Tulane health and wellness innovators shine at the 5th Open MIC Night
When more than 160 people packed into the Times-Picayune | NOLA.com headquarters in New Orleans on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, they might have been witnessing the next headline-worthy healthcare innovations and discoveries—from members of the Tulane community.
The Tulane Innovation Institute's largest-ever Open MIC (Medical Innovation Challenge) Night—in partnership with the Tulane School of Medicine's John W. Deming Department of Medicine—showcased ten standout healthcare innovators, with five walking away with funding and access to additional award opportunities. This fifth iteration of the biannual event, one of the Institute’s original signature programs, was also held in collaboration with Startup NOLA NOW—a monthly meetup of startups, investors, and entrepreneurial ecosystem leaders organized by GNO Inc.’s Startup NOLA.
“This latest Open MIC Night showed what's possible when investors, startups, university innovators, and the local community collide,” said Kimberly Gramm, PhD, David and Marion Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer at the Tulane Innovation Institute. “The caliber of innovations addressing new opportunities in healthcare solutions demonstrates that Tulane University—and the city of New Orleans—is the place to watch for the next big thing in medical innovations to make the world a better place.”
The evening’s winners included:
Hannah Chatman (Graduate Student, Tulane School of Social Work) — SkinScript, a handheld hydration scanner that uses skin light analysis to tell you how hydrated you are in real-time across all skin tones.
Diamond Joelle Cunningham (PhD Candidate, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine) — ProtectHers is a postpartum app designed to empower and support Black fathers. This innovative platform reframes paternal roles in maternal care while directly addressing the alarming maternal mortality rates among Black women.
Michel Abou Khalil (Research Scientist, Tulane School of Medicine, TRIAD) — HemoGuard™, a smart app that integrates symptom check-ins, wearable data, and lab results to provide a personalized bleeding risk score for individuals on blood thinners—offering real-time insights where none currently exist.
Vinion Devpaul Vincely (PhD Candidate, Tulane School of Science & Engineering) — Vasovision is a low-cost, point-of-care photoacoustic imaging device that enables early detection of peripheral artery disease. PAD affects 6% of the U.S. population—particularly older adults and those with comorbidities like diabetes—yet current diagnostics often fail to catch it early.
The audience favorite, “People’s Choice Award,” was awarded to:
Wasef Atiya (Graduate Student, Tulane School of Medicine) — ScreenSmart, a tool that automates guideline-driven preventive screening referrals and integrates them directly into Electronic Health Record systems to reduce administrative burden and ensure patients receive the care they need—without slipping through the cracks.
More than 30 Tulane innovators applied to pitch. Additional finalists included David Beran, DO, MPH (Gratis Faculty, Tulane School of Medicine, Surgery); Charon Flowers Maple (Graduate Student/Instructor, Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine); Han Feng (Assistant Professor, Tulane School of Medicine, TRIAD); Lindsay Hellwig (Director of Interior Design, Tulane University – Campus Services & School of Professional Advancement); and Shreya Pandit & Kunal Sameer (Staff, Tulane School of Medicine, TRIAD).
The panel of judges brought together healthcare executives, entrepreneurs, and media professionals: Dr. Greg Buchert, MD, MPH (CEO, Makani Science); Dr. Dwana Green (Owner & CEO, Green Holistic Recovery); Dr. Guillermo Morales (CEO, Innoventyx; Strategic Partner for Science, Capital & Growth); Noam Platt (Founder, Make Good NOLA); Kris Khalil (Executive Director, New Orleans BioInnovation Center); and Stephanie Riegel (Business Writer, The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com).
The evening’s food was curated by Codey’s NOLA food and beverage startup incubator and included Amaris Catering and Ms. Barb's Bakery. Drinks were provided by Chicken and Champagne.
The OPEN MIC pitch event participants brought together a diverse mix of professional backgrounds and experiences, from campus services staff to faculty members from the Tulane School of Medicine and Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and PhD candidates training in science and engineering and social work. This event showcased the innovative spirit at Tulane University, highlighting the strong momentum to develop new solutions for improving healthcare.
