Growing up in Knoxville, Alexandria Carter (UT, ’23) dreamed of pursuing a music career in Nashville. She never imagined becoming a scientist, let alone a biomedical entrepreneur. When Carter began her studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, however, she discovered a surprising new passion for engineering.

“It was really UT that lit that initial spark of interest and enabled that side of thinking, which was a realm that I had never known before,” Carter said. She developed that sparking into a B.S. in biomedical engineering from the Tickle College of Engineering.

While Carter had always been curious about entrepreneurship — her mother owns a fashion design business, and her father is an executive in business development — she wasn’t sure how to enter that world herself. That changed when she took an engineering and entrepreneurship course at UT. The class introduced her to the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where she went on to win funding through several pitch competitions.

In November 2022, Carter placed first in the growth category of the Graves Business Plan Competition. In May 2023, she received additional support through the Boyd Venture Challenge.

“I had the building blocks to create an incredible opportunity in the entrepreneurial space,” Carter said.

Although she didn’t continue the business she developed during her undergraduate studies, Carter’s entrepreneurial drive remained strong.

Bringing Personalized Cancer Treatment to Life

Carter is now a doctoral candidate in bioengineering at Rice University in Houston, Texas. She began researching the concept for Bionostic, a biomedical startup focused on helping cancer patients receive more personalized and effective treatment, in fall 2023 during her first year of graduate studies at Vanderbilt University before transferring to Rice and continuing the research. The work captivated her, not only for its potential scientific impact but also for its clinical relevance.

Carter launched Bionostic in January 2025. The company’s core mission is to develop devices for disease-matched, first-line treatment validation.

“Personalizing individual cancer treatments for patients is critical. No cancer patient is part of a majority,” Carter explained. “Cancer affects each person differently, so the prognostication of their disease should be treated the same way.”

Motivated by her own family’s experience with cancer, Carter is committed to helping patients, families and oncologists navigate treatment with greater precision and hope.

Bionostic’s innovative approach involves using a microwell array that can host a patient’s biopsied tissue. This enables the development of individualized treatment plans tailored to how each patient’s cancer responds to different therapies. The company’s proximity to the Texas Medical Center, home to some of the world’s leading cancer institutes, provides a strategic advantage.

While much of the work is still rooted in research, Carter is focused on translating that research into a usable medical device, one that could fill a critical gap in cancer care.

“I want to make this widely accessible, so oncologists, patients, and their families can get the answers they need,” Carter said.

At Rice, Carter has received valuable founder support from her advisor, Michael King, and the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She has also participated in more pitch competitions and attended major industry events to showcase her entrepreneurial work and network with other medical professionals. Balancing research and business development has been a challenge, but Carter is energized by the work.

Vol for Life

Even as she builds a startup and earns a doctorate, Carter hasn’t forgotten where her journey began. She’s quick to credit UT for helping her find her path.

“I’m so proud to be a UT alumna. I am certainly a Volunteer through and through and will always be,” Carter said.

Her time at UT helped build the foundation for her academic and entrepreneurial success. Now, she’s building on that foundation to drive innovation in cancer research and treatment.

About the Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, housed in the Haslam College of Business, is the front door to entrepreneurship at the university, connecting entrepreneurs and innovators at every stage with the resources, networks and expertise needed to solve real challenges. By cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset across campus, connecting entrepreneurs with resources and mentorship they need to grow and collaborating with the UT and regional ecosystem, the Anderson Center is developing an entrepreneurial culture where Volunteers are empowered to identify unmet needs and take bold action to create value through new ventures.

Author

—

Kelsey Craighead, marketing and events coordinator, kcraigh2@vols.utk.edu

Contact

—

Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu