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Five Wayne State University research teams were recently awarded funding from Wayne State’s Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) program. The goal is to accelerate the translation and commercialization of their innovative biomedical technologies by providing the resources to validate technical and market opportunities. The MTRAC program is supported by a $1.07 million award from the Michigan Strategic Fund, which is administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, with matching funds from Wayne State.
The WSU MTRAC program is broadly focused on medical devices and biomedical materials. The successful applicants for 2016 MTRAC funding are:
Autonomous Camera Movement System for Minimally Invasive Surgery
Abhilash Pandya, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering; Luke Reisner, Ph.D., research assistant, electrical and computer engineering; and Anthony Composto, research scientist, electrical and computer engineering.
Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring for Endurance Athletes
Amar Basu, Ph.D., associate professor, electrical and computer engineering.
Neuroprotective Device to Treat Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Thomas Sanderson, Ph.D., associate professor and associate director of basic science research, emergency medicine and the Cardiovascular Research Institute; Maik Huttemann, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular medicine and genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology; and Christian Reynolds, research assistant, biological sciences.
Novel Bone Graft Substitute for Orthopedic Applications
Weiping Ren, Ph.D., associate professor, biomedical engineering.
Noninvasive Blood Pressure Measurement for Intensive Care Setting
Gaurav Kapur, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics; Sean Wu, Ph.D., distinguished professor of mechanical engineering; Yong Xu, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering; and William Lyman, Ph.D., professor of pediatrics.
The awards — which range from $50,000 to $100,000 — are the culmination of a competitive selection process that began with the submission of letters of intent from faculty for 21 prospective projects. The faculty members worked closely with Wayne State’s Technology Commercialization Office and MTRAC Program Director Scott Olson to identify the clinical and market opportunities along with the commercialization roadmap. The researchers presented their proposals in person before a 10-member oversight committee consisting of medical device experts, entrepreneurs and investors from across the country.
“The MTRAC program is a perfect complement to a number of the innovation programs provided by the Technology Commercialization Office. These programs include the monthly “Commercialization Conversations” educational breakfast sessions, mentors-in-residence, innovation fellows and the Technology Development Incubator proof-of-concept funding program,” said Joan Dunbar, associate vice president for technology commercialization at Wayne State. “Projects may transition between these programs, and each of the successful MTRAC applicants benefited from their prior engagement with one or more of these programs.”
Dunbar credits the availability and coordination of the programs for the recent upswing in deal flow, the launch of startup companies at WSU and the ability to successfully transition technologies from academia.
“As a major research institute in Michigan, the Wayne State MTRAC biomedical program is crucial in helping advance research into commercial application,” said Denise Graves, university relations director at MEDC. “The success we continue to see across MTRAC programs throughout the state reinforces the vital role universities play in the entrepreneurial ecosystem."
Wayne State is one of four universities with an MTRAC program. Others include the University of Michigan, Michigan Technical University and Michigan State University. Each has a different focus for projects that aim to accelerate commercialization in agriculture, biology, life sciences, advanced transportation and biomedicine.
Developed and managed by the MEDC, MTRAC programs as whole have funded 86 projects, helped develop 13 startup companies, created 38 jobs, secured $23.8M in follow-on funding, and licensed technology to three Michigan companies through June 2016.