Lucy Cavendish College students have once again demonstrated their excellence at the intersection of science and enterprise, securing two of three prizes awarded at the end-of-year dinner for the University of Cambridge’s MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise.
The MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise (MBE) is a flagship Master’s programme run by the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. It brings together students from science, business and healthcare to explore the commercialisation of life sciences, with graduates going on to careers in biotech, consulting, startups and venture capital.
This end-of year’s dinner marked a particularly proud moment for Lucy Cavendish, with both Lukas Rabl and Charles Walker recognised for outstanding academic and professional achievement, a reflection of the College’s growing profile in the entrepreneurial space.
Lukas Rabl received the Best Dissertation Result for his project at Resolution Therapeutics. He developed the commercial case for launching a cell therapy product in a new indication, building revenue, risk and valuation models and engaging with global clinical experts.
Originally from Austria, Lukas graduated with a first-class MSci in Natural Sciences from UCL and worked as an Associate at Strategy& before joining the MBE. He hopes to build a career in an innovative startup or venture capital environment.
He says, “This programme has been a fantastic opportunity for both professional and personal development. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring an innovative application of cell therapy in my dissertation and felt honoured to receive an award for my work. I’m grateful to the College and Department for their support and look forward to applying these experiences in my future career!”
Charles Walker received both the Best Coursework Mark (awarded to the student with the highest coursework grade) and also Best Performing Student (rewarding to the top performing overall student, ranked 1/27 in the cohort).
Charles graduated with a first-class BSc in neuroscience from the University of Exeter. He helped set up and worked for EqualEd, an edtech charity, for a year before starting the MBE. He also co-founded Reeplay, a peer-to-peer marketplace for pre-played sports gear, and closed a six-figure pre-seed round earlier this year. He is also a participant on the Lucy Cavendish’s Future Global Leaders Programme.
His MBE placement project was with Fluidda and Medimprove, exploring how to scale their cardiopulmonary clinics that integrate Functional Respiratory Imaging (FRI) with ongoing rehabilitation and care. He analysed market opportunities and pricing models, and developed a model for strategic expansion into the UK. After the MBE, he hopes to move into a career in life science and technology investment.
In addition, both Lukas and Charles were elected as representatives during the year – Lukas as Course Rep for the MBE, and Charles as Departmental Rep for all postgraduates in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.
The third award of the evening, for achieving a Distinction, went to Penny Dray of Fitzwilliam College. The guest speaker, William Bains, delivered an engaging keynote, and the evening concluded with a thoughtful speech by Lukas, who spoke on behalf of the cohort, reflecting on the transformative experience of the year and expressing thanks to the course staff.
The College extends its warmest congratulations to Lukas and Charles for their remarkable achievements – a testament to their hard work, ambition, and the entrepreneurial spirit that defines Lucy Cavendish students.
