UNeMed's Research Innovation Awards Ceremony featured awards for Innovator of the Year, Most Promising New Invention and Startup of the Year.
A part of Innovation Week, the awards ceremony was a virtual event in response to the pandemic.
A recording of the ceremony is available on UNeMed's YouTube channel. Read more about Innovation Week and the Innovation Awards ceremony online.
Innovator of the Year: Hanjun Wang, MD, associate professor in the UNMC 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.
His team specifically 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 those has been licensed into a startup company, Inflaneurgo, which is working on finding a partner to help advance some of these ideas.
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.
Most Promising New Invention: Three innovators in the Department of Biomechanics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Machining and Prototyping Core: Brian Knarr, PhD, associate professor and core director; Travis Vanderheyden, research and development engineer; and Russell Buffum, research and development engineer.
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 similar to running on roads and trails.
Startup of the Year Award: Dong Wang, PhD, for his company, Ensign Pharmaceutical.
Dr. Wang, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the UNMC 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.
Congratulations to all! Each year, I look forward to the UNeMed Innovation Awards and learning more about the creativity of UNMC/UNO researchers.
Dr. Wang is one of the most innovative investigators I have ever met. We are lucky to have him at UNMC and in the Department of Anesthesiology.