The Tulane Research, Innovation, and Creativity Summit (TRICS) had a new innovation component this year, with the launch of the inaugural Innovation Awards. The Tulane Innovation Institute (TUII) is proud to announce the inaugural TRICS Innovation and Societal Impact Award winners and TRICS Innovation and Technology Development Award winners.

These prestigious awards were presented to Tulane Research, Innovation, and Creativity Summit poster participants, who presented their research between April 23 and April 25 at Tulane University. The three-day event showcased the university's diverse range of scientific research, innovation, and creativity. The 2024 Summit included poster sessions, panels, and pitch events, all highlighting the innovation and technology development taking place at Tulane.

“These awards are fantastic first steps to enter our innovation pipeline,” said Kimberly Gramm, Tulane’s David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer. “TUII will support and guide not only these winners, but all the applicants interested in further developing ideas for impact. Congratulations to all the participants you are inspiring a future of solutions."
 

The TRICS Innovation and Societal Impact Award, a $1,000 prize (and $500 for honorable mention), recognized posters demonstrating significant societal impact as defined by the National Science Foundation's broader impacts criteria; five outstanding individuals received this honor:

Huiyun Wu (pictured below), Postdoctoral Fellow— School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Sciences; "Viral Metagenomic Analysis Workflow for Characterization of Particle-Associated Virus Community in Wastewater"

Garrett Bartoletti, PhD Student— School of Science & Engineering, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology; "Identifying A Novel Mechanism of Lambdoid Synostosis"

Honorable Mentions:

Shelby Olin, PhD Student— School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, Department of Health Policy and Management; "Long-Term Impact of Medicaid Expansion on Not-For-Profit Hospital Community Benefit Spending in Louisiana"

Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, Instructor of Neurology— School of Medicine, Department of Neurology; "Diet-modulated Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Cognitive Function"

The TRICS Innovation and Technology Development Award recognized the poster with the most potential for successful commercialization with a $1,000 cash prize and $500 for honorable mention. The Innovation Prize for Technology Development is given to the poster presenter who best illustrates how their research could be translated into a technology, with an explanation including market analysis and customer discovery strategy. Four recipients received this honor:

Dylan Lucia (pictured below), PhD Student— School of Science & Engineering Bioinnovation PhD Program; "Geometric Arrangements in a Tactile Feedback System for Palpation of Tissue: Catheter Contact Force During Atrial Fibrillation Ablation"

Honorable Mentions:

Melika Esmaeili Rad, PhD Student— School of Science & Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering; "Enhancing the Physiological Maturation of Human Nociceptive Transmission MPS Model Through the Addition of Glia"

Eman Toraih, Faculty — School of Medicine, Department of Surgery; "Mmp9/Mir-145 Ratio: A Robust Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker for Personalized Management Of Thyroid Cancer"

Huiyun Wu, Postdoctoral Fellow—School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Sciences;  "Viral Metagenomic Analysis Workflow for Characterization of Particle-Associated Virus Community in Wastewater"
 

Posters were evaluated by a panel consisting of internal Tulane and external experts in a blend of disciplines, who assessed their potential for innovation and technology development.

The Tulane Innovation Institute is committed to providing funding, education, and resources to help advance promising ideas and technologies to market readiness. To stay up to date on upcoming programs and opportunities, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.