WHAT IS THE ROTHBERG CATALYZER AT PENN?
The Rothberg Catalyzer at Penn is a two-month program that introduces Penn students to healthcare innovation and entrepreneurship. The program is comprised of three educational workshops, called Design Studios, that teach essential basics of design thinking, prototyping, and pitching. The Makerthon weekend portion of the Rothberg Catalyzer at Penn is an immersive two-day event to encourage interdisciplinary student teams to develop a simple hardware prototype and pitch solutions to unmet healthcare needs. The students receive feedback from clinical, technical, and business mentors during the weekend and the final pitches and prototypes are evaluated by a panel of judges.
EVENTS TIMELINE
Design Studio II - Rapid Prototyping & Device Derisking
6:00pm-8:00pm
Towne Hall 225 Raisler Lounge
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 & SUNDAY OCTOBER 20
DESIGN STUDIOS
Design Studio 1: Design Thinking
Design Thinking, an iterative process to understanding the needs of your target user, has been adopted by some of the world’s leading brands. Design Studio 1 leads you through the phases of Design Thinking – Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test – and how it can help you select an unmet need and create impactful solutions. This workshop features a panel of clinicians to help with the ideation process and provide unique insights.
WORKSHOP LEAD(S) :
Healthcare Innovation Consultant,
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Scientific Director, NSF Center for Child Injury Prevention Science;
Science/Medical Advisor, Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation;
Distinguished Chair of Pediatrics,
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Design Studio 2: Rapid Prototyping and De-Risking
You’ve got your unmet need and you’re ready to start creating solutions, but how do you efficiently prototype? Rapid Prototyping helps you evaluate solution concepts quickly in order test and refine your final product. This workshop features technical mentors and lab coordinators from Penn Engineering to walk you through concepts, materials, and available equipment.
WORKSHOP LEAD(S)
Senior Lecturer
Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science
Design Studio 3: Pitch Success
Pitching does not have to be a nerve-wracking moment. Knowing how to create your story in context to your design and relating it to a broad audience can allow your ideas to raise capital and connect with investors, researchers, and future customers. This workshop features best practices for pitching, as well as an opportunity to practice your pitching skills in small group sessions.
WORKSHOP LEAD(S)
Professor of Practice, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Materials Science and Engineering
Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science
AVAILABLE LABS
Please use the buttons below to navigate to the webpages of the following Penn Engineering lab facilities that are partnering with Penn Health-Tech for the Rothberg Catalyzer at Penn.

The George H. Stephenson Foundation Educational Laboratory, located in 225 Skirkanich Hall, is the primary teaching lab and Bio-MakerSpace for the Department of Bioengineering at Penn Engineering.

The Frederick Ketterer Lab of Electrical and System Engineering, located in 101 Moore Hall, is the principle teaching laboratory of the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM) Design and Prototyping Laboratories provides students, and researchers with the resources they need to design, fabricate, and test their ideas. For the Rothberg Catalyzer at Penn, you will have access to the Rapid Prototyping Lab (RPL).
IMPORTANT LINKS
PARTS ORDER FORM.
Due Thursday, October 3 at 12pm.
DOWNLOAD THE ROTHBERG CATALYZER ACTIVITIES CALENDAR