The Tulane University Innovation Institute (TUII), in collaboration with the Deming Department of Medicine and the Senior VP and Dean of the School of Medicine, proudly announces the winners of the third Open MIC (Medical Innovation Challenge) Night. This energetic and dynamic event was held at the Tulane Research, Innovation, and Creativity Summit on Wednesday, April 24 at Tulane University’s uptown campus.

Open MIC Night is a platform that fosters human health and wellness solutions. It is open to all Tulane faculty, staff, students, PhD candidates, postdocs, residents, fellows, and recent alumni. The Spring 2024 event received unprecedented applications, leading to a preliminary round to select ten finalists who showcased their pioneering concepts at the live audience event.



"When Dr. Marrouche and I brainstormed how to support the bubbling ideas of our students and faculty on campus we didn’t have a sense of how exciting this program would become. There is a comradery you sense in the room when your friends and colleagues are sharing personal stories which inspired their “aha” moment. It is incredibly special to see those with formal training inventing the next BIG IDEA right before us at Tulane", said Dr. Kimberly Gramm, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer.

The ten competitors presented innovative pitches for their solutions to a range of medical and wellness challenges, where a panel of judges assessed the feasibility and impact of each idea.

The panel of judges included:

Sindhu Pandit, Physician | Global Healthcare Lead, Digital Health Strategy, and Innovation

Frank Smart, LSU School of Medicine Professor, LCMC Physician

Meshawn Siddiq, Deputy Director, N.O. Health Department; Doula

Cara Wells, Co-Founder and CEO, EmGenisys

Kalen Hall, Co-founder & CEO, Informuta (past winner of Open MIC Night, Spring 2023)



 

The awards were presented by Dr. Nassir Marrouche, director of the Tulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discovery (TRIAD) Center, professor of medicine and vice chair for innovation in the Deming Department of Medicine at the School of Medicine, and Dr. Kimberly Gramm, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer at the Tulane Innovation Institute.



 

Five winners emerged, each receiving $500 to develop their idea and the ability to advance to the next round. The winners will receive 1:1 mentorship and a second opportunity to pitch again to advance their concepts into a plan for prototyping for an additional $2,000.

Congratulations to the winners of Open MIC Night, Spring 2024:

SKRIBH: AI-enabled EMS transcription

Noah Rahman, School of Science and Engineering, PhD Student, Department of Physics and Engineering Physics (Presented with Kaju Sarkar, Skribh Co-Founder)

Verte Vision: App for a complete 3D understanding of scoliosis

Shayne Shelton, School of Science and Engineering, Undergraduate Student, Department of Biomedical Engineering

The PA patch: Low-cost photoacoustic patch for tissue oxygenation

Vin Vincely, School of Science and Engineering, PhD Student, Department of Biomedical Engineering (Bayer Lab)

Integrated device for ultrasound vein visualization and IV placement in trauma settings

Juan Duchesne, School of Medicine, Faculty and Division Chief, Department of Surgery

FAITH: Disease-agnostic training model for health applications of AI

Chanho Lim, Tulane School of Medicine, Assistant Director for Digital Health, TRIAD

The Open Mic Night attendees also voted for their favorite participant with a “People’s Choice Award:”

IMPPACT: Patient-centered app for clinical trial search, access, and enrollment

Ghassan Bidaoui (People’s Choice), School of Medicine, Cardiology Research Fellow, TRIAD

The next Open MIC Night will be held in the Fall 2024 semester. The Tulane University Innovation Institute (TUII) encourages innovation among the Tulane University community. Through various programs and events like Open MIC Night, TUII supports developing and commercializing new ideas that address real-world challenges and create positive societal impact. To stay updated about the upcoming Open MIC Night, subscribe to our e-newsletter and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.