Interview with Professor Tao Luyang of Soochow University: "My Teaching Mission Is Largely Complete—I’m Ready to Venture into Entrepreneurship"

Age is not the reason why Professor Tao Luyang is willing to “rest.”

In 2008, in addition to being appointed as a faculty member at Soochow University, Professor Lu-Yang Tao also served as the Department Chair and single-handedly established the forensic medicine program at Soochow University. After decades of development, the forensic medicine program at Soochow University has become a major national base for teaching, scientific research, talent cultivation, and judicial expertise in China.

Today, Professor Tao, approaching his sixties, is not looking forward to a “leisurely retirement” of sipping tea and playing chess; instead, he plans to devote himself to entrepreneurship. He said, “My mission in teaching and mentoring has been largely fulfilled; now it’s time for me to venture into the entrepreneurial arena and see if I still have what it takes.”

For Professor Tao Luyang, starting a business in his fifties or sixties is perfectly timed. This means he can devote ample time and energy to development“Evaluation Methods and Systems for Cognitive Function in Patients with Brain Injury Post-Injury”"Career: Deciphering the Scripture of Entrepreneurship."

Meanwhile, Professor Tao Luyang’s patented project was selected for the “2021 Excellent Patent Project Library in the Biomedical Field.” This year, he also participated with his brain injury project in an event co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Biotechnology and other organizations.2022 The 2nd Biomedical High-Value Patent Project Selection & National Conference on Medical-Engineering Integration and New Medical Technologies / Sci-Tech China Industry Matchmaking Meeting.

Recently, at the invitation of the conference organizing committee,VCBeat Orange BureauandProf. Lu-Yang TaoFollowing an in-depth conversation covering the genesis and future of this technology, as well as the original intentions and plans behind the startup venture, VCBeat has compiled and edited the interview transcript. This article invites readers to gain insights into the thoughts, reflections, and actions of this university professor regarding entrepreneurship.

In addition to his role as a university professor, Professor Tao Luyang also practices in the specialized field of forensic medicine.

The project “Evaluation Methods and System for Cognitive Function in Patients with Brain Injury After Trauma” was precisely born out of Professor Tao’s daily forensic work.

“Without science, love is powerless; without love, science is destructive.” Professor Tao Luyang told VCBeat that the duty of forensic experts is to uphold the rights of the living and speak for the dead. HeWe hope to leverage this technology for accurate injury assessment, thereby better upholding judicial fairness.

In simple terms, "Evaluation Methods and Systems for Cognitive Function in Patients with Brain Injury Post-Trauma" isBy presenting audiovisual stimuli to participants using event-related potentials (ERPs), electroencephalographic (EEG) signals generated during this process are acquired and processed to obtain brain energy maps and functional network maps, thereby achieving the goal of objective assessment.

This non-invasive testing approach not only yields more objective results but also, leveraging its cost-effectiveness, enables the provision of modular testing solutions tailored to specific needs.

Professor Tao Luyang revealed that within China’s public security system, more than 5,000 agencies at the county level or above require this type of forensic assessment method. In addition, demand from private third-party forensic institutions is significant, with their numbers also exceeding 5,000. This indicates that over 10,000 institutions nationwide are eager for an assessment system capable of objectively evaluating cognitive function following injury.

Born in forensic science, yet extending far beyond it. The applications of this technology have expanded from the public security sector to two other prominent fields:

The first is to useFor highly prevalent conditions such as stroke and traumatic brain injuryIt is important to note that the annual number of stroke patients in China has exceeded 6 million, ranking first globally, while the annual incidence rate of traumatic brain injury remains high at 67.38 per 100,000 people. Both conditions are associated with severe sequelae, including motor and cognitive impairments. Currently, there is a lack of objective methods for assessing cognitive prognosis and effective rehabilitation interventions in clinical practice, let alone personalized rehabilitation approaches.

The second isEarly Screening for Alzheimer's Disease. China is facing a severe aging trend, with the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) gradually increasing. The domestic rehabilitation and elderly care market has exceeded one trillion yuan in scale; however, within this blue ocean, there is a lack of early screening methods and precise prevention and rehabilitation measures.

Overall, the application of event-related potential (ERP)-based brain-computer interfaces to assess post-injury cognitive function in patients with brain injury not only serves Professor Tao’s objective of upholding judicial fairness, but also demonstrates significant market potential, attracting numerous companies to participate and support Professor Tao’s research, development, and translation efforts.

The project is currently progressing in an orderly manner.

In 2015, the project “Evaluation Methods and System for Cognitive Function in Patients with Brain Injury After Trauma” was officially launched, and it has nowClinical volunteer testing has been completed, and verification testing is underway; the company plans to apply for a Class II medical device registration certificate.

These phased advancements would clearly not have been possible without the support of schools and external entities.

Firstly, thanks toSoochow University's Technology Transfer Policy.Soochow University is a highly inclusive institution that has always adhered to the principle of “making full use of talent and maximizing the utility of resources.” In addition to fostering a rich and vibrant academic atmosphere, the university strongly encourages its professors to engage in entrepreneurial ventures. To this end, Soochow University has established an Office for Technology Transfer within its campus to provide essential support for the commercialization of faculty research achievements. Proceeds from such transfers are distributed between the university and the professors at a ratio of 2:8, a policy that has significantly stimulated the entrepreneurial enthusiasm of its faculty members.

Next isSubstantive Assistance from the Suzhou Institute of Collaborative Innovation for Medical RoboticsDuring the commercialization of Professor Lu-Yang Tao’s achievements, the Research Institute provided guidance on materials and market strategy. Specifically, to facilitate the smooth application for a Class II medical device registration certificate, the Institute offered guidance on documentation before the team submitted the review materials to the relevant authorities.

Furthermore, the Institute provided the team with clear market directions, including applications in public security systems, early screening for Alzheimer’s disease, and prognostic assessment of brain injuries—all of which were evaluated and determined by the Institute to assist Professor Tao. Most importantly, the Institute also provided a certain amount of R&D funding, thereby safeguarding Professor Tao’s early-stage research and development efforts.

Even with the support of two major platforms, the challenges facing Professor Tao remain formidable.

Technology FirstProfessor Tao Luyang told VCBeat that, in the task of interpreting computer-generated infographics, the team is still at the stage of manual identification. In practice, the entire workflow—from data acquisition to analysis—is complex and time-consuming. To address this challenge, the team can only pin its hopes on artificial intelligence, enabling computers to identify and calculate the locations of brainwave sources. However, developing such software will require additional funding and the involvement of more specialized professionals.

Next is entrepreneurship.“I don’t understand entrepreneurship, nor do I know how to manage the production or market this technology,” Professor Tao Luyang stated frankly. For most entrepreneurs with academic backgrounds, challenges in the business world indeed leave them at a loss. This stems from two main reasons: first, they lack the energy and time to learn and understand business knowledge; second, they habitually view commercial matters through an academic lens, resulting in poor integration into the business environment.

However, what troubled them even more wasFundraising“The funds previously invested are no longer sufficient.” Professor Tao’s remark likely echoes the sentiments of many entrepreneurs. Once the capital chain breaks, entrepreneurial ventures will vanish like bubbles. So, how can one secure funding? University professors, in particular, often lack access to adequate channels.

In the face of such circumstances, Professor Tao and his team chose not to wait passively for their fate. Instead, they actively participated in conferences focused on translating achievements from medical-engineering collaborations, thereby increasing the visibility of their technology and attracting more investment institutions to join.

Currently, under the dual call from both the national and university levels, an increasing number of university professors are willing to venture into the entrepreneurial arena.

In fact, Professor Lu Yang Tao is also part of the entrepreneurial wave. At this grand event, Professor Tao clearly expressed greater optimism about young professors with courage and capability taking on these challenges, as they are more committed to addressing the “chokepoint” issues in medical technology.

However, university professors who start businesses must still adhere to three principles:

The first point is to remain cautious and learn to discern.University professors often lose their way in the rosy pictures painted by investors due to a lack of market understanding. How can they discern market realities amidst such extravagant claims? This requires university professors to seek third-party assistance for reasonable market assessments.

The second point is to approach the matter from a business perspective.The business world differs significantly from academia; it is a profit-driven arena akin to a hunting ground. University professors need to shift their academic mindset and approach commercial transactions with greater rationality.

The third point is to invest with technology.For university professors, managing a company is no easy task, as they must address several core challenges: first, how to recruit talent—while securing technical personnel is straightforward, it is difficult to fill foundational roles such as finance, human resources, and sales; second, how to identify the right candidates who align with the company’s development trajectory; and third, how to foster team collaboration to maximize the team’s potential value.

Therefore, the best way to extricate oneself from cumbersome corporate management is to take an equity stake based on technological contributions and focus on the company’s R&D efforts.