Panel will discuss the CRISPR gene editing tool

October 24, 2017 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Neb. (Oct.24, 2017)—Innovation Week continues today with a panel discussion about the biomedical applications and implications of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool.

Panelists will include UNMC researcher Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, Ph.D., and patent attorney Bill Adolfsen, Ph.D. 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.

Dr. Gurumurthy

Dr. Adolfsen

Dr. Gurumurthy is the Director of the UNMC Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility, and also carries an Executive MBA degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Most recently, he is a co-inventor of Easi-CRISPR, a new technology that complements CRISPR’s ground-breaking ability to snip DNA. Easi-CRISPR is a proprietary protocol that allow for the easy insertion of new material into the genetic code.

Dr. Adolfsen is a registered patent attorney and associate at Andrus Intellectual Property Law.  He focuses his practice on domestic and international patent prosecution, strategic patent portfolio development, post-grant proceedings, and enforcement.  He also provides counseling related to patentability, freedom-to-operate, non-infringement, and patent validity. He received his doctorate in molecular biology from MIT in 2005, and a juris doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2013.

The panel discussion is part of Innovation Week, a series of events hosted by UNeMed Corporation as a celebration of the innovation and discovery that happens every year at UNMC.

Also today, UNeMed will host a Patent Searching Workshop at 3-5 p.m. in the Yanney Conference Room.

On Thursday, UNeMed will host the 2017 Research Innovation Awards Banquet in the Truhslen Campus Events Center in the Michael F. Sorrell Center at 5 p.m. Contact UNeMed to request an invitation.

Innovation Week wraps up on Friday, Oct. 27, with another panel discussion, this one about alternate career options for scientists.

Learn more about all Innovation Week events at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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UNeMed releases 2017 annual report

October 23, 2017 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (Oct. 23, 2017)—UNeMed released today its 2017 annual report for the fiscal calendar year.

The report details UNeMed’s key metrics, and highlights notable achievements during the previous fiscal year.

In an overview, the report notes the long journey of innovation, particularly in biomedical fields. The report cites several examples of innovations that evolve and grow as inventors continue to build on an idea. Often, the final product looks remarkably different than the original idea. The report also highlights several “featured current technologies” before diving into metrics from the previous fiscal year.

Among the more noteworthy metrics from 2017 is the number of agreements. In 2017 UNeMed set another new company record for material transfer agreements. UNeMed signed 366 MTAs, the 12th straight year setting a record in that category.

UNeMed also signed an all-time high 23 licensing deals in in 2017. The previous record was 22, set in 2013.

There were also marked increases in patents and revenue. UNeMed’s 52 issued patents was a 108 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. UNeMed brought in $2.27 million to the University of Nebraska, which was 31 percent increase and the third-highest tally in UNeMed’s 26-year history.

The report can be viewed online, but printed copies are also available. Contact UNeMed to receive a free printed copy.

2017 Annual Report by UNeMed Corporation on Scribd

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Innovation Week kicks off today

October 23, 2017 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Neb. (Oct. 23, 2017)—Innovation Week kicks-off today in the Durham Research Center atrium at 9-11 a.m.

The Kick-Off will feature free pens, T-shirts and a chance to mingle with UNeMed staff. Jo-on-the-Go will also be on hand, providing complimentary espressos and smoothies to all attendees.

Innovation Week is a series of events hosted by UNeMed to celebrate and honor the innovations and discoveries at UNMC each year.

Innovation Week continues Tuesday, Oct. 24, with a panel discussion about the biomedical applications and implications of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool. Panelists will include UNMC researcher Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, Ph.D., and patent attorney Bill Adolfsen, Ph.D. That 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 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.

Learn more about all Innovation Week events at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Three seminars planned for I-Week

October 20, 2017 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Neb. (Oct. 20, 2017)—Three educational opportunities will be presented during Innovation Week, officials announced today.

Innovation Week is a series of events hosted by UNeMed to celebrate and honor the innovations and discoveries at UNMC each year. UNeMed—the technology transfer and commercialization office for the University of Nebraska’s Omaha campuses—will host the events. All are free and open to everyone.

The events are a two-person panel on the development and protection of a controversial new gene-editing tool called CRISPR; a learning workshop on conducting patent searches; and a four-person panel discussion about alternate science careers away from the research bench.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, “Owning CRISPR” is expected to focus on the biomedical applications and implications of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool. Panelists will include UNMC researcher Channabasavaiah Gurumurthy, Ph.D., and patent attorney Bill Adolfsen, Ph.D. That 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 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.

Finally, on Friday, Oct. 27, a panel will discuss 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.

Other innovation Week events include a Kickoff event, a luncheon celebrating women in STEM fields and an Awards banquet.

The Kick-Off will feature free pens, T-shirts and a chance to mingle with UNeMed staff. Jo-on-the-Go will also be on hand, providing complimentary espressos and smoothies to all attendees. That will be held in the Durham Research Center atrium at 9-11 a.m.

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.

Learn more about all Innovation Week events at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Innovation Week starts Monday

October 19, 2017 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

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, Ph.D., and patent attorney Bill Adolfsen, Ph.D. 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.

Innovation Week Schedule

Monday, Oct. 23

    Kick-Off | DRC I Atrium, 9-11 a.m. | An open house to meet and mingle with UNeMed staff, grab a free T-shirt and other goodies

Tuesday, Oct. 24

    Seminar: “Owning CRISPR” | Yanney Conf. Center, Buffett Cancer Center, 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Learn more about the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing tool, how it might be used here and the intellectual property implications

    Workshop: Patent Searching | Yanney Conf. Center, Buffett Cancer Center, 3-5 p.m. | Learn about patent databases and specific techniques employed by patent examiners to focus search hits on patents relevant to your scientific queries. Snack and refreshments will be provided.

Wednesday, Oct. 25

    Celebrating Women in STEM | Quarry Oaks Golf Club, Noon-2 p.m. | BioNebraska celebrates women in science, technology engineering and math fields with a luncheon, discussion and networking opportunity. Cost is $25 per ticket, RSVP at pkozera@bionebraska.org or 308-440-8828

Thursday, Oct. 26

    Research Innovation Awards Banquet | Michael F. Sorrell Center, Truhlsen Campus Events Center, 5-8 p.m. | A celebration of the innovation and research developed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center where an Emerging Inventor of the Year and the Most Promising New Invention of fiscal 2017 will be honored. Contact UNeMed to request an invitation.

Friday, Oct. 27

    Beyond the Bench: Alternate Science Careers | Yanney Conf. Center, Buffett Cancer Center, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | In a moderated conversation, a panel of biomedical scientists discuss their personal journeys and highlight potential career options for research scientists who might be interested in a life away from the bench. Free lunch will be provided to the first 50 guests.

 

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UNeTech signs first four startup companies

September 11, 2017 Comments (2) News

by Vicky Cerino, UNMC

UNeTech, a new institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Nebraska at Omaha designed to identify promising startup companies and help them become successful, has identified its first four startup companies.

The companies, which will be housed in the UNeTech building at 3929 Harney St., are:

  • FutureAssure – Built around the research of Jason Johanning, M.D., a UNMC vascular surgeon, the company uses new devices and software to assess patient frailty. Research has shown frailty is an effective way to assess likely outcomes of surgery. FutureAssure combines the best available methods to assess frailty with a new medical instrument. The company’s approach captures and assesses the information automatically which saves time and money.
  • Peston Badeer

    Preston Badeer

    Avert – Developed by Preston Badeer, a community entrepreneur, the company has developed a program that can determine if someone has sustained a concussion or has recovered from a concussion by analyzing the individual’s balance. The company originated in the Biomechanics Research Building at UNO. Avert is looking for strategic partners to deploy its proprietary software.

  • Esculon – Developed by community entrepreneur Evan Luxon, the company is designing a chest tube that doesn’t clog. Chest tubes are used to help drain air, blood or fluid from the space surrounding the lungs following surgery. After placement by the surgeon, the biggest complication of chest tubes is blockage. Esculon is making a self-irrigating chest tube that is less likely to clog.
  • Virtual Cardiovascular Solutions – A product of collaboration between Ed O’Leary, M.D., UNMC cardiologist and Hani Haider, Ph.D., an orthopedic researcher. They provide cutting edge educational tools to improve a wide range of medical knowledge and skills such as AngioTeacher, the first interactive medical educational software application designed to help students learn to interpret coronary angiograms through a three-dimensional computed tomographic angiographic model of the heart.
Rodney Markin - Pathology

Rodney Markin

Rod Markin, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of UNeTech, said the company will raise between $7 and $10 million to help promising technology and start-up companies during their first few years, also known as the “Valley of Death,” when half of new businesses fail.

Joe Runge, J.D., associate director of UNeTech, said UNeTech is not a venture capital fund, but a cluster of expertise focused on the health care field.

“We’re creating products people really need to improve access to health care and contribute to the financial benefit for the university as well,” Runge said. “UNeTech benefits UNMC by exposing our faculty to a whole different type of research that helps start-ups answer questions and problems.

“UNeTech serves as an incubator that can curate a very particular set of clinicians and researchers to help address problems faced by start-ups. We combine lessons — as well as what is unique to Omaha and especially to Nebraska — which will make us successful.”

Some of UNeTech’s broad mandate is leveraging relationships to find opportunities of value to advance technology from a start-up. “We look at it as an investment and what we expect the return to be – using the same analysis an investment company would use,” Runge said.

Over time, the building could accommodate as many as 10-12 start-up companies.

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‘Confessions of a Venture Capitalist’ planned for Sept. 12

August 31, 2017 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (August 30, 2017)—The University of Nebraska and Pipeline Entrepreneurs, a regional entrepreneurial organization, will offer the public a rare opportunity to peek inside the mind of venture capitalists next month.

Set for Tuesday, Sept. 12, “Confessions of a Venture Capitalist” will feature a moderated and open conversation that should reveal all that seasoned investors seek in small businesses and startups.

The event will be in the Mammel Hall Auditorium at the University of Nebraska at Omaha at 4:30 p.m. Refreshments and light snacks will be provided.

James Linder, M.D.—former interim President and current Chief Strategist for the University of Nebraska—will moderate the discussion.

“This is going to be a really great opportunity for our students and the local start-up community,” Linder said. “Securing angel or venture funding is essential for new enterprises, and our two guests will offer rare insight into their decision process.”

Kilcrease

The event will feature Laura Kilcrease and Niall O’Donnell. Both are mentors at Pipeline, an entrepreneurial fellowship that focuses on nurturing Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri entrepreneurs and their businesses.

Kilcrease is the CEO of Alberta Innovates and founder and managing director of Triton Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in early-stage technology companies.

O’Donnell is a managing director at RiverVest Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on life science startups and companies.

Dr. O’Donnell

“Confessions of a Venture Capitalist” is sponsored by UNO’s Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Franchising and UNMC’s technology transfer office, UNeMed.

The event is free and open to all. To RSVP, go to https://pipelineconfessionsofavc.eventbrite.com/.

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Boot Camp 2017: Student becomes teacher

August 30, 2017 Comments (0) Blog

by Catherine Murari-Kanti, UNeMed | Aug. 30, 2017

In 2015, I participated in UNeMed’s first ever Boot Camp. In 2017 it was my turn to organize and conduct the very thing that began my career.

In 2015, I was finishing up my doctorate, and I knew that I didn’t want an academic career. Prior to that, I participated in UNeMed’s Research Commercialization course, and realized that I enjoyed the concept of taking science from the bench to the market.

The Boot Camp was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to learn, grow and seek out opportunities to work in a technology transfer office. I applied and was interviewed for internships at other technology transfer offices. Most of my interviewers were surprised with the tech transfer knowledge I had during the interview.

Eventually, that led to an internship, followed by my current position at UNeMed. Then I was asked to take the lead for this year’s Boot Camp. We had an eclectic mix of 14 participants that included graduate students, post-doctoral students, medical students, a practicing physician and industry professionals. Most of them had minimal to zero working knowledge of a technology transfer office such as UNeMed.

UNeMed staffers instructed participants on a variety of technology transfer topics. Students were expected to evaluate the new inventions, conduct prior art searches, analyze markets and write non-confidential marketing materials and negotiate contracts. On the last day of Boot Camp, participants presented their evaluations to UNeMed staff. It is the hope that this short, hands-on, interactive training camp prepares the participants for an eventual career in technology transfer.

Medical students enrolled in the Enhanced Medical Education Track expressed interest in understanding the nuances of prior art searches and the IP landscape. One of the post docs from Creighton University, Razia Aziz-Seible, was intrigued by the “valley of death:” The place where most technologies go to die because of a lack of funding.  Aziz-Seible asked a lot of questions on what researchers like her to could do to prevent innovation death.

“Even though this Boot Camp seemed to be intended for those in the academic realm, it was entirely beneficial for those in industry,” said Nicholas George, a Senior Research Scientist at Streck Incorporated, a local biotech company.

For me, it was an intense week of passing along knowledge that can be used wherever their journeys take them. I enjoyed interacting with them, getting to know their stories, struggles and victories, and I am thankful that they can add this to their quiver as they march along their path of scientific research.

The Boot Camp aligns with UNeMed’s educational mission in providing an opportunity for growth and learning and fostering a culture of innovation at UNMC. Every year students, and sometimes faculty, participate in a week-long exercise of understanding and learning the different aspects of commercializing science. The topics covered during the Boot Camp include the evaluation of new inventions, intellectual property law, technology marketing and commercialization and contract negotiation.

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Prommune’s swine flu vaccine succeeds in latest animal trial

August 25, 2017 Comments (0) News, Success Stories

Sam Al-Murrani

Sam Al-Murrani, Ph.D., interim CEO of Prommune, addresses the audience during UNeMed’s 2016 Demo Day.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Aug. 24, 2017)—Prommune Inc., a Midwest-based developer of advanced biologics, announced the completion of its third proof of concept study in pigs.

The latest study related to its lead products HeptaVac™, a self-adjuvating peptide vaccine cocktail and HISP-P™, an immunoactivator and molecular adjuvant both for use in pigs with Swine Influenza A Virus infections.

HeptaVac™ was designed to elicit cellular immunity and contains antigenic peptides from the H1N1 influenza virus proteins, two of which represent conserved sequences between the seasonal and pandemic strains. Each antigenic peptide was individually linked to Prommune’s molecular adjuvant HISP™ which activates the innate immune system and generates a Th1-biased immune response. HeptaVac™ was delivered intramuscularly and showed a dose response and a statistically significant reduction in the number of lung lesions in pigs infected with the H1N1 strain of the virus compared to the controls.

Another arm of the study compared the efficacy of HeptaVac™ to HISP-P™ delivered intranasally. This part of the study again showed the efficacy of HeptaVac™ but also showed that the immunoactivator HISP-P™ can reduce the viral load in lung lesions in a statistically significant manner in addition to an overall reduction in the number of lesions. Successful intranasal delivery, opens the door for potential use as mucosal vaccines and adjuvants.

Prommune has recently engaged a cGMP manufacturing partner and will be initiating filings to obtain the necessary licenses to market the two products in the US, in the coming weeks. It is also continuing its research and development activities on its pipeline of products for other production animal species and expects to apply for further licenses within the next 12-18 months.

UNMC researcher Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., who unexpectedly passed away on Aug. 7, 2017, founded Prommune about a decade ago.

Dr. Sam Al-Murrani, interim CEO added, “There is a considerable need for new therapeutics, prophylactics and adjuvants for veterinary and human medicine applications. Prommune’s lead biologics engage and activate the immune system in ways that are different from the ways through which the majority of “classical” vaccines and adjuvants currently work.”

Prommune is positioning itself at the forefront of next generation biologics developers with a pipeline of innovative products each designed to fill the need for new modalities to combat existing and emerging zoonotic diseases.

Prommune is a UNMC startup built on the research of the late Sam Sanderson, Ph.D.

For further information, please contact Prommune Inc. at info@prommuneinc.net or call toll free 877-426-9009.

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UNMC’s glaucoma breakthrough featured in journal ‘Stem Cells’

August 25, 2017 Comments (0) News

Findings could lead to early diagnosis, new treatment therapies

by Lisa Spellman, UNMC

A University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher has discovered that a common form of glaucoma that strikes adults may have early origin. The discovery, which is detailed in the August 9 issue of the journals Stem Cells, could result in earlier diagnosis and treatment of the disease that is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness and affects more than 3 million people in the United States and 60 million people worldwide.

Iqbal Ahmad, Ph.D., a professor in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at UNMC, led the team of investigators. He has spent more than a decade studying the stem cell approach to understand and treat glaucoma, which is called a silent robber of vision because it strikes without warning or any noticeable symptoms.

“There are several forms of glaucoma but all have two things in common – the progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and the irreversible loss of vision,” Dr. Ahmad said.

The primary function of RGCs is to tell the brain through a series of synapses and connections what the eye sees, he said. Without RGCs, there is no perception of vision.

Since glaucoma is generally a late onset disease and RGCs are formed during gestation, Dr. Ahmad’s team had to find a way to study the degeneration process, which they hypothesized was because of a developmental abnormality.

Using blood from patients carrying a specific gene variation and also suffering from primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), one of the more common forms of the disease, Dr. Ahmad and his team created a pluripotent stem cell-based model of POAG to understand why and how  RGCs degenerate.

Dr. Ahmad’s team was able to show that RGCs from POAG patients were different from those generated from healthy donors.

“They were developmentally abnormal in form, function and gene expression,” he said, adding that knowing the molecular basis of the defect and its biomarkers will allow early diagnosis and treatment.

“We are excited, as it is an important first step toward early diagnosis and treatment of this debilitating disease,” Dr. Ahmad said.

Shane Haven, M.D., a glaucoma specialist at UNMC’s Truhlsen Eye Institute, said, “Dr. Ahmad’s work could help us better understand the pathophysiology of degenerative conditions and in turn, reveal new treatment targets and cell replacement therapies.”

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Changes coming for Innovation Awards, date set for Oct. 26

August 23, 2017 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Neb. (Aug. 23, 2017)—Building on the popularity of two key events, UNeMed this year will combine the annual Innovation Awards with the prestige of the Shareholder Meeting, officials announced today.

“We always enjoy shining a bright spotlight on the talent and spirit of innovation at UNMC,” UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon said. “And the Shareholder Meeting presented people with the rare opportunity to engage with University leadership. So, we really wanted to bring those two things together into one bigger, better event.”

The Innovation Awards Banquet is now an invitation-only event with a more formal, sit-down meal. The venue has also changed, and will be held at the Truhlsen Event Center in the Michael F. Sorrell Center on the corner of 42nd and Emile Streets.

UNeMed’s Innovation Awards annually recognizes University of Nebraska staff, students and faculty in Omaha. UNeMed presents awards to those who disclosed a new invention, licensed an invention or received a U.S. patent in the previous fiscal year. This year, UNeMed will also honor an Emerging Inventor of the year and a Most Promising New Invention.

In previous years, the Shareholder Meeting was a popular off-campus event that brought together many key members of the University’s leadership team.

The goal in combing in events, Dixon said, was to bring together major elements into a singular, high-quality evening.

“It’s going to give our inventors more exposure, which they richly deserve,” he said. “And it’s still going to give our leadership the chance to meet with colleagues and some of our most talented researchers.”

The Awards Banquet is a part of Innovation Week, which will enter its 11th year in 2017.

Innovation Week begins Monday, Oct. 23, at 9-11 a.m., with the “Kick-Off” in the Durham Research Center atrium. The event is open to everyone who wants to meet with UNeMed staff, grab some freebies—including a UNeMed T-shirt—and a cup of coffee or a smoothie.

The Innovation Awards Banquet is on Thursday, Oct. 26, followed by an educational seminar on Friday, Oct. 27. The seminar is expected to help researchers, faculty and other scientists explain complicated ideas in terms that most can understand.

UNeMed will announce further details for the seminar soon.

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Sam Sanderson, 63

August 10, 2017 Comments (1) Blog

Cats, pajamas & science will never be the same

UNMC researcher Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., checks the results of a recent quality control test at his Omaha lab. His startup company, Prommune, is based on an innovation he developed. (File Photo: Charlie Litton)

by Charlie Litton, UNeMed | Aug. 9, 2017

Not long ago, we had a very important discussion. We needed to understand what, exactly, are “cat’s pajamas.” Are they literally pajamas…that cats wear…to bed? Were footies in play? Who would want to put PJs on a cat? Why?

It was a deep dive into strange worlds of felines, sleep garments and, of course, the white-hot ball of fire that was Sam Sanderson.

Sanderson, a UNMC inventor who built a startup around his innovations, had just been in the office. He had an update for us those many weeks ago.

He just landed a huge grant that would further his research, and wanted to share the good news. He just needed to cross a few T’s, dot some I’s, and he’d be “cocked, locked and ready to rock.”

I don’t recall the exact context, but he did drop the “cat’s pajamas” on us at some point. He usually did. It was a verbal tic that grew into something of a catchphrase for Sam.

Cat's Pajamas“Sam was always quick with a ‘golly gee’ or a ‘gee wiz,'” said UNeMed President and CEO Michael Dixon. “I’m fairly certain I won’t be able to use the phrase ‘the cat’s pajamas’ without thinking of Sam.”

Then Sam didn’t wake up Tuesday morning.

It’s a bitter pill that won’t wash down anytime soon. Yet, I can’t help but wonder what he might say about that.

I bet he’d call it a “bummer, man.”

Then I expect he’d shrug, and find some positive light to shine on it. That was his way too.

“If Sam caught you in the hallway, you were guaranteed to be late to your next meeting,” Dixon said. “But that was okay because his excitement and enthusiasm was infectious. I always left a meeting with Sam feeling better about myself and the world around me.”

I wouldn’t normally admit this, but Sam was my favorite of all UNMC’s talented inventors. It’s not that his innovations where necessarily any better than anyone else’s, although they were pretty great.

He had his own gravitational force. Once pulled in, you were infected and transformed. You walked away wanting to climb mountains.

More than that, you wanted him to summit his Everest. You rooted for him because he earned it. He put in the time. He never gave up, even when no one else seemed to believe in him.

He fought long and hard for his science. And he seemed on the doorstep of victory too, a decade in the making.

“I usually heard Sam before I saw him.” UNeMed’s Joe Runge said. “Sam’s boundless energy and optimism was infectious. He was a force of nature in perpetual motion”

Sam Sanderson, Ph.D.

His energy and enthusiasm never flagged. In fact, that enthusiasm was the dominant trait in any given room he entered.

“His passion and energy were obvious from the get-go and it was contagious,” said Matt Boehm, UNeMed’s Licensing Manager who worked with Sam for about eight years. “He had ups and downs and tough times, but he always stuck in there and kept going. There were times when it would have been easy for him to walk-away but he never did, and I admire him for that.”

Said Dixon: “We probably didn’t realize it while he was here, but Sam really was the cat’s pajamas.”

 

Visitation for Sam Sanderson will be held at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church in Omaha on Friday, Aug. 11 at 5-7 p.m. Vigil begins at 7 p.m. Funeral services will also be at St. Stephen the Martyr at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12.

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Smartphone device could revolutionize ophthalmology teaching

August 8, 2017 Comments (0) News

Excerpted from a story appearing in the Aug. 8, 2017 issue of UNMC Today.

by Tom O’Connor, UNMC

Liana Morales, a student in the UNMC Summer Undergraduate Research Program, does an eye exam using the smartphone camera attachment on Barrett Kumke, while pediatric ophthalmologist Donny Suh, M.D., oversees the procedure.

Liana Morales, a student in the UNMC Summer Undergraduate Research Program, does an eye exam using the smartphone camera attachment on Barrett Kumke, while pediatric ophthalmologist Donny Suh, M.D., oversees the procedure. (UNMC Photo)

The small, two-inch camera attachment clips on the top of the phone and allows health professionals to examine a key area of the interior surface of the eye called the fundus. The fundus includes the central retina, optic disc, macula, fovea and the posterior pole.

The device can detect a variety of eye problems such as underdevelopment of the optic nerves, swelling of the optic disc, and nystagmus, a condition in which the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements.

Omaha pediatric ophthalmologist, Donny Suh, M.D., has been involved in a research study published in the July edition of the Open Journal of Ophthalmology. The study looked at one of the three similar devices that are in the marketplace.

Dr. Suh has also developed several new innovations for pediatric ophthalmology, including a precision syringe that allows the operator to perform delicate procedures with one hand, and MedLens, a novel device that turns most smartphones into a powerful diagnostic tool.

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Dates set for 2017 Boot Camp, accepting applications

July 26, 2017 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (July 26, 2017)—UNeMed’s 2017 Technology Transfer Boot Camp program is set for August 15-18. The Boot Camp is particularly aimed toward scientists interested in getting away from the bench, but continuing their scientific pursuits in technology transfer activities.

UNeMed’s four-day training program help’s scientists gain a wider range of technology commercialization skills and experience that matches their scientific knowledge and training.

The program will be held from 8 a.m. to noon beginning Aug. 15 and concluding Aug. 18.

Grad students Richard Nelson and Simarjeet Negi look on during a session of UNeMed's first Technology Transfer Boot Camp, a week of immersive training sessions that dove into the commercialization of biomedical science.

Grad students Richard Nelson and Simarjeet Negi look on during a session at UNeMed’s first Technology Transfer Boot Camp in 2015.

The program is designed to provide information across a range of technology transfer relevant areas, including:

  • Evaluating new inventions
  • Intellectual property law
  • Marketing and commercialization
  • Contract negotiation

Rather than provide a series of lectures, UNeMed’s tech transfer boot camp will dive into more hands-on activities. Activities will highlight real-word situations, and help illustrate key aspects of the technology commercialization process.

Anyone at UNMC is encouraged to apply and participate free of charge. Non-UNMC affiliates are also welcome, but will be charged $200 upon acceptance.

Applications will be accepted until Aug. 10, and will be reviewed in the order they are received until all spaces are filled. If the embedded form does not properly display below, the application may be accessed here.

More information about the program and the application process can be found at https://www.unemed.com/about-us/join-our-team.

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Meet the next generation in laparoscopic simulators

July 25, 2017 Comments (0) News

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UNMC’s nanoparticle production facility to headline seminar series

July 19, 2017 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (July 19, 2017)—An upcoming Tech Talk Seminar Series installment will detail the manufacturing capabilities of UNMC’s Nebraska Nanomedicine Production Plant.

Adam Szlachetka, D.D.S.

Dr. Szlachetka

Adam Szlachetka, D.D.S., Operations Manager at UNMC’s nanomedicine production facility, will deliver an hour-long talk beginning at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8, in room 1004 of the Durham Research Center I.

The seminar is titled as “Good Laboratory and Current Good Manufacturing Practices (GLP and cGMP) at UNMC within the Nebraska Nanomedicine Production Plant (NNPP).”

Dr. Szlachetka is expected to discuss the NNPP’s capabilities of biomedical manufacturing, including its ability to scale up from a relatively simple idea to an FDA-approved final product. The NNPP is particularly useful for those interested in manufacturing on a small scale while maintaining the high standards found in large-scale manufacturing firms.

A bimonthly event, the Tech Talk Seminar Series highlights “the variety of ways core technologies can be applied to research questions,” according to the seminar website. The Office of Vice Chancellor for Research is the series sponsor.

Find more information about the series, including links to videos of previous seminars, at https://www.unmc.edu/vcr/education/seminars/tech-talks/index.html. All seminars are live-streamed and available for later viewing. Admission is free and open to all.

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