Year in Review: Highlights from 2023

December 22, 2023 Comments (0) Blog

by Charles Litton, UNeMed | December 22, 2023

It’s that time again where we look back at the year that was 2023. In keeping with tradition, here’s a look at some of the more popular and important stories, events and happenings during the previous year:

1. Boot Camp

When the Tech Transfer Boot Camp returned following a pandemic-induced two-year hiatus, it wasn’t without concern that it wouldn’t regain its popularity. We were delighted to see that our concerns were unjustified, but was 2022 just an anomaly? Apparently not. Announcing the 2023 installment of Boot Camp became our most popular story, even overtaking the Innovation Awards at the top spot. As Boot Camp hits its stride, we can safely say the popular event isn’t going anywhere. In fact, plans to expand the offering with a spin-off event are in the works…stay tuned.

UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, (right) presents UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry,PhD, with the 2023 Emerging Inventor award during the Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

2. Innovation Week

Even though it was knocked off the top perch (barely), Innovation Week—and the Innovation Awards—remain a massive driver of traffic to this site. Even stories detailing previous award shows remain popular. The most recent Awards show was our second as an in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies to virtual space.

3. Board of Directors expands

UNeMed landed a few big fish to join its board of directors during 2023. The announcements attracted a lot of attention, which is no small surprise when you learn more about the new additions: Kimberly Lamb, PhD; Michael Bishop, PhD; and Alexi Wellman.

4. Breanna Hetland’s banner year

There was a stretch at one point where it seemed as though our news feed was dedicated to the sole purpose of reporting the tribulations of one inventor, Breanna Hetland, PhD. The nursing professor founded Remote ICU, a startup based on one of her innovations, and has been tearing through the national entrepreneur community with impressive zeal: Landing a regional nursing award for innovation, a spot in a national mentoring program, and a fellowship for startups built from nursing innovations. Her technology, The Family Room—which helps families, patients and caregivers better communicate during acute hospitalizations—is the basis of her startup…which, by the way, ended up winning the top prize of a national pitch competition.

5. Napkin contest returns

The return of the Back-O-the-Napkin contest appeared to be welcome news to readers and inventors, as was the follow-up story announcing the eventual winners. The continuing popularity of the contest ensures that it will enjoy continued existence, especially as an easy way for University inventors to get the ball rolling on protecting and commercializing their innovations.

6. Idea Pub returns

Again, it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but announcing the return of a UNeMed networking event clearly resonated with our entrepreneurial and innovator friends, both inside the University and from the wider Omaha community. Future versions of the event will likely include additional elements as we continue building and growing the event. Stay tuned.

7. Vireo expansion continues

In early 2023, Vireo Resources celebrated the grand opening of the first U.S. creatine production facility, located in Plattsmouth, Neb. The $16.6 million project increased the existing facility to 70,000 square feet, and Vireo plans to expand the payroll to 200 employees while creating about $174 million in annual economic impact to the area.

8. Annual Report

UNeMed’s annual reports have always been a popular feature here, and the 2023 installment was no exception.

9. Networking opportunity

When the Nebraska Startup Academy announced regular “VC Office Hours” every Wednesday in Omaha, it showed just how big and engaged the local entrepreneurial ecosystem has become. Typically, this list would include hugely popular stories about our most successful startups such as Virtual Incision, which completed a clinical study and landed $30 million in additional investments. Or the announcement about Exavir Therapeutics and its new $3 million NIAD grant. Still, the growth of opportunities to meet, share and help other entrepreneurs is apparently a strong pull for our readers.

10. Inventor’s Guide to Technology Transfer

Our 82-page guide takes the “kitchen-sink” approach to helping University faculty, students and staff navigate a sometimes arcane system for inventing, protecting and eventually commercializing innovations. It continues to remain one of the more popular features here.

Classics:

Several posts from previous years remain popular and relevant, particularly those that focus on day-to-day operations and legal issues associated with intellectual property.

  1. The Importance of Technology Transfer
  2. Five important aspects of copyrights that you should know
  3. Veins and arteries are just pipes, right?
  4. How to determine who is an inventor on a patent: Unraveling inventorship vs. authorship
  5. Technology Transfer 101: Defining Research Commercialization

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$2 million EDA grant will help local entrepreneurs, inventors

December 11, 2023 Comments (0) News

FORT COLLINS, Colorado (December 11, 2023)—UNeMed and University of Nebraska inventors and entrepreneurs will benefit from a recently announced grant award from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Based in Ft. Collins, Colo., Innosphere Ventures Regional Life Sciences Incubator was awarded a $2 million grant over three years as a part of the EDA’s 10th cohort of its “Build to Scale Venture Challenge” program, which was established “to support technology entrepreneurs, catalyze innovation, and fuel economic growth.”

“This award will bring significant resources to Omaha,” UNeMed president and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, said. “It will allow us to connect our startups with other bioscience companies across the six-state region. In addition, it will spring startup and educational resources to Omaha to help new companies get started.”

Innosphere Ventures Regional Life Sciences Incubator is a consortium of state bioscience trade organizations and academics institutions from six states: Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Texas and South Carolina. Nebraska’s contingent includes UNeMed, NUtech Ventures and BIO Nebraska. NUtech is UNeMed’s sister office managing technology transfer operation for Nebraska’s Lincoln and Kearney campuses.

According to an Innosphere press release:

“The three-year grant will fund the incubator’s mission of accelerating high-quality job growth, creating economic opportunity, and supporting the next generation of industry-leading companies in the life sciences sector.

“…With approximately 30 science and tech-based companies benefiting from Innosphere programs annually, Innosphere is at the forefront of organizing early-stage capital and providing critical business support to entrepreneurial startup teams within the ecosystem. The Regional Life Sciences Incubation Program will support startups that are developing or commercializing technologies, products, devices, and life-saving breakthroughs, accelerate the journey from laboratory discoveries to market, and catalyze economic growth.”

The Build to Scale Venture Challenge grant is from the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is part of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).

Partners of the Regional Life Sciences Incubation Program include Bio Nebraska, BioUtah, and the Colorado BioScience Association.

University partners across the six states include: Colorado State University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Texas Tech University, University of Colorado-Anshutz, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of New Mexico and the University of Utah.

“We extend a warm invitation to entrepreneurs, university faculty, investors, foundations, and all stakeholders who share our vision of advancing the life sciences ecosystem,” Mike Freeman, CEO of Innosphere Ventures, said in a press release. “Your involvement is crucial to the success of this endeavor. Together, we can amplify our impact, provide vital resources, and create an even more dynamic and innovative landscape. We encourage you to join us in this transformative journey as we collaborate to fuel the growth of life sciences and science-based startups and drive economic prosperity across the region.”

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UNeMed Board expands, adds expertise from Boston and San Diego

November 17, 2023 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 17, 2023)—UNeMed announced today that Michael Bishop, PhD, and Kimberly Lamb, PhD, have joined its Board of Directors.

“When the topic of new Directors came up,” UNeMed Chairperson Anne Barnes said, “we knew it was important for us add expertise from the strongest biotechnology clusters in the world and we couldn’t be happier with the result. Adding expertise and connections from Boston and San Diego is a homerun for us.”

UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, officially added the new members during the most recent Board of Directors meeting held on Nov. 6, 2023.

“Dr. Lamb and Dr. Bishop are incredible assets for UNeMed and all the University inventors we serve,” Barnes said. “Honestly, this should be viewed as great news for everyone in Nebraska, because these are two people with extensive and impressive backgrounds. They have the kind of perspective and experience that can have a massively positive impact.”

UNeMed serves all UNMC and UNO researchers, faculty and staff who develop new technologies and inventions, and strives to help bring those innovations to the marketplace.

Kim Lamb, PhD

For Dr. Lamb, a Boston-area native, this will be her second stint with UNeMed. After earning her doctorate in cell and molecular biology from UNMC in 1998, Dr. Lamb worked as a research scientist at Transgenomic, Inc., a life sciences-startup based in Omaha. She then joined UNeMed as a marketing specialist in 2000, and was promoted to UNeMed’s vice president of marketing and licensing before returning to Boston in 2005.

“I was fortunate to have Dr. Lamb as a mentor during my early days in technology transfer, and I’m excited that we have been able to recruit her back in this role,” UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, said. “The breadth and depth of her experience on both the academic and corporate side—as well as her deep connections in the Boston bioscience cluster—will open many new doors for UNMC and UNO innovators.

Back in Boston, she amassed an impressive record developing experience creating and implementing strategy and processes to propel discovery and clinical stage programs for drug discovery over the last 18 years—at places like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Merck Sharp & Dohme, LLC, Epizyme, Inc. and Applied Genetic Technologies, Inc. In her most recent role at Amathus Therapeutics Inc., she led a discovery collaboration for Parkinson’s disease with Merck, and assumed a corporate leadership role to oversee operations and the budget on behalf of the company for the board.

Dr. Lamb said she still holds an affinity for Omaha and UNMC.

“While the Boston area will always be home for me, my years at UNMC and in Omaha provided the foundation for my professional success driving drug discovery collaborations, and I really wanted to find a way to contribute more,” Dr. Lamb said. “Getting this chance to be a part of something bigger than myself and find some small way to give back to UNMC and UNeMed was an opportunity I couldn’t walk away from. The amount of growth I’ve seen at both UNO and UNMC campuses in the last 10-15 years is mind-blowing. I’m convinced that some great things are coming, and I’m incredibly honored to be a part of it.”

Mike Bishop, PhD

Dr. Bishop, who earned his doctorate in organic chemistry from Rice University in 1993, joins UNeMed’s Board of Directors with a no less impressive track record, which includes 26 years as a medicinal chemist with GlaxoSmithKline, LLC.

“When we started looking for a candidate that had both industry and academic drug development experience, Dr. Bishop jumped off the page immediately as a perfect fit,” Dr. Dixon said. “His experience in big pharma, working with academics developing new therapeutics, is a fantastic fit for us. In addition, Dr. Bishop will help us connect with the second largest biotech cluster in the world: San Diego. His experience and professional insights should open a whole range of new doors for us.”

It was as GSK’s senior director of Discovery Partnerships with Academia that Dr. Bishop first encountered UNeMed, during its Midwest Drug Development Conference in 2018.

“I was extremely impressed by this effort, and it marked UNeMed as a group with innovative ideas that gets things done,” Dr. Bishop said. “I’m excited to join the Board of such an organization and look forward to providing thoughtful support and governance.”

Dr. Bishop is currently the CEO and principal consultant at Bishop Drug Discovery Consulting, a company he founded in 2019. While working as a consultant, he has served in a variety of scientific and research-related roles for new biotech companies, where he helps build drug discovery plans, find new drug candidates, secure intellectual property and cultivate potential investors.

Prior to his consulting work, Dr. Bishop spent most of his career at GSK where his teams and programs delivered a dozen clinical development candidates. As the Director of GSK’s Discovery Partnerships in Academia program, Dr. Bishop also built successful partnerships with academic researchers and their projects, which often led to new startup companies.

Before joining GSK, Dr. Bishop was a technical support chemist at the Amoco Chemical Company in Texas. After receiving his PhD, he signed on as a Medical Chemist at Burroughs Wellcome, which merged into GlaxoWellcome in 1995 and eventually became GSK in 2000.

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Rebekah Gundry, ER team highlight 2023 Innovation Awards

November 3, 2023 Comments (1) Innovation Week, News

UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, (right) presents UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry,PhD, with the 2023 Emerging Inventor award during the Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, (right) presents UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry,PhD, with the 2023 Emerging Inventor award during the Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 3, 2023)—UNeMed’s annual Innovation Week concluded last night with its Research Innovation Awards Ceremony, with UNMC researcher Rebekah Gundry, PhD, taking top honors as UNeMed’s Emerging Inventor.

Other top awards included the Startup of the Year and the Most Promising New Invention of 2023.

Kenneth Bayles, PhD, UNMC's Vice Chancellor for Research, addresses an estimated 165 attendees during the 2023 Innovation Awards Ceremony on Nov. 2, 2023.

Kenneth Bayles, PhD, UNMC’s Vice Chancellor for Research, addresses an estimated 165 attendees during the 2023 Innovation Awards Ceremony on Nov. 2, 2023.

The ceremony featured remarks from UNMC Vice Chancellor for Research Ken Bayles, PhD, before UNeMed CEO and President Michael Dixon, PhD, delivered a short presentation in review of the previous fiscal year.

Dr. Bayles opened the evening with remarks that touched on the “long journey” that can take an innovation from an idea to a commercialized technology that benefits people everywhere.

“You’ve got to have that grit to take the seed of an idea and make through the highs and lows,” Dr. Bayles said.

Dr. Bayles, who also served as associate vice chancellor for research and creative activity at UNO, also highlighted a key strength of Nebraska’s Omaha campuses.

“You hear people come from the outside and say how great it is here (in Omaha),” he said. “Fundamentally, I think it’s the people. That’s our advantage over the coasts…we just work together really well.”

The awards ceremony recognized all UNMC and UNO inventors who contributed to a new invention disclosure, had a U.S. patent issued or had a technology licensed.

Dr. Gundry, the Stokes-Shakelford Professor and Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, earned the Emerging Inventor award in recognition of her innovations and accomplishments in the field of mass spectrometry, bioinformatics and cell surfaceome.

Dr. Gundry, who earned her doctorate from Johns Hopkins in 2006, is an inventor on eight new inventions over the last five years. Her work focuses primarily on developing and applying novel mass spectrometry-based technologies and bioinformatics tools to better understand cell surface glycoproteins and glycans. Several pharmaceutical companies have expressed an interest in working with Dr. Gundry and her innovative technologies in pursuit of new therapeutics.

From top are Michael Wadman, MD, Thang Nguyen and Wesley Zeger, DO.

From top are Michael Wadman, MD, Thang Nguyen and Wesley Zeger, DO.

UNeMed presented a trio of UNMC clinical faculty with the 2023 Startup of the Year Award: Michael Wadman, MD; Thang Nguyen, PhD; and Wesley Zeger, DO.

The trio are co-founders of the UNMC startup, University Medical Devices, Inc., which was built around one of their inventions: MicroWash.

MicroWash is a new alternative to collecting nasal samples rather than the intrusive and uncomfortable swabbing technique that gained notoriety during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

University Medical Devices was accepted into NMotion’s 2022 Growth Accelerator cohort, and is currently in the process of closing a $1.5 million seed financing round.

Finally, UNeMed presented the Most Promising New Invention of 2023 award to a collaborative team of UNO and UNMC innovators.

Three UNO researchers from the biomechanics department—Alexey Kamenskiy, PhD; Anastasia Desytova, PhD; and Ali Akbar Ahmadi—teamed with UNMC surgeon, Jason MacTaggart, MD, to create the “Optimized Vascular Stent.”

Clockwise, from upper left, are Alexey Kamenskiy, PhD; Jason MacTaggart, MD; Ali Akbar Ahmadi; and Anastasia Desyatova, PhD.

Clockwise, from upper left, are Alexey Kamenskiy, PhD; Jason MacTaggart, MD; Ali Akbar Ahmadi; and Anastasia Desyatova, PhD.

The invention is a promising solution to vascular stents in the legs, which are notoriously difficult to successfully implant because leg vessels are delicate. The repeated bending of the leg can damage the vessel, stent or both. The inventors are working on prototypes that can balance improved durability while avoiding increasing the risk of damaging the femoropopliteal artery in the legs.

Innovation Week began, Monday, Oct. 30 with the Kick-Off, which featured free T-shirts, coffee and doughnuts, along with the chance to meet UNeMed staff. I-Week also featured a panel discussion of Women Innovators, a seminar about clearing regulatory hurdles in drug development applications, and a startup showcased that featured several new companies built on University of Nebraska innovations.

More information about Innovation Week and the Innovation Awards ceremony, including its history and awardees, can be found at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Innovation Awards are tonight

November 2, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 2, 2023)—Innovation Week, UNeMed Corporation’s annual celebration of the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and concludes tonight with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Innovation Week began Monday, Oct. 30, with the “Kickoff,” an open house that featured mingling opportunities with UNeMed staff, free T-shirts, coffee, doughnuts and other goodies.

Innovation Week continued on Tuesday, Oct. 31, with an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights” by Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

On Wednesday, Innovation Week featured two events, beginning with a panel discussion featuring women inventors, and concluding with a showcase of recent startups built on University innovations.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” featured three successful University of Nebraska inventors who shared their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation: Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” highlighted a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

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Two events on tap today for Innovation Week

November 1, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (November 1, 2023)—Two big events are planned for UNeMed’s Innovation Week today, beginning with a panel discussion featuring women inventors and concluding with a showcase of recent startups built on University innovations.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” will feature three successful University of Nebraska inventors who will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.

Elizabeth Beam, PhD; Rebekah Gundry, PhD; Breanna Hetland, PhD

From left: Elizabeth Beam, PhD; Rebekah Gundry, PhD; Breanna Hetland, PhD

Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

The panel will be held in the Sorrell Center, Room 2010, at 9-10 a.m.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” will be held in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium at 4:30-6:30 p.m. It will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week is UNeMed Corporation’s annual celebration of the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and concludes tomorrow with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

startup showcaseAn invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Innovation Week began Monday, Oct. 30, with the “Kickoff,” an open house that featured mingling opportunities with UNeMed staff, free T-shirts, coffee, doughnuts and other goodies.

Innovation Week continued on Tuesday, Oct. 31, with an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights” by Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

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I-Week continues today with FDA insights seminar

October 31, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 31, 2023)—Innovation Week continues today at noon when UNeMed hosts an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights.”

Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, will share her insights, tips and strategies for Investigational New Drug Applications and the review process. Anyone may join the session via Zoom at https://bit.ly/Iweek23FDAinsights.

Margaret Kober

Margaret Kober

UNeMed produces Innovation Week every year as a way to celebrate and congratulate the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. It began Monday, Oct. 30, with the “Kickoff,” an open house event hosted in the Durham Research Center atrium.

Two additional events are planned for Wednesday, Nov. 1, beginning with panel discussion in the Sorrell Center, room 2010, at 9-11 a.m. and then the “Startup Showcase” at 4:30 p.m.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” will feature three successful University of Nebraska inventors who will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” will be held in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium. The Startup Showcase will run about two hours, and will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week concludes on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 2, with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

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UNeMed releases 2023 Annual Report

October 30, 2023 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 30, 2023)—UNeMed released today its 2023 annual report, detailing key metrics, highlights and notable achievements during the fiscal year ending in 2023.

The report focuses on recent successes that highlight elements of UNeMed’s mission statement: UNeMed fosters innovation, advances research, and engages entrepreneurs and industry to commercialize novel technologies.

Those successes detail the ground-breaking work of UNeMed startup Virtual Incision, the growth of Vireo Resources, the ongoing Innovation Hub development, and several other initiatives related to boosting UNMC and UNO inventors and their ideas.

Virtual Incision is a surgical robotics company built on a collaboration between a former University of Nebraska Medical Center surgeon and a University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineer. During the previous fiscal year, Virtual Incision announced the successful conclusion of a clinical trial, and additional plans to test their platform aboard the International Space Station.

Vireo initially built its facility in Plattsmouth, Neb., to be closer to the UNMC innovators that created their successful product, Creatine-HCL. During the previous year, Vireo broke ground on a $16.6 million project that will expand their manufacturing facilities to about 70,000 square feet while creating an additional 150 local jobs.

The Innovation Hub is an ongoing construction project along Saddle Creek Road that will allow UNeMed and the University create better collaborative opportunities between inventive faculty and other entrepreneurs and investors.

The annual report also looks back at several other successful initiatives, while shining a spotlight on a rash of successes enjoyed by UNMC’s Breanna Hetland, PhD. Dr. Hetland’s innovations, which are related to improving the quality of care in intensive care units, attracted national accolades.

Finally, the 2023 annual report presents core metrics for all of UNeMed’s activities, and features several portfolio technologies with great potential for additional development.

The complete annual report can be viewed online, and printed copies are also available. Contact UNeMed to receive a free printed copy.

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Innovation Week 2023 kicks off today

October 30, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 30, 2023)—Innovation Week, UNeMed Corporation’s 17th annual celebration of the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, begins today at 9-11 a.m. in the Durham Research Center atrium.

The Innovation Week Kickoff is an open house that will feature mingling opportunities with UNeMed staff, free T-shirts, coffee, doughnuts and other goodies. Free and open to all, the Kickoff is a good chance to learn more about technology transfer, and the commercialization process of a university innovation.

Innovation Week will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at noon when UNeMed hosts an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights.” Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, will share her insights, tips and strategies for Investigational New Drug Applications and the review process. Anyone may join the session via Zoom at https://bit.ly/Iweek23FDAinsights.

Two additional events are planned for Wednesday, Nov. 1, beginning with panel discussion in th eSorrell Center (room 2010) at 9-11 a.m. and then the “Startup Showcase” at 4:30 p.m.

The panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” will feature three successful University of Nebraska inventors who will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

“Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase” will be held in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium. The Startup Showcase will run about two hours, and will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week concludes on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 2, with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

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Innovation Week starts Monday

October 23, 2023 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

2023 Innovation Awards

OMAHA, Nebraska (October 23, 2023)—UNeMed Corporation’s 17th annual Innovation Week kicks off Monday, Oct. 30, and will celebrate and recognize the world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Hosted by UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO, Innovation Week begins with an open house 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 30, in the Durham Research Center atrium. The week culminates with the UNMC Research Innovation Awards Banquet Thursday, Nov. 2.

All events are free and open to the public, but the Awards Banquet is by invitation only. Further details can be found on UNeMed’s Innovation Week page.

Monday’s Kick-off event will feature doughnuts, coffee, T-shirts and other freebies, along with a chance for attendees to meet UNeMed staff.

On Tuesday, Oct. 31, at noon, UNeMed will host an hour-long virtual seminar, “Regulatory Insights.” Margaret Kober, a project manager with the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, will share her insights, tips and strategies for Investigational New Drug Applications and the review process. Anyone may join the session via Zoom at https://bit.ly/Iweek23FDAinsights.

Two additional events are planned for Wednesday, Nov. 1.

First, at 9-10 a.m., UNeMed hosts a panel discussion, “Women Innovators,” where three successful University of Nebraska inventors will share their experiences with creating, developing and commercializing an innovation. Coffee and doughnuts will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. Panelists will include Elizabeth Bream, PhD, associate professor in the College of Nursing; Rebekah Gundry, PhD, Chair of UNMC’s Department of Cellular & Integrative Physiology; and Breanna Hetland, PhD, an assistant professor in UNMC’s College of Nursing.

Later that day, beginning at 4:30 p.m., UNeMed will host, “Idea Pub: Startup Pitch Showcase,” in the Wigton Heritage Center atrium. The Startup Showcase will run about two hours, and will highlight a handful of recent and successful startup companies that were all founded on innovations developed by University inventors. Free drinks will be provided, along with excellent networking opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs, investors, inventors and other members of the local startup community.

Innovation Week concludes on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 2, with the Innovation Awards at Hilton Omaha, located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the Awards will honor all UNMC and UNO inventors who disclosed a new invention, received a U.S. patent, or had their technology licensed during the previous fiscal year. UNeMed will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

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More Founders Bootcamp is coming in October

September 29, 2023 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (September 29, 2023)—NMotion powered by gener8tor is working with Nebraska Angels, Invest Nebraska, The Combine, Scott Technology Center, and Nelnet to launch a free, virtual series for startup founders and people thinking about launching a startup.

The More Founders Bootcamp series will launch Oct. 16 via Zoom, and will run the next several weeks. Planned discussions will run about 30 minutes, beginning at noon, and will include “Venture Capital 101” on Oct. 16, “Ring the Register” on Oct. 23, “Executive Summaries” on Oct. 30 and “Pitch Decks” on Nov. 6.

Register for free at www.nmotion.co/freebootcamp.

The seminars are expected to answer the following questions for all entrepreneurial minded attendees:

  • What does it take to launch a high-growth startup?
  • What is venture capital and is it right for you?
  • How do you ring the register with customers?
  • Why are executive summaries and pitch decks so darn important but often overlooked?

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Registrations open for Innovate Nebraska

September 28, 2023 Comments (0) News

 

Innovate Nebraska 2023 schedule

LA VISTA, Nebraska (September 28, 2023)—There is still time to register for Innovate Nebraska, a day-long conference filled with TED Talk style presentations and key note speakers.

All speakers will focus on Nebraska’s s thriving ecosystem of MedTech innovation. Hear about the successes of other MedTech companies, the perspective of venture capitalists, and strategies for strengthening the existing MedTech sector in Nebraska.

Innovate Nebraska, sponsored in part by UNeMed, is set for Tuesday, October 3, at 10:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., at the Embassy Suites in La Vista, Nebraska.

Registration is $25, but free for UNMC associates. (Contact Charlie Litton at UNeMed for the discount code.). Registration closes Friday, and includes lunch and an afternoon networking reception.

Discover the remarkable opportunities and resources that set Nebraska apart in the world of medical technology.

To register and learn more about the planned speakers: https://www.bionebraska.org/2023-innovate-nebraska/.

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Omaha startup week begins Monday

September 20, 2023 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (Sept. 20, 2023)—Startup Omaha Week, series of events celebrating and supporting the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the wider Omaha area, begins Monday afternoon.

The event is primarily organized by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, and welcomes all entrepreneurs, community members and supporters to participate.

Attendees can meet with startup founders, shake hands with investors, meet with support organizations, and learn more about available resources. This year’s events will range in topics, format, and settings to ensure a variety of ways to engage and experience all the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems have to offer.

Learn more at: https://startupomahaweek.com/

Tentative Schedule of Events:

(To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-omaha-week-registration-697273252067)

Monday, Sept. 25 

  • Get Started Omaha Startup Showcase | 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Get Started Omaha Startup Pitch Competition Sponsored by Husch Blackwell | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | The Living Room at Millwork Commons
  • Startup Omaha Week Kick-Off Event | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM | The Living Room at Millwork Commons

Tuesday, Sept. 26

  • Educational Event: Startups vs. Small Business | 11:00 AM-12:00 PM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Legal Office Hours hosted by Baird Holm LLP | 12:00-1:00 PM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Mug.News & Maverick Venture Fund Social | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Startup Omaha Week Mystery Dinners | 7:00 PM | Varies Across Downtown Omaha  | $35

Wednesday, Sept. 27

  • 1 Million Cups Omaha Funding Panel | 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Venture Capital (VC) Office Hours | 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Legal Office Hours hosted by Baird Holm LLP | 9:00-11:00 AM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Nebraska Enterprise Fund Small Business Clinic | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM | The Highlander at Seventy Five North
  • Size Up Lunch & Learn – Innovative Tool for Market Research | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | The Highlander at Seventy Five North
  • Woman Up – Unleash Her Potential | Time 6:30 – 8:30 PM | Hitch

Thursday, Sept. 28

  • Educational Event: Startup Fundraising in Nebraska: Founder vs. Investor | 9:30-10:30 AM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Legal Office Hours hosted by Baird Holm LLP | 10:30-11:30 AM | The Ashton Building at Millwork Commons
  • Scale Omaha Fireside Chat with Special Guest | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Modus Co-Working

Friday, Sept. 29

  • Entrepreneurs and Favors (AF) | Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Council Bluffs
  • SPN Office Hours presented by ELS & Nebraska Angels | Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Elevator Co-Warehousing
  • E-Commerce and Friends Ft. Emily Steele | Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM | Elevator Co-Warehousing

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Virtual Incision Extends Series C round with additional $30M funding

September 19, 2023 Comments (0) News

Virtual Incision MIRA

LINCOLN, Nebraska (September 19, 2023)—Virtual Incision Corporation, a UNeMed startup developing of the world’s first miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery system, announced a $30 million extension to its previous $46 million Series C financing.

The $30 million funding extension will support the company’s operations well into 2025 as it seeks to disrupt the industry with miniaturized surgical robotic systems small enough to fit in a surgical tray. The compact, capable, and convenient design is uniquely positioned to expand robotic-assisted surgery to the millions of patients who do not have access to the technology today. The system was built and developed through a collaboration between University of Nebraska-Lincoln robotics engineer Shane Farritor, PhD, and former University of Nebraska Medical Center surgeon, Dmitry Oleynikov, MD.

The new funding comes on the heels of a series of significant milestones toward commercial readiness of the MIRA Surgical System. Earlier this year, Virtual Incision completed an Investigational Device Exemption clinical study for MIRA’s use in bowel resection, and announced that the FDA is reviewing Virtual Incision’s “De Novo request” to market the device. If granted marketing authorization, the company plans to initiate a limited launch of MIRA across select U.S. centers.

Virtual Incision is focused on advancing patient access to robot-assisted surgery, especially in routine and high-volume procedures, many of which are performed in outpatient and ambulatory surgery centers. The investment will support this mission through a gynecologic clinical study planned for 2024. The company will also continue to develop a smaller version of the minibot to enable additional general surgery applications with a first-in-human clinical study expected next year.

In the near term, Virtual Incision will support a collaboration between NASA and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to lay the foundation for performing telesurgery in space. A modified version of MIRA aboard the International Space Station will perform simulated surgical tasks.

The recent round was led by current investors Bluestem Capital, Endeavour Vision, Baird Capital, cultivate(MD) Capital Funds, and PrairieGold Venture Partners, as well as new health-tech investors Arboretum Ventures and InVivium Capital.

Including this most recent raise, Virtual Incision has now attracted more than $137 million in investments since its initial founding in 2006.

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Wellman joins UNeMed Board of Directors

September 6, 2023 Comments (1) News

Alexi Wellman

Wellman

OMAHA, Nebraska (September 5, 2023)—UNeMed, a technology commercialization office for the University of Nebraska, announced today that Alexi Wellman will join its Board of Directors.

A Papillion native, Wellman is the CEO of Altaba, Inc., a closed-end investment fund; serves on several boards, including Werner Enterprises and ESS, Inc.; and is a venture partner and investment committee member at SpringTide Ventures, an investment firm focused on supporting healthcare related startups, as well as, an investment committee member of Move Venture Capital, an early stage capital source for Nebraska founders.

“We are beyond thrilled to add Alexi to our Board,” Chairperson Anne Barnes said. “Her expertise and support for high-growth startups is well known, and will be a massive boost for our University entrepreneurs. UNeMed, and by extension all of UNMC and UNO inventors will benefit from this addition.”

Prior to joining Altaba, Wellman was a vice president and global controller at Yahoo!, served as Chief Financial Officer of the Nebraska Book Company, Inc., and was partner with KPMG.

More recently, Wellman received the University of Nebraska-Kearney College of Business and Technology Distinguished Alumna Award. A licensed certified public accountant, she graduated from UNK with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1992.

Wellman also volunteers to help under-served youth in the city while working with Abide Omaha, a program that aims to revitalize the inner-city, and also coaching the Bryan High girls basketball team.

UNeMed Corporation is the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. UNeMed serves all UNMC and UNO researchers, faculty and staff who develop new technologies and inventions, and strives to help bring those innovations to the marketplace.

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Hetland lands top prize in national pitch competition

August 25, 2023 Comments (2) News

Breanna Hetland, PhD, RN

Dr. Hetland

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (August 25, 2023)—Breanna Hetland, PhD, the UNMC nursing professor who’s been gobbling up prestigious awards and accolades in recent weeks and months has added another prize.

A little more than a month ago, on June 29, Dr. Hetland won the Judges Award in the Digital Tools category of a national pitch competition with entrants hailing from places like Columbia, Yale, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Cornell, Tufts, Washington University and Brown, to name a few.

“I wish I could say I was surprised,” said Tyler Scherr, PhD, a licensing specialist at UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO. “I think anyone who’s been around Dr. Hetland for more than 10 minutes knows that her fire just burns brighter and hotter than the rest of us. Honestly, it would have been more surprising if she didn’t win.”

The pitch competition was part of a national mentoring program out of Washington University in St. Louis. Called Equalize, the mentoring program was designed to increase the number of female academic inventors who develop startup companies to commercialize their inventions.

Dr. Hetland invented a digital platform called Remote ICU. It is a software solution that fosters more robust patient and family engagement during acute hospitalizations. Dr. Hetland’s innovation is the basis of her startup company, The Family Room.

“As an ICU nurse, I’ve held many hands of patients and their families as they struggled to navigate the most traumatic experience of their lives…an ICU admission,” Dr. Hetland said during a previous presentation. “Then I became the daughter of an ICU patient and it profoundly changed me. The Family Room App is the result of my experience: A passionate effort to vastly improve the ICU experience for patients and their families.”

Dr. Hetland’s winning presentation capped six months of mentoring in the Equalize program.

“This award means so much to me because it represents the need for and value of nurses’ ideas and influence in healthcare tech innovation and entrepreneurship,” she said.

Prior to claiming the Judge’s prize in the pitch competition, Dr. Hetland secured one of just 16 spots in a prestigious national fellowship program—the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators. Sponsored by the University of California-Davis nursing school, the three-year fellowship includes a $450,000 grant, mentoring and professional support.

Earlier this year she was also awarded the Harriet H. Werley New Investigator Award by the Midwest Nursing Research Society. That award recognizes new contributions in nursing research that has the potential to enhance the science and practice of nursing. Dr. Hetland is the first Nebraska recipient of a Midwest Nursing Research Society award since 2009.

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