About

Bridging the gap between discovery and cure.

Translating brilliant science into approved cures and devices is one of the most complex undertakings in human history. Rigorous compliance, regulatory demands, and fragmented funding often stretch timelines for years. Unit X is designed to eliminate that. By fusing advanced supercomputing, clinical research, and venture capital, we move brilliant discoveries from the lab straight to the patient.

Founded in 1817 to serve the public good, the University of Michigan is home to one of the world’s most comprehensive research ecosystems. For over 200 years, the communities we serve have inspired us to push the boundaries of what is possible, turning breakthrough ideas into life-saving realities.

A New Standard for Health Innovation.

Solving grand societal health challenges demands a fundamental shift in how medicine is built. Unit X integrates world-class engineering, health sciences, and Michigan Medicine’s clinical scale - under one roof, paired with an in-house venture studio. By embedding seasoned business executives directly alongside faculty founders in the lab, we will provide the flexible capital and entrepreneurial leadership needed to scale discoveries.

We are building a $1 billion innovation flywheel designed to turn Michigan discoveries into global, life-saving medicine.

Our Team

Unit X is led by pioneers at the intersection of medicine and engineering.

Arul Chinnaiyan, M.D., Ph.D.

Co-Director

Dr. Chinnaiyan is the S.P. Hicks Endowed Professor of Pathology, a Professor of Urology, and the Director of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology at the University of Michigan Medical School. He is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and an American Cancer Society Research Professor.

Joerg Lahann, Ph.D.

Co-Director

Dr. Lahann is the Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, a professor of materials science and engineering, biomedical engineering and macromolecular science and engineering in Michigan’s College of Engineering.

Institutional Leadership and Advisory Board

Unit X is a presidential priority guided by an Executive Board that unites U-M’s top leadership, including the President, Provost, Chief Financial Officer, and the CEO of Michigan Medicine.

We are actively assembling an External Scientific Advisory Board (ESAB), consisting of exceptional leaders in basic science, biomedical engineering, computational science, clinical translation, institute-building, and biotech venture creation.