UNeMed seeks Licensing Intern

September 9, 2022 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (Spetember 9, 2022)—UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is now seeking qualified candidates for its paid internship program.

UNeMed’s interns gain hands-on training, mentorship and all the tools needed to launch a successful career in technology commercialization or entrepreneurship.

All interns work closely with experienced UNeMed staff to help new technology developed at UNO and UNMC move beyond the laboratory and into the marketplace. UNeMed interns will gain valuable, first-hand experience in a wide range of interdisciplinary, technology transfer-related activities, including:

  • Invention evaluations
  • Patent and copyright law
  • Contract negotiation
  • Startup business formation
  • Technology marketing

The ideal candidate will:

  • Be actively working towards or hold a degree in information technology or a computer programming related field
  • Have the ability to comprehend complicated technical information
  • Have excellent research, analytical and writing skills
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Be an independent thinker who is self-motivated and can take initiative while still contributing to a dynamic, fast-paced team environment
  • Have an interest in entrepreneurship and/or the develop of new businesses based on technology
  • Be able to work with the diverse range of personalities often found among elite academic researchers and biomedical industry executives
  • Have the ability work on several projects at one time

UNeMed interns will be expected to:

  • Help evaluate new invention submissions
  • Develop technical marketing summaries
  • Conduct market analysis research
  • Promote UNO and UNMC innovations to local, regional and national companies
  • Manage marketing campaigns
  • Identify potential licensees
  • Develop communication strategies to promote UNMC and UNO technologies

To apply, submit your resume or CV with a letter expressing interest to UNeMed@unmc.edu, with “UNeMed Licensing Internship–Software” in the subject line. UNeMed will accept applications until the position is filled.

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Innovation Awards returns Oct. 13 as in-person event

August 25, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (August 26, 2022)—The annual Research Innovation Awards Banquet will return as an in-person event during UNeMed’s annual Innovation Week in October.

Entering its 16th year, the Innovation Awards is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Hilton Omaha located near 10th and Cass Streets in downtown Omaha.

An invitation-only event, the program will begin with a networking cocktail hour at 5 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony. The ceremony 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, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO, will also present special awards recognizing an Emerging Inventor, the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, and a Startup of the Year.

The Innovation Awards is the culmination of a full week of events that are meant to celebrate and enhance innovation at UNMC and UNO.

Innovation Week will begin Monday, Oct. 10, with a Kick-Off in the DRC atrium where UNeMed staffers will give away free T-shirts, doughnuts, coffee and other goodies.

Other planned events include informational seminars about technology transfer for new investigators (Oct. 10), drug discovery funding opportunities (Oct. 11), intellectual property and funding considerations for software innovations (Oct. 12), and SBIR/STTR funding (Oct. 13).

Two networking events are also planned, starting with “Idea Pub: Innovations and Libations” on Oct. 11 and a “Faculty Entrepreneurship Mixer” on Oct. 12. Both events should help University innovators and researchers connect with new colleagues and community members for more powerful collaborations.

All Innovation Week events are free and open to all, except the Awards ceremony, which is by invitation only. Invitations will be sent within the next two weeks.

UNeMed will announce more details about all Innovation Week events, including times, locations and speaker profiles.

Learn more about Innovation Week and view a tentative schedule of events at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Innovations & Libations event lands on solid footing

July 15, 2022 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (July 14, 2022)—UNeMed presented its first Innovations and Libations networking event Tuesday night, hosting a lively group of University innovators and key members of Omaha’s entrepreneurial community.

Michael Dixon, PhD, president and CEO of UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO, was pleased with the robust turnout.

“We had no idea what to expect, especially with it being the first time for this event, so seeing all of the attendees interacting and engaging was really encouraging,” he said. “We enjoy hanging out with innovators and entrepreneurs, and that’s one thing we’ve really been missing these last few years. So we wanted to bring everyone together. I saw lot of folks getting together with people they might not normally come into contact with, and that’s exactly what we were trying to do.”

Co-sponsored with UNeTech and the Great Plains IDeA-CTR, the informal event was created as a way to help University inventors build new connections and potential collaborations. Attendance included inventors from both UNMC and UNO, in addition to several people from the private and governmental sectors, which included local manufacturing, engineering and funding organizations.

“This is great,” said James Hermsen, a local entrepreneur with an engineering background. “I’m talking to some biologists and it’s really cool to talk to people in different fields. We’re kind of the same in a way, because we all want to solve problems and help people.”

Hermsen and his startup SH Strap, is the product of an unlikely collaboration with former UNMC pediatric ophthalmologist, Donny Suh, MD. Now at UC Irvine, Dr. Suh and Hermsen created a company that makes, among other things, special eyeglasses for children who can’t physically wear traditional eyeglasses.

Planners hope the overall success of the event could kindle more fruitful collaborations for University innovators. The success could also mean the event will return, perhaps as soon as this fall.

“Our attitude is, ‘Get out and meet new people, learn new things and make the world a better place,'” Dixon said. “If this kind of event is enough to get just two new collaborators bouncing ideas off each other, then this is well worth the effort.”

Innovations and Libations was hosted at the Ratherskeller Bier Haus located near the intersection of Saddle Creek and Farnam Streets, and all guests received a complimentary drink during the event.

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Innovations & Libations networking event is set for July 12

June 20, 2022 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (June 20, 2022)—In an effort to foster more collaboration and support among innovators, researchers and members of the community, UNeMed will host a new event next month to bring those groups together.

UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO, will present the first “Innovations & Libations” event on Tuesday, July 12 at 3:30 p.m. The networking event will be held at Rathskeller Bier Haus located at 4524 Farnam Street.

The ultimate goal of the event is help establish new connections, partnerships and collaborations that might help further healthcare and innovation in Nebraska. UNeMed expects to accomplish this by bringing together UNMC and UNO inventors with potential entrepreneurs, investors, collaborators and supporters from the immediate Omaha area.

Attendees will receive a complimentary beverage of their choice. This event is open to anyone on campus who identifies as an innovator.

Innovations & Libations is co-sponsored by the Great Plains IDeA-CTR and the UNeTech Institute.

Based at UNMC, the Great Plains IDeA-CTR—short for Institutional Development Award for Clinical and Translational Research—is a UNMC-based collaborative for nine major research organizations in Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.

UNeTech is the University of Nebraska’s startup incubator in Omaha, helping build new companies derived from innovations and discoveries that emanate from UNMC and UNO.

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Updated Inventor Guides are now available

May 20, 2022 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (May 20, 2022)—UNeMed released today the print version of its updated Inventor’s Guide to Technology Transfer.

The new guide is a comprehensive, 82-page handbook for all University of Nebraska faculty, staff and students who have or are planning to develop, discover or create new solutions and ideas that could benefit others.

It contains and explains all the essential elements of the technology transfer process and the successful commercialization of a new invention. The guide also dives into startup formation and other considerations important to researchers and inventors, such as conflict of interest matters, outside employment, external agreements and export controls.

The handbook also contains the latest University and campus policies related to innovation and technology transfer, and a complete glossary of relevant terms.

A digital version of the handbook can be viewed below, but anyone on campus may request a physical copy of the handbook by submitting their name and campus address to unemed@unmc.edu.
 
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Dr. Dixon joins Omaha entrepreneurship program

May 18, 2022 Comments (0) News

Michael Dixon, PhD

OMAHA, Nebraska (May 10, 2022)—UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, will be among a nine-person team on a prestigious initiative aimed at developing innovation and entrepreneurship in the area.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this team, and to have the opportunity to help grow our regional entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Dr. Dixon said.  “As one of the primary stakeholders of our local innovation economy this program will allow the university to continue to drive our technology and talent.”

Omaha joins the MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program or MIT REAP as a part of its ninth cohort. Over the next two years, the Omaha team will learn and adapt the frameworks developed by MIT to accelerate innovation-driven entrepreneurship in the region.

“As this is one of the top global entrepreneurship programs in the world, the Omaha team will have access to research and tools that will allow us to continue to build on the momentum we already have,” Dr. Dixon said. “The decision to participate in this program was a no brainer for UNeMed. This project will do more than lift Omaha and the immediate area: It gives all of us here at the University of Nebraska more options, more clout, more opportunity to get our inventors and their discoveries out the door.”

MIT REAP is a global initiative that engages with communities around the world to supercharge IDE ecosystems and transform economies. The Global program employs an evidence-based “team” approach, translating MIT research and insights into a practical, actionable, and strategic framework that convenes and educates key stakeholders, and empowers regional leaders to drive meaningful, long-term economic and social change.

Kansas City, Des Moines and St. Louis will be in the same cohort as Omaha; and collaborators from Brazil, Australia, Hungary, Dominican Republic and Hungary will add international flair.

Laurel Oetken, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the Greater Omaha Chamber, will lead the Omaha team, which includes highly influential regional leaders who represent five major stakeholder groups: government, university, corporate, risk capital, and entrepreneurs.

“The Greater Omaha Chamber has long recognized the importance of startup growth in regional economic development and we are constantly on the lookout to offer more support, awareness and resources for this crucial community,” Oetken said in a press release. “Once we saw the opportunity to showcase the Omaha area’s tremendous talent and ideas through MIT REAP, we jumped at the chance. I am thrilled at the diverse talent our team brings to the table and can’t wait to start making real progress through these next two years and beyond.”

Joining Oetken and Dr. Dixon on the team are:

  • Joe Petsick, Executive In Residence, University of Nebraska, College of Business
  • Niki Ferguson, Entrepreneurial Development Manager, Advance Southwest Iowa Corporation
  • Brian Ardinger, Director of Innovation, Nelnet
  • Erica Wassinger, General Partner, Proven Ventures
  • Adriana Cisneros Basulto, CEO, Maxwell
  • Scott Brag, Vice President, Chapman & Company
  • Trevon Brooks, Business Development Manager for the Nebraska Department of Economic Development

Goals for the Omaha cohort are:

  • Address research-identified challenges such as ensuring the entrepreneurship talent pipeline, risk aversion throughout the community, a lack of consistent goals and gaps in programming and resources.
  • Build mutually beneficial partnerships and relationships with Cohort 9 teams representing the American heartland: Kansas City, Des Moines, and St. Louis.
  • Make the Midwest a premiere place for startups to establish, grow, and scale their businesses by leveraging opportunities that Omaha’s unique entrepreneurial ecosystem provides and discover how we can work with other nearby cities, such as Lincoln, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, to further its reach and connect the greater Nebraska ecosystem.

MIT REAP Global teams participate in a two-year program focused on accelerating innovation-driven entrepreneurship (IDE) in their regional innovation ecosystems and are provided opportunities to collaborate with teams within and across their Cohort.

“We’re thrilled to welcome leaders from such a diverse group of regions into Cohort 9,” said Travis Hunter, Director of MIT REAP. “Now in our tenth year, we look forward to sharing the learnings and impact of our global alumni community with our incoming teams and seeing the momentum they will bring to their own regions’ IDE ecosystems.”

Regions from across the globe apply for admission to MIT REAP’s Global program with a particular “urgency for change” or problem area in their region’s overall system that they want to address. The MIT REAP faculty then work with each team to overcome the regional challenges that are hindering the growth of its IDE ecosystem by identifying the region’s comparative advantages and the acceleration mechanisms required to promote IDE.

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Now Hiring: UNeMed seeks senior licensing specialist

May 5, 2022 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (May 5, 2022)—UNeMed Corporation, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is now seeking qualified candidates to join its licensing team as a Senior Licensing Specialist, a permanent full-time position within the University of Nebraska system.

The Senior Licensing Specialist will work closely with inventive faculty, staff and students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha to protect, develop and ultimately commercialize innovations. This includes evaluating innovations for their novelty and marketability, developing industrial contacts and relationships, contract negotiation, developing and implementing marketing strategies for each technology and managing expectations and relationships of University inventors and administration.

The ideal candidate is a committed team player with a love of science and discovery. They also hold an advanced degree in science or law with at least two years of experience in technology transfer, technical sales/marketing or business development. The ideal candidate is also familiar with the U.S. patent process, is nimble with a variety of online computer efficiency programs and has excellent written and oral communication skills. The ideal candidate will be able to communicate, in writing or verbally, complicated information to intelligent non-experts, but most importantly has the ability to grasp complicated scientific inventions across a vast array of fields.

UNeMed is the University of Nebraska’s technology transfer leader for all eastern Nebraska campuses, located on the sprawling medical campus in central Omaha. UNMC is widely regarded as a leader in a number of fields, including its infectious disease unit, which gained notoriety for its critically important work during the 2014 Ebola outbreaks and the COVID-19 pandemic. As one of the largest employers in the state, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, have an overall economic impact in Nebraska of $5.9 billion. UNeMed also works exclusively with research and new technology developed at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, including their world-class biomechanics department and National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology and Education Center (NCITE).

With about 1 million people in the area, Omaha is a friendly city with low cost-of-living, delicious food and plenty to do. National Geographic and U.S. News both rated it one of the best cities in the U.S., and Forbes rated it the seventh-best city to raise a family.

Learn more, including how to apply for the position, at the UNMC job portal, https://unmc.peopleadmin.com/postings/67952.

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Applications now open for Tech Transfer Boot Camp 2022

May 2, 2022 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (May 2, 2022)—The 2022 Technology Transfer Boot Camp will be held Aug. 8-12.

Tech Transfer Boot Camp is aimed at scientists and students interested in what it takes to commercialize a new invention or discovery. The week-long event can also jump-start an alternate career in science as a technology transfer professional.

The program helps scientists gain a wide range of skills and experience that match their scientific knowledge and training.

Boot Camp focuses on several key areas relevant to a successful career in technology transfer, including:

  • Invention evaluation
  • Intellectual property law
  • Marketing and commercialization
  • Contract negotiation

UNeMed’s Tech Transfer Boot Camp dives deeper than simple lectures. Topics wills be explored with hands-on activities meant to teach, correct and reinforce new skills and abilities.
Anyone within the University of Nebraska system is encouraged to apply and participate free of charge, but space is limited. People who aren’t affiliated with the University of Nebraska are also welcome, but will be charged $200 upon acceptance.

Applications are open through July 31, and will be reviewed in the order they are received until all spaces are filled.

Use the embedded form below or apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf5j7HSF6qfRnqS6VUlp1L5QvrcXIM1asPq36fxlnGp1mkrAQ/viewform?usp=sf_link.

More information about the application process and requirements can be found at https://www.unemed.com/about-us/join-our-team#bootcamp.

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Now hiring: UNeMed seeks communications intern

April 28, 2022 Comments (0) News

UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer office for UNMC and UNO, seeks a communications intern to help generate and promote stories about the innovations that emerge from all Omaha campuses at the University of Nebraska.

The communications intern will use existing content to help organize and grow UNeMed’s social media presence. The intern will also have the opportunity to contribute in other areas as well. Potential opportunities for additional experience could include producing  blog posts, feature stories, news articles, photos or video packages. Most content will appear on UNeMed’s website, but some items might have potential for wider audiences.

This internship provides a great opportunity to not only improve and master social media marketing strategies, but also hone a wide range of skills needed to help a non-expert understand and appreciate complicated ideas, concepts and technologies.

The ideal candidate will be nimble on most social media platforms,  LinkedIn in particular, and be ready to elevate existing accounts to new levels of engagement. The ideal candidate is also a skilled storyteller with a knack for slaying jargon and explaining scientific terms.

A scientific background or experience writing about science-related topics is preferred, but any curious person who appreciates a good “gee-whiz” story about scientific innovation—and wants to improve or learn how to do it—is encouraged to apply.

The communications intern is a paid position at about 15-25 hours per week. Pay will be commensurate with skill and experience levels, and hours can be flexible to fit a student’s schedule.

To apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, and three appropriate samples of work to Charlie Litton at charles.litton@unmc.edu. UNeMed will accept applications until the position has been filled.

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Now hiring: UNeMed seeks licensing intern

April 28, 2022 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (April 28, 2022)—UNeMed Corporation, the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Nebraska Omaha, is now seeking qualified candidates for its paid internship program.

UNeMed’s interns gain hands-on training, mentorship and all the tools needed to launch a successful career in the technology transfer or biotechnology industry.

All interns work closely with experienced UNeMed staff to help biomedical inventions developed at UNMC and UNO move beyond the laboratory and into the marketplace. UNeMed interns will gain valuable, first-hand experience in a wide range of interdisciplinary, technology transfer-related activities, including:

  • Invention evaluations
  • Patent and copyright law
  • Contract negotiation
  • Startup business formation
  • Technology marketing

The ideal candidate will:

  • Be actively working towards or hold an advanced degree in a scientific field
  • Have the ability to comprehend complicated scientific and technical information
  • Have excellent research, analytical and writing skills
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Be an independent thinker who is self-motivated and can take initiative while still contributing to a dynamic, fast-paced team environment
  • Be able to work with the diverse range of personalities often found among elite academic researchers and biomedical industry executives
  • Have the ability work on several projects at one time

UNeMed interns will be expected to:

  • Help evaluate new invention submissions
  • Develop technical marketing summaries
  • Conduct market analysis research
  • Promote UNeMed and UNMC innovations to local, regional and national companies
  • Manage marketing campaigns
  • Identify potential licensees
  • Develop communication strategies to promote UNMC and UNO technologies

To apply, submit your resume or CV with a letter expressing interest to UNeMed@unmc.edu, with “UNeMed Licensing & Marketing Internship” in the subject line. UNeMed will accept applications until the position is filled.

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Virtual Incision to complete clinical study, FDA approval on the horizon

April 20, 2022 Comments (0) News

Virtual Incision MIRA

April 19, 2022 (LINCOLN, Neb.)—Virtual Incision Corporation, a medical device company pioneering the world’s first miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery platform, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an Investigational Device Exemption supplement to complete the final stage of its clinical study analyzing the MIRA® Platform in bowel resection procedures. The approval was supported by a favorable interim clinical study report on the safety profile of MIRA.

The IDE supplement approval puts Virtual Incision on track to obtain the clinical evidence needed to bring innovation to the soft tissue surgical robotics industry, a market that has been historically dominated by a single player. Results of the completed study will support MIRA’s upcoming FDA De Novo application for market authorization.

The first cases of the study were completed at Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln, Neb. by Dr. Michael Jobst and Dr. Kelly Krier, and at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pa. by Dr. John Marks and Dr. Henry Schoonyoung.

“Our clinical experience has been extremely positive so far,” said Dr. Jobst, the first surgeon in the world to operate with the device. “I was able to perform 100% of the dissection with MIRA in all of my cases. We have also been pleased with its accessibility and efficiency. I operated on eight patients in five different operating rooms, and that’s something that’s just not possible with mainframe RAS platforms. MIRA has the potential to bring the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to more patients, and that’s truly exciting.”

“MIRA was created to address the limitations of traditional robotic-assisted mainframe machines. We miniaturized and simplified MIRA to make it more accessible, easy to use, and easy to adopt,” said John Murphy, president and chief executive officer of Virtual Incision. “These are the features that will allow surgeons to treat more patients each day. It is encouraging to see MIRA demonstrating the potential to help surgeons perform simplified robotic procedures safely and precisely. Completing the final stage of our clinical study will be a key milestone along MIRA’s regulatory pathway, and we will continue to focus on clinical excellence to best support the innovation we provide to patients and surgeons.”

A collaboration between a former UNMC surgeon and a UNL robotics engineer created Virtual Incision’s MIRA Platform, the world’s first miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery platform. Its small, sleek design is planned to offer the benefits of RAS during abdominal procedures without the logistical inefficiencies of traditional mainframe robotics. The easily accessible device weighs only two pounds and can be used in any operating room – a dedicated mainframe room is unnecessary. With its drape- and dock- free design and portability, MIRA is quick to set up, clean up, and move in between cases, enabling an increased robotic-assisted surgery caseload. With MIRA, every operating room is robot-ready.

Virtual Incision is on a mission to simplify robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), so more patients and their surgeons can access its benefits every day. Headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, and holding over 200 patents and patent applications, the company is developing MIRA, the first-of-its-kind miniature, and highly accessible RAS platform. Virtual Incision’s goal is to make every operating room RAS-ready.

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UNeMed issues 2021 Annual Report

March 23, 2022 Comments (0) News

2021 UNeMed Annual ReportOMAHA, Nebraska (March 23, 2022)—UNeMed released today its 2021 annual report, detailing key metrics, highlights and notable achievements during the fiscal year ending in 2021.

The report focused on recent successes in the startup realm, highlighting several technologies and new businesses that spun out of discoveries and innovations from faculty and staff at UNMC and UNO.

In an open letter to readers, UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD, notes that despite the pandemic—and the resulting growth of remote working—University of Nebraska faculty, students and staff maintained a high level of productive creativity.

“…it’s clear that impediments to office hours and in-person meetings will not stop the pace of innovation,” he wrote. “Our researchers, students and staff have been chugging along at a steady clip and have defied all expectations.”

He goes on to say that 2021 was the latest in a string of four straight years of receiving more than 100 new invention disclosures. Inventors set a UNeMed record in 2018 with 11 new inventions, which was the first year UNeMed hit triple digits in that category. Innovators then logged another 101 in 2019, followed by 105 in each of the last two fiscal years.

Dixon also pointed out another company record was set in 2021 with 26 United States patents issued. But he added added that big numbers in invention disclosures and secured patents only reveal a partial picture.

“When we look at our portfolio of technologies,” he wrote, “I’m most proud that more than 60 percent have been licensed to a commercialization partner that has invested in continued development and commercialization.”

Some of those licenses include a record seven new startups formed. But the report also highlights several more established companies that have gone on to higher levels of success, including Virtual Incision, Radux, Vireo, and Ensign Pharmaceutical, to name a few.

Other metrics highlighted in the annual report include international patents, agreements, revenue and other benchmarks that measure UNeMed’s commercialization efforts.

The annual report also recounts the 2020 Innovation Awards and the University’s robust innovations in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, several key technologies currently available for licensing are also outlined in the report.

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

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Winners selected in first ‘Back-o-the-Napkin’ contest

February 22, 2022 Comments (1) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 22, 2022)—The inaugural “Back-o-the-Napkin Contest” closed recently, with organizers selecting three winning inventions that will receive further development guidance and prototyping.

In no particular order, the three winning entries were a laser measurement device for jump testing; a design for a helmet that could replace face shields and respirators for healthcare workers; and a wearable ligation tool that could help improve a surgeon’s ability to tie up arteries or other binding procedures.

The contest received entries from inventive faculty across clinical disciplines, including The Truhlsen Eye Institute, Department of Neurological Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions Division of Physical Therapy Education, Clinical Movement Analysis (CMOVA) Laboratory, College of Dentistry, College of Nursing, and the College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

The “Single Laser Measurement Device for Jump Testing” was submitted by Michael Rosenthal, Elizabeth Wellsandt and Michael Wellsandt. All three co-inventors are physical therapists in Allied Health. Their proposed device is a portable, single laser jump-testing device for repeatable, objective horizontal and vertical testing.

The “Beam Helmet” was submitted by Elizabeth Beam, PhD, a registered nurse in the College of Nursing. She designed a personalized, protective helmet for doctors that could replace filtering face piece respirators (FFR) and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR).

Finally, the “Wearable Pinch Ligation Device – Python” was submitted by Quan Ly, MD, and Meghana Kashyap, MD, from the College of Medicine’s Division of Surgery; and Larry Hart, a UNeTech prototyping fellow at Metropolitan Community College. Their invention is a wearable, electrosurgical ligation device to facilitate improved tissue sparing surgical procedures.

UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO, sponsored the  contest in collaboration with the James and Karen Linder Maker Studio at UNMC’s McGoogan Library; UNO’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Franchising; and UNeTech Institute.

 

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Hanjun Wang named Innovator of the Year at 2021 Innovation Awards

February 11, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

Hanjun Wang, MD: 2021 Innovator of the Year

Hanjun Wang, MD: 2021 Innovator of the Year

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 10, 2022)—UNeMed’s annual Innovation Week concluded today with its Research Innovation Awards Ceremony, which featured a Most Promising New Invention, the Startup of the Year and the Innovator of the Year.

For the second time in the event’s 15-year history, the Innovation Awards was a virtual event in response to concerns related to the ongoing pandemic. Originally scheduled for October, the event was postponed with the hope that a delay would allow for an in-person ceremony. Instead, UNeMed hosted the ceremony via Zoom.

A recording of the entire ceremony is available on UNeMed’s YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/2TU55sKYNUs.

The ceremony featured remarks from Chancellor Jeffrey Gold, MD, and Vice Chancellor for Research, Jennifer Larsen, MD. UNeMed’s CEO and President Michael Dixon also delivered a short presentation in review of the previous fiscal year.


The highlight of the event was the awards ceremony, where UNeMed recognized all the inventors who contributed to a new invention disclosure, secured a U.S. patent or had a technology licensed. In addition, three special awards were presented, including Hanjun Wang, MD, as the 2021 Innovator of the Year.

An associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Wang focuses on innovative work developing novel treatment strategies for a variety of diseases, including heart failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome and peripheral artery disease.

More specifically, his team is looking at the role spinal afferent neurons play in regulating disease onset and progression. He has identified a number of different approaches to target spinal afferent neurons. One of these approaches focuses on localized administration of resiniferatoxin, a potent neurotoxin that can ablate specific nerves. Dr. Wang is exploring resiniferatoxin as a possible treatment for hypertension, heart failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome and peripheral artery disease.

Some of those applications have been licensed by an undisclosed biotech company that is working on developing them for clinical use. As part of this relationship, Dr. Wang has helped bring in more than $1.1 million in sponsored research to develop this therapeutic approach.

In addition, Dr. Wang has developed other approaches for targeting spinal afferent neurons. One of which has been licensed into a startup company, Inflaneurgo, which is working on finding a partner to help advance some of these ideas.

Dr. Knarr

Dr. Knarr

Vanderheyden

Buffum

In total, Dr. Wang has submitted 13 inventions, including three in fiscal year 2021. These inventions have resulted in 21 active patents and patent applications, three license agreements, and two sponsored research agreements.

The Most Promising New Invention of 2021 was presented to a trio of innovators in the Department of Biomechanics at UNO: Brian Knarr, PhD, associate professor and Director of the Machining and Prototyping Core at UNO; Travis Vanderheyden, research and development engineer in the Machining and Prototyping Core; and Russell Buffum, research and development engineer in the Machining and Prototyping Core.

The “Improved Self-Pacing Treadmill” adjusts its speed to the runner—whether a user wants to run, walk or trot, the treadmill adjusts to the user’s pace, without needing any other input. In speeding up or slowing down to match a runner’s speed, the new treadmill will make home and gym workouts safer and more realistic.

Finally, UNeMed presented UNMC chemist Dong Wang, PhD, with the 2021 Startup of the Year Award for his new company, Ensign Pharmaceutical.

Dr. Wang

Dr. Wang, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the College of Pharmacy, created a thermosensitive hydrogel formulation called ProGel, a novel platform technology that can deliver a variety of therapeutics. ProGel has attracted wide interest as the cornerstone technology for his startup.

Ensign Pharmaceutical recently secured nearly $2 million in federal research grant funding, which will support pre-clinical studies needed to approach regulatory approval. Ensign won the 2020 Business Innovation Live Pitch competition in Phoenix during the Orthopaedic Research Society’s annual meeting.

Also, Ensign was selected to present at highly selective startup conferences, the Invest Midwest Venture Capital Forum and Destination Startup.

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 is today

February 10, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

Innovation awards 2021

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 10, 2022)—Innovation Week concludes today at noon with the annual Research Innovation Awards ceremony.

Sponsored by UNeMed, Innovation Week is a series of events that celebrate and encourage innovation and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The week concludes with the Innovation Awards, which honors all UNMC and UNO faculty, students and staff who contributed to a new invention, received a U.S. patent or had a technology successfully licensed during the previous fiscal year.

The hour-long program will also announce the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, the Startup of the Year and the Innovator of the Year.

Anyone can log into the Awards ceremony at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/93036191871.

Previous Innovation Week events were a panel discussion about prototyping resources in the area, another panel discussion about the rigors of building a startup company around a new invention, and a third panel group that examined startup resources.

Videos of all three panel discussions will soon be available.

To view any of those videos or to learn more about Innovation Week and the Innovation Awards, including any potential itinerary changes or updates, visit UNeMed’s Innovation Week page at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Expert panel to guide entrepreneurs through startup resources

February 9, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 9, 2022)—Innovation Week will enter its third day today at noon when a panel discusses some of the resources available to local entrepreneurs.

The panel will feature Josh Nichol-Caddy, the Technology Commercialization Director at the Nebraska Business Development Center; Jace Gatzemeyer, innovation development strategist at UNeTech; Joy Eakin, Entrepreneurship Program Manager at NUtech Ventures; Matt Foley, Program Director at Invest Nebraska; and Megan Varnum, principal consultant at BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting.

Anyone can log into the panel discussion at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/97605682096.

Sponsored by UNeMed, Innovation Week is a series of events that celebrate and encourage innovation and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The week concludes with the Innovation Awards, which honors all UNMC and UNO faculty, students and staff who contributed to a new invention, received a U.S. patent or had a technology successfully licensed during the previous fiscal year.

The awards ceremony is planned for Thursday, Feb. 10, at noon. The hour-long program will announce the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, the Startup of the Year and the Innovator of the Year.

Anyone can log into the Awards ceremony at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/93036191871.

Previous Innovation Week events were a panel discussion about prototyping resources in the area, and another panel discussion about the rigors of building a startup company around a new invention.

Videos of all three panel discussions will soon be available.

To view any of those videos or to learn more about Innovation Week and the Innovation Awards, including any potential itinerary changes or updates, visit UNeMed’s Innovation Week page at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

Read article