by Tom O’Connor, UNMC
OMAHA, Neb. (Dec. 16, 2015)—Rod Markin, M.D., PhD, chief technology officer and associate vice chancellor for business development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).
Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.
The 168 named this year bring the total number of NAI Fellows to 582. The honorees join a prestigious list of past Fellows that include 27 Nobel Laureates, 80 presidents and senior leaders of research universities and non-profit research institutes, and 27 inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Dr. Markin has been associated with UNMC for more than 35 years. He earned his medical degree from UNMC in 1983 and his doctoral degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1980. He joined the UNMC faculty in 1986.
He was named to his current position in 2011. Among his duties, Dr. Markin works closely with departments to plan major equipment purchases and make sure that utilization justifies cost. He looks for opportunities for departments to better coordinate their use of equipment and seeks potential new uses for information systems and telemedicine.
In 2010-11, Dr. Markin served as interim dean of the UNMC College of Medicine. Prior to this, he was the David T. Purtilo Distinguished Professor of Pathology and senior associate dean for clinical affairs in the College of Medicine. He also served as president of UNMC Physicians, the physician practice group for UNMC, from 1997 to 2010.
Dr. Markin is one of the most prolific inventors at UNMC. In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from UNeMed Corporation, UNMC’s technology transfer company, for his innovative work in transforming the clinical laboratory through technology.
“Rod is a rare breed,” said Michael Dixon, PhD, president and CEO of UNeMed. “It’s uncommon to have a skilled clinician who also has such a keen understanding of business and what it takes to develop a product. Not only is he a prolific inventor with 35 patents, but he’s also helped turn those ideas into products – products that have built startup companies or have sold widely in multinational companies.”
The NAI Fellows will be inducted on April 15, as part of the Fifth Annual Conference of the National Academy of Inventors in Alexandria, Va. Fellows will be presented with a special trophy, medal, and rosette pin.
Information provided by media influences the opinions and ideologies of the public, which in turn shapes the political climate. The public’s perception of science and research—be it positive or negative—effects the decision makers in our nation’s capital.
Adam Ruben, PhD, from “Outrageous Acts of Science” on the Science Channel, gave a talk during UNMC’s 2015 Innovation Week titled “Public Perception of Science.” He listed examples of the public’s ill-informed response to scientific discovery like cloning animals, vaccines, and the 
by 
OMAHA, Neb. (November 1, 2015)—Amanda Hawley, PhD, has been promoted from intern to a full-time postdoctoral position as a licensing associate with UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“The idea of PortCas is pretty basic,” said Joseph Siu, PhD, who is working with Hanson on the PortCas. “If we can move a humongous, $100,000 simulator, move it into tiny boxes, and make it cheap enough for every medical student in the world to have one, then we’ve met our goal.”
Dr. Al-Murani said the technology is unique because it’s a naturally occurring protein, versatile, easy to manufacture and easy to store and use.
Qian Zhang, PhD, of UNeMed presented the Portable Laparoscope, an invention of Chandra Are, M.D.
Thoraguard is an innovative approach to the chest tubes used to drain fluids. The tubes are prone to clogging, causing Retained Blood Complex, which doubles the mortality rate, increases the length of stay in patients by about a week, and increases the costs to care for a patient by about $30,000. Larger tubes cut down on clogging but bring about a different set of problems, such as increased infections and damage to surrounding organs.
Valeriya Kettelhut, M.D., PhD, presented a system to track infections in hospitals and other high-risk environments, such as transport centers, cancer centers, and long-term facilities.
“Think about how we use chemical today,” said Draper. “Our overuse of chemicals and anti-microbial products are contaminating ourselves, our water, our air, our ground, and creating new contaminants in our environment.”
by 
Those interested in alternative career paths are encouraged to attend the career panel on Monday, Oct. 19, from 2-3 p.m., in the DRC Auditorium where professionals from various scientific fields will discuss their profession and how they got there. Students can also attend the Adam Ruben event on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the DRC auditorium. Ruben, author of “
Dr. Bounds, who joined the University as its seventh president in April, focused his remarks on the importance of public and private partnerships with the University, and how they contribute to greater innovation and growth. A big part of that growth will be fueled by the Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Dr. Bounds said.
