The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) celebrated the researchers whose achievements are making life better locally, nationally, and globally at its annual Innovation Awards ceremony, held December 14 at the Mooney Library at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) in Memphis.
The Innovation Awards recognize researchers from all over the UT System who partner with UTRF to bring their innovations to market. “Turning research into practical, sustainable solutions calls for resilience, adaptability, and market savvy. Let’s collectively celebrate the foundational research successes that made this year extraordinary,” said UTRF Vice President Todd Ponzio, PhD. As a part of the technology transfer process, UTRF vets invention disclosures, aids inventors through the patent application commercialization processes, executes license agreements, and supports investment efforts.
Researchers at UTHSC were recognized for their discoveries and commercialization. Honorees included 22 inventors who patented nine technologies, and 17 researchers who secured nine licenses.
Ramesh Narayanan, PhD, MBA, professor in the Department of Medicine, and Eric Muirhead, professor of Pathology, won the Innovator of the Year Award and served as the keynote speaker for the event. Dr. Narayanan, who also serves as deputy director of the UT Health Science Center’s Cancer Center, is known for his research on small molecule drug discovery, translational oncology research, and his focus on the fundamental mechanisms of action for diseases, therapeutic targets, and new chemical entities.
Read more at our UTHSC news site.