OMAHA, Neb. (Oct. 13, 2009)—Many UNMC researchers were honored for their innovations during UNeMed Corporation’s recent 2009 Innovation Awards ceremony in the Durham Research Center Auditorium.

UNeMed — UNMC’s marketing and licensing arm — honored 25 inventors of technology that resulted in 11 separate commercial licenses, and 14 inventors who have transformed eight different inventions into issued patents. This past year, UNeMed helped 112 inventors disclose 64 new invention notifications.

“UNeMed is linked to the research mission of UNMC,” said James Linder, M.D., chief executive officer of UNeMed. “Outstanding science creates the opportunity to improve health care, expand research and bring economic benefit to the inventors, UNMC and to Nebraska.”

Dr. Linder, Michael Dixon, PhD, president of UNeMed, and UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., presented awards.

Paul Dunman, PhD assistant professor in the department of pathology and microbiology, received the Most Promising New Invention award for novel antibiotic compounds he developed with UNL biology student Patrick Olson.

The award comes with a $10,000 unrestricted research grant from UNeMed.

Dr. Dunman’s work focuses on the identification and characterization of novel antimicrobial compounds.

The lifetime achievement award, presented every other year, went to Rodney Markin, M.D., PhD, professor of pathology and microbiology, the David T. Purtilo Distinguished professor of pathology and microbiology, senior associate dean for clinical affairs, College of Medicine, and chairman and president of UNMC Physicians.

“I am honored and flattered by this award,” said Dr. Markin, one of UNMC’s most prolific inventors. “It’s been a great experience and I’ve had wonderful support from UNMC all these years.”

Certificates of completion were presented to 22 people who participated in an 11-week Researcher Technology Commercialization webinar course earlier this year. The course, hosted by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Technology Transfer, focused on the successful commercialization of research and practical steps required to protect and market intellectual property.

Dr. Maurer congratulated awardees, talked about the growth of UNeMed and the impact of research inventions in building a world-class academic health science center.

“UNeMed is critical in helping innovators move intellectual property to a product that may have value for the community and for patients,” he said. “You are doing important work.”