Testing Ideas to Build Startups 
Tulane Innovation Institute's 6th Open Medical Innovation Challenge (OPEN MIC) Night Supports Early-Stage Healthcare Ideas Across Campus. 
 

The OPEN MIC NIGHT Fall 2025 finalists with Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, and Dr. Nassir Marrouche (photo by Stephanie Tarrant)

On October 28, the Tulane Innovation Institute partnered with the Tulane School of Medicine's Deming Department of Medicine to host the sixth Open Medical Innovation Challenge (MIC) Night in a standing room only event in downtown New Orleans.  

Implemented by the Robert L. Priddy Innovation Lab within the Institute, this record-breaking program attracted 38 applicants from seven Tulane schools, making it the most competitive cohort, witnessed by the 200+ attendees of Tulanians, investors, and community members, who cheered on the competitors. All applicants receive complimentary follow-up support from the Innovation Institute, including education, mentorship, and funding opportunities, which shows the Institute's dedication to developing healthcare innovation across campus.  
 
“OPEN MIC Night provides not only a platform for all Tulanians to test ideas and gather feedback from our community but also a way to showcase and celebrate innovation publicly,” said Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer. “It’s where concepts get their start to become fledgling companies.” 
 
Held at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute with a view of the city skyline at sunset, students, faculty, and staff took the stage to present early-stage solutions addressing health and wellness challenges. The event was opened by Gramm and Dr. Nassir Marrouche, Director of the TRIAD Center, Professor of Medicine, and Vice Chair of Innovation & Entrepreneurship in the John W. Deming Department of Medicine at Tulane School of Medicine. Together, Drs. Gramm and Marrouche launched the first edition of the competition in Spring 2023 – just eight short months after the Institute’s founding. 
 
Finalists represented a wide array of disciplines: Jordan Williams, Undergraduate Student, School of Liberal Arts; Eli Tsakiris and Jered Davidson, Graduate Students, School of Medicine; Muhammad Abdul Awoal, Research Technician, Center for Aging; Christian Massad, Research Scientist, TRIAD; Susan Cheng, PhD, Faculty, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; Miller Dickerson, Graduate Student, School of Science and Engineering; Charlie Kelso, CK Kang, Joseph Agler, Undergraduate Students, School of Science and Engineering; Grant Talkington, Recent Alumnus, School of Medicine; Hailey Faith, Graduate Student, School of Science and Engineering; and Arezu Paganetti, Clinical Research Project Manager, School of Medicine. 

Susan Cheng, PhD, MPH, Associate Dean for Public Health Practice, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, was one of the evening's winners. Photo by Derek Bridges.

Four projects received $750 awards, exemplifying the competition's focus on practical, scalable solutions. Cheng presented a gamified health app that tracks patient symptoms, helping clinicians make faster and more accurate diagnoses. Williams introduced NORA, an AI system for early detection of maternal health risks, which connects patients to resources and alerts their care team. Faith showcased a predictive system designed to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury by anticipating complications before they arise. Dickerson presented a low-cost device for bedside monitoring of placental oxygenation. Massad earned the People's Choice Award and a $500 cash prize for a software layer that transforms wearable devices into continuous cardiovascular monitors. 

The judging panel included Rani Brooks (BioPhoundry Inc.), Lee Chedister (Foley Hoag LLP), Grace Lord Williams (Ochsner Health), Dr. Jeff Myers (JLMyersMD Consulting), and Felicia Stoler (Jazz Bird™ NOLA), who evaluated ideas based on innovation, feasibility, and potential impact while offering guidance on commercialization and development. 
 
Since the program’s launch in Spring 2023, the Innovation Institute has invested over $17,000 in early-stage projects and received more than 130 submissions. Several projects have evolved into companies, including Informuta, Cleaved Diagnostics, and Exactics. The event aligns with the Innovation Institute's mission to connect research with real-world needs and support startup formation. 
 
Founded in 2022 under the leadership of President Michael A. Fitts with a lead gift from Robert Priddy, the Tulane Innovation Institute supports entrepreneurship across disciplines. The Robert Priddy Lab enables commercialization-focused programming by providing resources for early-stage ideas and connecting researchers with industry partners. 
 
Attendees also had the opportunity to network over refreshments from Sweet Anoni's of Codey's Nola, an alumni-owned venture from NOCHI and SMFN Pastries and Cakes. 

All participants are encouraged to attend the Tulane Innovation Institute Startup Sprint Boot Camp on Friday, November 7, which provides educational training for anyone interested in developing ideas.    


With each cycle, OPEN MIC strengthens Tulane’s reputation as a hub for health innovation, providing a pathway to scale ideas across the region and nationally. The next event is scheduled for April 15, 2026, in conjunction with the Tulane Research, Innovation, and Creativity Summit. Applications for the Spring cycle open January 20, 2026. 
 

Pictured: The original OPEN MIC NIGHT founding team, Claiborne Christian, Executive Director for Commercialization, Tulane University Innovation Institute, Nassir Marrouche, and Kimberly Gramm, who launched the first edition of the competition in Spring 2023. Photo by Stephanie Tarrant.