Every year, the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund awards grants to a small group of NC State innovators. The fund aims to bridge the gap between public and private funding, and allows researchers to invest in testing and prototyping to prepare their research or products for the commercial market. Established in 2010, the Fund has a highly competitive selection and application process; this year, two of the five awardees were BME faculty!
The first, Dr. Ashley Brown, works with materials that imitate blood platelets and help create necessary clots for wound healing; these materials also deliver targeted antimicrobial agents to aid in tissue regeneration and preventing infection. Dr. Brown has helped expand the shelf life of these antimicrobial agents and decrease their cost. The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund will help her to further test safety and efficacy of the agents.
The second, Dr. Michael Daniele, developed microneedle patches for biofluid extraction used for diagnostic tests. Normally, interstitial fluid (ISF) that is used in these tests is difficult to extract due to pain levels and risks of infection; Dr. Daniele has created microneedle patches that extract ISF painlessly and much more easily. The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund will help reach an industry-specified rate of fluid extraction, which Dr. Daniele and his researchers are working towards.
That two of the five awardees of such a prestigious award are BME faculty is a fantastic example of the real-world impact of BME research and the extraordinary work done in our department. Congratulations to Drs. Brown and Daniele!
To read more about this year’s award winners, click here.