Seventeen researchers at UCLA have been named recipients of awards from the 2020 UCLA Innovation Fund Biomedical Competition.

These awards, up to $200,000 per project, support early stage research that lead to commercialization activities, which usually aren’t supported by basic research grants. As a result, researchers can develop their technologies to a point where the chances of success are greatly increased. Importantly, all awarded projects receive consultations from an outside industry and investor adviser panel, which provides technical and commercial feedback that is key to technology development.

The UCLA Innovation Fund was established by the UCLA Technology Development Group, in conjunction with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, UCLA College’s divisions of physical sciences and life sciences, the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, the School of Dentistry and UCLA Health.

“The recognition of UCLA as the No. 1 public university by U.S. News & World Report has helped brighten the spotlight on the work of UCLA researchers and inventors. The UCLA Innovation Fund is designed to move UCLA’s research work forward, possibly creating opportunities for both researchers and investors,” said Amir Naiberg, associate vice chancellor, president and CEO of UCLA Technology Development Corporation. “UCLA is full of groundbreaking and, at times, life-changing technologies that could benefit society. It’s important to bridge the gap between campus and the greater L.A. ecosystem.”

The applicants’ projects were evaluated on their novelty, significance and potential public benefit, as well as the status of the intellectual property and other factors relating to the projects’ technical feasibility and commercial potential.

The two tracks in the 2020 cycle were therapeutics and medical technology.

The award recipients for the therapeutics track:

  • Dr. Steven Dubinett, professor of medicine, molecular and medical pharmacology, and scientists Bin Liu and Raymond Lim were recognized for their work using modified dendritic cells to treat advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer.
  • Feng Guo, professor of biological chemistry, and Carrie Miceli, professor of microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics, were awarded for their platform to developing oligonucleotide therapeutics to combat genetic diseases.
  • William Lowry, professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology; Bennett Novitch, professor of neurobiology; Dr. Valerie Arboleda, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine; and Michael Jung, distinguished professor of chemistry, received funds to advance novel small molecule therapeutics aiming to restore neuronal function in patients with intellectual disability syndromes.

The award recipients for the medical technology track:

  • Dr. Michael DeLong, PGY-6 plastic surgery resident, and Timothy Deming, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, invented a novel dermal filler with an improved safety profile.
  • A cross functional team including Drs. Tamara Grisales and Leena Nathan, gynecologists from UCLA Health, teamed up with Song Li, chair of the bioengineering department, and scientist Mohammad Mahdi Hasani-Sadrabadi to develop an advanced vaginal drug delivery device.
  • Ronald Harper, distinguished professor of neurobiology, in partnership with Drs. Michelle Zeidler and Robert Stretch of UCLA Health delivered a groundbreaking invention — a noninvasive treatment for sleep apnea.

The Innovation Fund is currently accepting 2021 applications. Click here for more information.