From Discovery to Impact
A Closer Look at Northwestern’s New Simpson-Q Accelerators
With the recent launch of the Simpson-Q Accelerators—supported by a generous $25 million gift from Trustee Kimberly K. Querrey—Northwestern is expanding its capacity to translate high-potential discoveries from the lab to real-world application. Building on the Querrey InQbation Lab (“The Q”), the accelerators will focus initially on AI, medtech, and therapeutics, pairing interdisciplinary research teams with targeted translational support, industry expertise, and venture development resources to speed the path from discovery to impact.
We recently spoke with Lisa Dhar, Northwestern’s associate vice president for innovation and new ventures, to learn more about what makes the accelerators so compelling, and how she sees them accelerating a new generation of research-driven solutions.
- Moving from initiative to execution
Q: The initial announcement highlighted the vision behind the Simpson-Q Accelerators. What will success look like in the first 12–24 months?
Lisa Dhar: Success is about momentum and proof points. We want strong cohorts advancing their science while showing clear paths to market—through partnerships, follow-on funding, and, in some cases, new ventures.
Just as important is demonstrating a repeatable model. If this cohort-based approach consistently helps Northwestern innovations move faster and more effectively toward real-world use, that’s a major early win.
- What makes this model distinct
Q: Many universities are investing in innovation and commercialization. What differentiates the Simpson-Q Accelerators?
LD: This model is distinctive in how intentionally it integrates disciplines and stages of development. We’re supporting startups, yes, but we are also aligning technical progress, market insight, and translational strategy from the outset.
The combination of entrepreneurial fellows, MBA talent, executives-in-residence, and targeted funding creates a coordinated system. And because it leverages Northwestern’s institutes and centers, teams benefit from a deeply interdisciplinary environment.
- Strengthening the research–translation feedback loop
Q: You noted that commercialization can strengthen future research. How does that work in practice?
LD: Translation isn’t the endpoint, as important as that translation is for impact. It also feeds back into discovery. As researchers engage real-world constraints—regulation, user needs, manufacturing—they gain insights that reshape future questions.
That creates a continuous cycle: discovery informs innovation, and innovation sharpens discovery. Over time, this makes the research enterprise more responsive, strategic, and impactful.
- Expanding the ecosystem and long-term vision
Q: The initial accelerators focus on AI, medtech, and therapeutics. How might this model evolve?
LD: These areas project some of Northwestern’s strengths onto urgent societal needs, but they’re the start. The model can expand into fields like sustainability, advanced materials, and other emerging areas where interdisciplinary work is essential.
The long-term goal is a scalable platform, one that continuously translates ideas across disciplines and connects Northwestern research to the world’s most pressing challenges.
As the Simpson-Q Accelerators take shape, they signal a broader shift in how Northwestern approaches innovation, treating translation as a core part of the research enterprise. By connecting discovery more directly to application, the University is positioning its research to move faster, reach further, and deliver meaningful impact at scale. — Matt Golosinski