We are very excited to announce our 2022 - 2023 Columbia Biomedical Engineering Technology Accelerator awardees. This year was highly competitive, with a record number of participants in our Lab-to-Market bootcamp and a very exciting pitch competition! These teams are among the Columbia faculty members awarded a Columbia Life Science Accelerator grant to bolster advanced biomedical research.
Funds are awarded to perform a "killer experiment", that is, an experiment that will substantially remove risk and leave no doubt that the product will be an improvement over the status quo. The goal is to help translate these scientific innovations into clinically effective products.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING TEAMS:
NeuroFlex: Wireless, High-Resolution Neural Interface for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy (Co-funded by TRx)
Brett Youngerman, MD, MS (Neurosurgery) and Kenneth Shepard, PhD (Electrical and Biomedical Engineering)
Patients with epilepsy suffer from seizures, cognitive decline, and decreased life expectancy. Approximately one third of patients with epilepsy are drug-resistant and face uncontrolled seizures. While surgical intervention can mitigate symptoms and improve quality of life, surgical treatment of epilepsy is largely underutilized due to its invasiveness, multi-step complexity, and high cost. To address the need for a lower-cost, single-step intervention to treat drug resistant epilepsy, the team of Drs. Youngerman and Shepard developed a flexible, wireless, high-resolution neural interface for diagnostic seizure monitoring and therapeutic neuromodulation. Following placement, this device improves real-time neural mapping accuracy and supports therapeutic efficacy without the need for additional surgeries.
UltraNav: Novel Focused Ultrasound Device for Drug-Free Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (Co-funded by TRx)
Elisa Konofagou, PhD (Biomedical Engineering and Radiology) and Lawrence S. Honig, MD, PhD (Neurology)
Alzheimer’s disease affects over 6 million people in the United States alone, with devastating economic and healthcare consequences. Abnormal aggregation of beta-amyloid and tau protein is a hallmark feature of Alzheimer’s disease, and clearance of protein aggregates remains a major focus for Alzheimer’s therapies. The team of Drs. Konofagou and Honig developed UltraNav (ultrasound + navigation) which transiently opens the blood brain barrier in a focused region and stimulates an immune response to clear beta-amyloid plaque and tau. Clinical safety and preliminary efficacy have been demonstrated in pre-clinical and early-stage clinical studies. Funding from BiomedX and TRx will enable investigation of tau pathology in patients receiving treatment with UltraNav.
Artificial Intelligence-Powered Dental Disease Detection
Helen H. Lu, PhD (Biomedical Engineering), Sunil Wadhwa, DDS (Orthodontic Dental Medicine), and Michael T. Yin, MD (Medicine, Infectious Diseases)
Periodontal disease, characterized by progressive bone loss, and caries (cavities) are the two most common dental conditions, impacting nearly 50% of U.S. adults. Diagnosis and monitoring of periodontal disease and caries currently rely on qualitative assessment of dental radiographs. The team of Drs. Lu, Wadhwa, and Yin developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm for rapid and accurate assessment of dental radiographs for detection and monitoring of bone loss. This innovative approach to radiographic assessment could improve diagnostic accuracy and throughput, enable longitudinal tracking of disease state, and inform treatment strategies in patients with periodontal disease and caries.
Bio-Microbur for Oral Delivery of Biologics (Funded by TRx, Co-funded by ACT and BiomedX)
Kam Leong, PhD (Biomedical Engineering)
Most patients prefer to take oral medications over injections, which are more burdensome and expensive. However, many therapies, such as insulin, must be delivered via injection because if taken orally they get degraded by the digestive system and are not well absorbed. To address these problems, Dr. Leong and team have developed a tiny swallowable device, a “bio-microbur,” inspired by sticky fruit burs that adhere to animal furs and clothing. The bio-microbur will protect labile drugs, prolong their retention, and enhance their absorption by the digestive system. After the bio-microbur sticks to the intestinal wall, the nanospikes and the coatings will biodegrade and release drugs or nanoparticles that carry drugs across intestine walls for safe and efficient delivery of critical therapies. The team will test a proof-of-concept for the device to ultimately establish a new platform technology for the efficient oral delivery of biologics.
