Tulane Innovation Institute Honors Faculty Innovators at the 2025 Tulane University Research, Scholarship, and Artistic Achievement Awards
On Friday, November 7, 2025, the Tulane Innovation Institute joined the Tulane University Office of Research at the Research, Scholarship, and Artistic Achievement Awards, held at the Higgins Hotel, to recognize two faculty members for their outstanding contributions to innovation and entrepreneurship.
Kimberly Gramm, MBA, PhD, David & Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer, presented the Institute’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards, underscoring Tulane’s growing commitment to turning research into societal impact.
The IP Innovator Award was presented to Monica Embers, PhD, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine and Director of Vector-Borne Disease Research at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center. The award honors faculty who advance patentable intellectual property with potential for licensing or commercialization.
Embers was recognized for her leading work in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses, an issue of increasing concern nationwide. Her research includes novel vaccines, antibody therapies, and advanced diagnostic tools that are shaping the future of infectious disease management. She is the co-inventor of the LYMESEEK™ diagnostic test, co-founder of ACES Diagnostics, and holds multiple patents for antibiotic combinations and multi-antigen detection platforms.
Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and several leading foundations. In addition to her own research, Embers has mentored student innovators, including the undergraduate startup Exactics, which is developing at-home diagnostic solutions for Lyme and other infectious diseases. She also recently participated in New York Fashion Week’s Project Lab Coat “Fierce Fashion Fighting Lyme” event to raise awareness for continued Lyme disease research and innovation.
Gramm and Embers at the 2025 Research, Scholarship, & Artistic Achievement Awards
The Entrepreneurship Award was presented to Chad Roy, MSPH, PhD, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Associate Dean for Research in the School of Medicine, and Director of Infectious Disease Aerobiology, at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center. This award recognizes faculty whose sustained innovation and entrepreneurial activity have led to new ventures and commercial success.
Roy was honored for his ability to translate scientific discovery into entrepreneurial impact. Throughout his two-decade career in aerosol science and antisepsis, he has led federally funded research, raised millions in venture capital, and overseen a clinical trial involving more than 300 participants. His work has resulted in more than 15 issued patents and the creation of three companies—two of which originated from Tulane research.
An inaugural participant in the Innovation Institute’s Founder Lab Program, which connects faculty with experienced CEOs to accelerate commercialization, Roy exemplifies the scientific excellence and entrepreneurial drive that continue to strengthen Tulane’s reputation as a center for innovation.
Gramm and Roy at the Research, Scholarship, & Artistic Achievement Awards
This year marks the third time the Tulane Innovation Institute has presented these awards to faculty who demonstrate exceptional commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. Past recipients include:
Entrepreneurship Award
Tony Hu, MD, Director, Center for Cellular and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Medicine (2024)
Wayne Reed, PhD, Murchison-Mallory Professor of Physics, School of Science and Engineering (2023)
IP Innovator Award
Lisa Morici, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine (2024)
James McLachlan, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine (2024)
Dawn Wesson, PhD, Associate Professor, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (2023)
