Philadelphia, PA – December 6, 2019 – Penn Health-Tech has selected the awardees for its annual Pilot Award Program for the 2020 funding year. Those receiving the Pilot Award, their proposal title, and the institutions with which they are affiliated are listed at the end of this announcement. Additionally, we are pleased to spotlight the Medical Device Accelerator Program Awardees, which were also selected by the Joint Call for Proposals Project Selection Committee.

"2019 has been a tremendous year for the Penn Health-Tech,” said Executive Director, Victoria Berenholz. “We received 84 applications, our highest number to date, and our interdisciplinary applicants represent Penn Engineering, Penn Medicine, Penn Nursing, Penn Veterinary Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). We are very excited about funding and supporting these technologies. We see our Pilot Awardees as a reflection of the excellent early-stage innovation in medical technology across the Penn ecosystem.”

The Pilot Award Program is made possible by support from Penn Health-Tech leadership from Penn Medicine, Penn Engineering, and the Vice Provost for Research, along with our collaborations with the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, Penn Center for Precision Medicine, and CHOP.

2020 Penn Health-Tech Pilot Awardees

An Augmented Reality Surgical Navigation System

• Thomas Schaer, VMD, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Stephen H. Lane, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Samir Mehta, MD, University of Pennsylvania Health System
• Kathryn Wulster, VMD, School of Veterinary Medicine

Developing a Novel Surgical Platform for Predictive Analytics and Intelligent Guidance

• Vivek Buch, MD, University of Pennsylvania Health System
• Peter Madsen, MD, MBE, University of Pennsylvania Health System
• Jianbo Shi, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• James Gee, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine

Development of a Biomaterial Delivery System to Localize and Direct Stem Cells for Enhanced Cartilage Repair

• Jay Patel, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine
• Claudia Loebel, MD, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Robert Mauck, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine
• Jason Burdick, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• James Carey, MD, MPH, University of Pennsylvania Health System

Human Blinking Eye-On-A-Chip for In Vitro Testing of Contact Lenses

• Dan Huh, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Vatinee Bunya, MD, MSCE, Perelman School of Medicine

Hypknowledge

• Michael Perlis, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine

Improving Sensitivity of Liquid Biopsy

• Haim Bau, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Erica Carpenter, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Charu Aggarwal, MD, MPH. Perelman School of Medicine
• Jinzhao Song, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science

Microscopic Robot-Assisted Axon Regrowth for Rapid Repair of Peripheral Nerve Injuries

• D. Kacy Cullen, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine
• Marc Miskin, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science

Non-Invasive Detection of Elevated Intracranial Pressure with Near-Infrared Light

• Wesley Baker, PhD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Daniel Licht, MD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Arjun Yodh, PhD, College of Arts and Science
• Todd Kilbaugh, MD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
• Tiffany Ko, PhD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Remotely Adjustable Pulmonary Artery Band

• Cynthia Sung, PhD, School of Engineering and Applied Science
• Mark Fogel, MD, Perelman School of Medicine
• Jonathan Chen, MD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

2020 Medical Device Accelerator Program Awardees

High-resolution, low cost, dry EEG sensors

• Flavia Vitale, PhD, Perelman School of Medicine
• Kathryn Davis, MD, MSTR Perelman School of Medicine
• Nicolette Driscoll, PhD Candidate, School of Engineering and Applied Science

Minimally Invasive Stabilization of Fractured Ribs

• Adam Shiroff, MD, Perelman School of Medicine

Stellate Ganglion Magnetic Stimulator

• Timothy Markman, MD, University of Pennsylvania Health System

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About Penn Health-Tech
The Penn Center for Health, Devices and Technology (Penn Health-Tech) is an interdisciplinary, cross-campus initiative to advance world-class breakthroughs in novel devices and health technologies to solve unmet healthcare needs and improve patient care. Penn Health-Tech fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation across the University among faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and students.

About Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation
The Center for Health Care Innovation (CHCI) facilitates the rapid, disciplined development, testing, and implementation of new strategies to reimagine health care delivery for dramatically better patient outcomes, value, and experience.

About the Center for Innovation and Precision Dentistry
The CiPD leverages engineering and computational approaches to discover new knowledge for disease mitigation, develop affordable diagnostics and therapies, and train future leaders to advance oral & craniofacial health care.