Three College of Medicine Faculty Members Awarded for Chancellor’s Translational Research Initiative
Introduction
The Office for the Vice Chancellor for Innovation and the Office of Technology Management have proudly named three University of Illinois College of Medicine faculty members awardees of the Chancellor's Translational Research Initiative: Adam Cross, MD, FAAP, FAMIA, of the College of Medicine Peoria was awarded for his work on the Pulmonary Acoustic Sensor Telemetry Array (PASTA); Divya Bijukumar, PhD, of the College of Medicine Rockford was awarded for the development of the EVNaturoPatch, an exosome-releasing microneedle patch to deliver pain management therapies; and Sojin Shikano, PhD, was awarded for his work on an adoptive T cell transfer therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases. The Chancellor's Translational Research Initiative awards up to $25,000 in funding to advance early-stage translational research projects toward commercialization. Successful completion of the Initiative prepares projects for future industry funding, licensing, and start-up creation.
PASTA
Dr. Adam Cross is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at UI COM Peoria, hospitalist, and director of the Children’s Innovation Lab at Children’s Hospital of Illinois. The pulmonary acoustic sensor telemetry array (PASTA) utilizes acoustic sensors positioned on a patient’s chest and back to remotely monitor pulmonary function, useful for diagnosis and prognostication of pulmonary sounds. This simple wearable will deliver constant monitoring of lung functionality while also classifying sounds that can indicate respiratory changes.
EVNaturoPatch
Dr. Divya Bijukumar is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at UI COM Rockford. The EVNaturoPatch is an affordable and holistic treatment designed to deliver pain-relieving therapies to patients living with rheumatoid arthritis by utilizing microneedle technology—the patch is applied to the patient, and the microscopic spikes on the patch delivers natural, non-toxic pain relief. Ultimately, the objective is to enhance patients’ quality of life by addressing the impact of pain on their physical and mental wellbeing, all while minimizing the financial burden.
T Cell Transfer Therapy
Dr. Sojin Shikano is an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. His recent work focuses on a new therapy that transfers T cells to targeted tissues, which are commonly found to be insufficient in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. His team has developed a novel method of engineering T cells to migrate specifically to the colon, improving IBD therapies.