Research Innovation Seed for Commercialization Fund set to propel four researchers per year

The Ohio State University College of Medicine’s Office of Research and Innovation is funding groundbreaking projects through the Research Innovation Seed for Commercialization (RISC) grant. An internal funding program that was established in 2024, RISC was created to support the progress of researchers at the Ohio State College of Medicine whose findings will be eventually used for a commercial purpose. It intends to support projects as they grow from early stages up through a marketable standpoint.

Kaitlyn Kray, PhD, serves as project manager for the Ohio State College of Medicine Office of Research Innovation and leads the RISC fund. She says discovery is a cornerstone within the academic medical center and the college and it encourages other innovators across the university and in different disciplines to innovate and collaborate through novel research. Her background in biochemistry, molecular genetics and developing novel therapeutics for diseases and gene therapy contributes to her ability to support taking research from the bench into broader commercialization.

“This funding idea was brought to our department by an innovator, and we wanted to find a way to support other innovators,” Dr. Kray says. “Creating space within our teams to come up with new ideas, perpetuate them down this line and provide funding will help novel ideas get off the ground and take new steps.”

Those interested in advancing the commercial potential of projects that need funding to strengthen the foundation of innovation for patient care can submit for RISC funding by sending a letter of intent followed by an application process. Innovators are then funded over the course of one year but are not expected to be at final stages of development at the years end. Award winners are given flexibility and support to progress to the final outcomes of their innovation.

Two winners have currently been selected and received the maximum amount of the award: $50,000.

The first winner announced was Nahush Mokadam, MD, professor in the Division of Cardiac Surgery at the College of Medicine, with his device and methods for left atrial appendage occlusion (LAACClamp™). This device, while existing in a competitive field, is novel in its ability to be curved or C-shaped to better conform to the structure of the heart, specifically to the curvature of the left atrium. Currently available clamps are straight in design.

Patients with atrial fibrillation undergo a greater than 20% risk of forming blood clots within the left atrial appendage. If the clots were to enter the blood stream, it can lead to stroke; therefore, occlusion of the left atrial is sometimes necessary during open-heart surgery. The LAACClamp™ provides a swift and effective solution to this problem by minimizing the risk of an incomplete closing of the left atrium. Additionally, the device can be delivered common surgical instruments, which eliminates other complex factors such as manufacturing and packaging costs.

“Taken together, LAACClamp™ can be more effective at a lower cost and simpler to deploy benefitting patients, surgeons, hospital systems, and payors,” Dr. Mokadam says.

Assistance from the RISC Fund now allows him to enter phase II of prototype development on the path to United States Food and Drug Administration approval.

Benjamin Poulose, MD, MPH, FACS, professor in the Department of Surgery at the College of Medicine, is the second winner with an intent to improve ergonomics during gastrointestinal procedures through his program, EndoEvolve. This is a collaborative project alongside Carolyn Sommerich, PhD, CPE, FHFES, in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering at The Ohio State University.

The prototypes in creation allow Poulose to enter a critical space as 32 million endoscopy procedures are performed annually causing strain and injury to the physicians completing them.

“Over time, many endoscopists can develop endoscopy-related injuries which can negatively impact their careers and ability to care for patients,” Dr. Poulose says. “Not all hands are created the same, yet we have only one size endoscope.”

67% of gastroenterologists report endoscopy-related injuries, disproportionately affecting women. His plan is to develop prototypes that lessen the risks and allow for the longevity of gastroenterologists’ careers.

EndoEvolve’s devices include the ScopeStrap,™ ScopeTurn,™ and ScopeGrip,™ which can be used individually or as a combined system to help overcome these strenuous injuries. The strap supports the hands during the operation and the other features allow for better management and control. The RISC fund allows Poulose to further refine the prototypes for next stages including regulatory approval and commercialization.

The RISC team hopes to give faculty a space within the university medical center to innovate, to propel them and their projects forward and to give them an outlet to get ideas off the ground and on to next steps. by funding them to get ideas off the ground and to the next steps.