Research Foundation:

Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research and scholarship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.

WRF was founded in 1981 to assist universities and other nonprofit research institutions in Washington with the commercialization and licensing of their technologies. WRF is one of the foremost technology transfer and grant-making organizations in the nation, having earned more than $445 million in licensing revenue for the University of Washington and providing over $170 million in grants to the state's research institutions to date.

WRF Capital, the investment vehicle for Washington Research Foundation, has backed 132 local startups since 1996. Returns support the Foundation's investment and grantmaking programs.

For additional information, please visit wrfseattle.org.

Media Contact

Dale, Washington Research Foundation, 206.336.5600, dale@wrfseattle.org, https://www.wrfseattle.org/

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SOURCE Washington Research Foundation