“Commercialization turns discovery into invention, enabling Duke researchers to fulfill our institution’s mission of bringing knowledge to bear in service to society.” –President Price
A puncture-proof vascular graft, silicone microspheres, improved eye disease imaging, a pocket-sized colposcope, improved hernia solutions, a platform for predictive surgical complication risks, and an infant IV vest—Duke’s cutting-edge innovations were out in force at Monday’s Invented at Duke Celebration.
The event honored Duke faculty, staff, and students whose research has the potential to improve and save lives. Robin Rasor, the Executive Director of the Office of Licensing and Ventures (OLV), said, “The Invented at Duke celebration is an opportunity for us to showcase how the cycle of discovery to commercialization helps to translate technology into products and services that have a real impact on society.”
A focus for this first annual event was on the significant progress Duke is making to become a leader in transferring its knowledge and innovations to the worldwide community. With over 300 invention disclosures, 85 patents and 11 new startups for this past fiscal year, OLV understands that our faculty, staff and student inventors are a vital component to all areas of the innovation ecosystem.
“This is such an exciting time to be at Duke. From the interdisciplinary work of our Institutions to student collaborations and clinical research, we are thinking creatively about the world’s most intractable problems and actively finding solutions to solve them,” President Price said speaking in front of a crowd of over 300 alumni, faculty, staff, students, and members of the local community.
The event, held at the Washington Duke Inn, created an opportunity for researchers to present their innovations to members of the venture capital and business communities as well as to stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration.