OMAHA, Neb. (Oct. 20, 2017)—The 11th annual Innovation Week kicks off Monday, Oct. 23, to celebrate and recognize world-class research and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Hosted by UNMC’s and UNO’s technology transfer and commercialization office, UNeMed Corporation, Innovation Week begins with an open house 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 23, in the Durham Research Center atrium. The week culminates with the UNMC Research Innovation Awards Banquet Thursday, Oct. 26.

All events are free and open to the public, but the Awards Banquet is an invitation-only event. Further details can be found on the Innovation Week page.

Following Monday’s Kick-off event, Innovation Week continues the following day with a panel discussion about the biomedical applications and implications of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool. Panelists will include UNMC researcher Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, PhD, and patent attorney Bill Adolfsen, PhD They are expected to discuss potential intellectual property issues related to discoveries and innovations resulting from the CRISPR technology.

The CRISPR event is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Yanney Conference Center located on the ground floor of the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

Also Wednesday in the Yanney Conference Center, UNeMed’s Director of Intellectual Property, Jason Nickla, J.D., will lead a hands-on workshop on how to run patent searches. The workshop is planned from 3-5 p.m. A light snack and refreshments will be provided.

Innovation Week continues Wednesday, Oct. 25, when BioNebraska hosts a luncheon and networking session celebrating “Nebraska Women in science, technology, engineering and math.” The luncheon will be at the Quarry Oaks Golf Club in Ashland, Neb., at noon-2 p.m. Cost per ticket is $25. Contact Phil Kozera at pkozera@bionebraska.org or 308-440-8828 to RSVP.

Innovation Week’s main event is on Thursday, Oct. 26, when UNeMed hosts the Research Innovation Awards Banquet. The ceremony will recognize all those who were issued a new patent, licensed a technology, or developed a new invention over the previous year. UNeMed will also present special awards for the “Most Promising New Invention” of 2017 and the “Emerging Inventor.” The Awards will be at the Michael F. Sorrell Center in the Truhlsen Campus Events Center beginning at 5 p.m. Contact UNeMed to request an invitation.

Finally, Innovation Week concludes Friday, Oct. 27, with a panel discussion about alternate career options for scientists away from the bench. The panel will also meet in the Yanney Conference Center, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Free lunch will be provided to the first 50 guests.

More details about individual events will be available soon, and announced through UNeMed’s Facebook page and Twitter feed.