Drs. Savastano & Pandey, in Partnership with U-M Mechanical Engineering, Receive Innovation Award

Congratulations to Drs. Savastano (PGY 6) and Pandey who, in partnership with neurosurgery lab assistant Josh Cockrum, medical student Miranda Ajulufoh, and a team from U-M Mechanical Engineering comprised of Drs. Albert Shih, Yihao Zheng, and Jeff Plott, with PhD candidate Yang Liu, received $113,500 in a Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program Grant to help fund the further development of a disruptive technology for mechanical thrombectomy in stroke.

The groundbreaking research being funded through this grant was also awarded first place at the U-M Fast Forwarding Medical Device Innovation Symposium, which was held in September. The group’s poster presentation at this event was entitled “Clot Buster Thrombectomy Device.” The device, as showcased at the symposium, was also one of only eight inventions of the year (out of a total of 444 inventions) that the University of Michigan highlighted at the “Celebrate Invention 2017” event in October, which brought together faculty researchers and business, venture, community, and university leaders to network while reviewing some of the exciting discoveries, products, and new ventures from across the University.

More about the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program:

“The U-M Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program is a commercialization fund that seeks to accelerate the development of university technologies into new products to improve health care.

The program funds 5-7 projects per year for an average of over $100,000 each. Each project must involve collaboration between U-M faculty from any college of engineering department and a practicing clinician from a clinical department. Each project aims to generate a new medical device, surgical tool, diagnostic assay or other biomedical tool and is mentored by a team of industry experts to guide projects to the point of start-up, partnering with industry, and/or follow-on funding.

The program is funded by the proceeds of an endowment from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, with a match from the University of Michigan Medical School and UM College of Engineering.”

As a tribute to the ideals of Wallace Coulter, the Foundation’s grant programs are designed to address the under-served, under-resourced, and/or under-represented. By providing risk capital, expertise, and guidance the Foundation helps innovative initiatives realize their potential.