Its been a busy and exciting time for our friends at Skandalaris Center: This week they announced winners of both the Skandalaris Venture Competition (SVC) and Fall 2020 LEAP Cycle.

The Skandalaris Centers Fall 2020 LEAP Cycle has ended and a new set of translational research projects have been funded. LEAP is an asset-development program and gap fund designed to provide intellectual and financial capital to WashU-affiliated translational projects.

A panel of industry experts and community partners evaluated 22 projects based on three criteria:

Seven teams were selected to receive LEAP funds and accelerate their projects towards partnering and launching:

AIR Seal allows for quick, easy ventilation of COVID-19 patients through a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) that is dynamically sealed to block viral aerosol transmission.

TEAM:Vivian Lee, graduate student, Doctor of Medicine, School of Medicine Mohamed Zayed, vascular surgeon/assistant professor of surgery, School of Medicine Chase Hartquist, undergraduate/graduate student, Mechanical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering Halle Lowe, undergraduate/graduate student, Mechanical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering Vinay Chandrasekaran, undergraduate student, Computer Science, McKelvey School of Engineering

The first single-use, disposable device capable of performing continuous bedside pressure-monitoring, preventing pressure-ulcer development/progression, and reducing hospital liability and spend related to pressure-ulcer care.

TEAM: Justin Sacks, Shoenberg Professor; chief of Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, School of Medicine

EnhanceAR-Seq lets the clinician personalize prostate cancer treatment through a blood-based liquid biopsy to improve patient survival.

TEAM: Aadel Chaudhuri, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine Christopher Maher, associate professor, Oncology Division, Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine Russell Pachynski, assistant professor, Oncology Division, Molecular Oncology, School of Medicine

FLAAM is a new approach to 3D printing metals that is capable of fabricating novel components composed of many highly-desired materials not accessible in existing 3D printing processes, including ultra-high temperature materials, materials with locally tailored properties, and entirely new metal alloys.

TEAM:Richard Axelbaum, Stifel and Quinette Jens Professor of Environmental Engineering Science, McKelvey School of Engineering Phillip Irace, PhD candidate, McKelvey School of Engineering Kathy Flores, professor, Mechanical Engineering & Material Science, McKelvey School of Engineering Daniel Miracle, senior scientist, Aire Force Research Lab

A sensitive, radiological imaging tool (RadioCF-PET) to detect kidney damage in its earliest stages to improve and facilitate personalized therapies to prevent or slow the development of kidney disease.

TEAM:Edwin Baldelomar, postdoctoral research fellow, Institute of Clinical Translational Sciences (ICTS) Kevin Bennett, associate professor of Radiology, School of Medicine Jennifer Charlton, pediatric nephrologist & associate professor, University of Virginia

Aims to license the first safe and effective virus that specifically targets cancer stem cells, the most treatment-resistant cells in brain tumors.

TEAM: Milan Chheda, assistant professor of Medicine and Neurology, School of Medicine Michael Diamond, The Herbert S. Gasser Professor, Departments of Medicine, Molecular Microbiology, Pathology & Immunology, School of Medicine

The LEAP program is helpful beyond the funding. We benefited from the process of writing the proposal, incorporating market research, andmost importantlyclearly defining what needs to be done to forge a successful licensing partnership.

SonoBiopsy provides molecular diagnoses of brain diseases without surgery.

TEAM: Hong Chen, assistant professor, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering Chris Pacia, graduate student, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering Lu Xu, graduate student, PhD, Biomedical Engineering, McKelvey School of Engineering

LEAP is supported by Washington University in St. Louis Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, Siteman Cancer Center, Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Center for Drug Discovery, and Office of Technology Management.

Learn more about LEAP.

Read more:
Skandalaris LEAP winners announced | WashU Fuse | Washington University in St. Louis - Washington University in St. Louis Newsroom