WVU was selected as one of only 127 organizations to partner with the federal network within the National Institutes of Health to accelerate the commercialization of medical innovations and breakthroughs.
(WVU photo)
west virginia university is being leveraged to accelerate the commercialization of medical innovations by collaborating with a national network within the National Institutes of Health.
WVU is one of only 127 institutions of higher education and private companies named as a spoke member (partner) of the Investor Catalyst Hub, a regional hub of the Health Advanced Research Projects Agency. The university is the only member from West Virginia.
“ARPA-H is focused on developing and advancing cutting-edge healthcare technologies,” he said. Elien OreshManaging Director Office of Student and Faculty Innovation inside WVU laboratory. “WVU researchers will have the opportunity to develop and advance diagnostics, treatments and cutting-edge health care technologies that directly benefit our community.”
ARPA-H's overarching mission is to improve health outcomes through research focus areas: Future of Health Sciences, Proactive Health, Scalable Solutions, and Resilient Systems.
As a member of the hub, WVU has access to potential funding and flexible contracts, allowing for faster benefit enforcement compared to traditional government contracts.
Olesch said WVU also has the opportunity to gain insights from other established medical research ecosystems and learn best practices for collectively advancing new medical technologies.
“We are excited about the possibilities that arise from the ARPA-H partnership, as we will be able to leverage the wealth of knowledge and expertise expressed through Spoke,” said Oles.
ARPA-H is a relatively new program, established by the federal government in 2022 to improve its ability to accelerate biomedical and health solutions. Potential technological advances listed among ARPA-H's goals could include cancer vaccines and pandemic preparedness. The proposal also recommends that APRA-H focus on reducing health disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality and improving medication delivery practices.
“WVU understands the value of institutions like ARPA-H that are focused on the future of technology development and pressing global needs,” Olesch said. “We hope to use this designation to promote the assets that WVU has and create new opportunities to partner with other research institutions to advance health care technology.”
Based in the Boston area and managed by VentureWell, the Investor Catalyst Hub utilizes an innovative hub-and-spoke model designed to reach a broad range of nonprofit and minority-serving organizations, with the ultimate goal of It's about delivering scalable medical outcomes. All Americans.
Mark Marino, vice president of growth strategy and development at VentureWell and project director of the Investor Catalyst Hub, said: “Our spokes is comprised of a highly diverse network that helps ensure that equitable health solutions reach communities in every state and tribal nation.”
-WVU-
js/01/29/24
Media Contact: Jake Stamp
director
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304-293-5507; Jake.Stump@mail.wvu.edu
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