The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama announces the 2011-12 Alabama Launchpad class. UAB leads all universities with six finalists; twice as many as the next closest university. Alabama Launchpad is an annual business plan competition that feeds into economic development for the state. The grand prize is $100,000. The UAB finalists are:
Blondin Biosciences LLC, developing low-cost solutions to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other diseases of aging. The team leader is David Graves, professor and chair, Department of Chemistry. Team members are Kevin Harris, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, UAB Division of Hematology and Oncology; Katri Selander, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology; and Clinton Graves.
Endomimetics LLC, creating therapeutic solutions for medical problems in cardiovascular disease, wound healing and diabetes and novel coatings for biomedical implants that allow the body to better accept medical devices. The team leader is Brigitta C. Brott, assistant professor, UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease. Team members are Ho-Wook Jun, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Stephen Snowdy; and Thomas Barr, Ph.D., adjunct professor, UAB School of Business.
inDegree, developing an Alumni tracking service that helps universities stay connected with graduates and build stronger alumni communities while helping students leverage their alumni networks in the job market. The team leader is Alex Miningham. Team members are Molly Wasko, Ph.D., associate professor and chair, MISQ, UAB Collat School of Business, and Samuel Wasko.
Proteomic Profiling Technologies LLC, developing automated processes to improve scientific research at the molecular level by quantitative mass spectrometry using products and software. The team leader is Michael Heaven, a graduate assistant in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics. Team member is Erik Schwiebert, Ph.D., instructor, UAB School of Business.
Regenerative Solutions, providing specialized preclinical testing for biotechnology and pharmaceuticals offering more accurate prediction of a drug candidate’s potential to work in human patient clinical trials. The team leader is Louise Hecker, Ph.D., instructor in medicine, UAB Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine. Team members are Doug Ayers, Ph.D., associate professor, UAB School of Business; James Childs; and Perry Cronin.]
Snip-IT, enables users to segment YouTube video without video editing software allowing users to bookmark segments, play in any browser and embed in applications. The team leader is Scott Brande, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Chemistry. Team members are Kursat Arslan, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry.