Science Center just gave $700K to support four local researchers

Four life sciences researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Delaware, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Temple University earned a total of $700,000 from the University City Science Center as part of the organization’s QED Program, which pairs academic researchers with the funds they need to give their ideas a test run and ease the path to commercialization.

It’s the 11th iteration of QED — which stands for the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum, or “proven as demonstrated.” Since its inception in 2009, it has offered awarded $7 million to 128 projects, leading to $22 million in follow-on funding.

Each project is also matched with a business advisor to “evaluate a go-to-market strategy and prepare a commercialization funding plan for each technology,” per a press release.

Congrats to researchers at @PennPCI @templemedschool @ChildrensPhila & @UDelaware on receiving QED awards on the proof-of-concept program's 10th anniversary. https://t.co/pby2EJHibq pic.twitter.com/J5sr6G8Qav

— Science Center (@UCScienceCenter) February 6, 2019

The latest awardees were selected from a pool of 50 applicants from 12 academic and research institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

“Over the last 10 years, we’ve worked with over 100 researchers developing promising technologies in an effort to bridge the divide between basic research and technology commercialization,” said Science Center President and CEO Steve Zarrilli in a statement. “Thirty-eight projects funded and 10 licensing deals later, we’re proud of the platform we’ve developed and the impact we’ve seen as a result of the program.”

Meet the selected academics and the projects they will be taking on, in the Science Center’s words:

• Dr. Ahad Behboodi, University of Delaware — Developing a compact and soft mechanized brace for people with ankle control deficits, to help them walk more easily and longer
• Dr. Jacob S. Brenner, University of Pennsylvania — Developing a vest that relieves shortness of breath in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients
• Dr. John M. Maris, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — Developing a T-cell based immunotherapeutic treatment for children with neuroblastoma
• Dr. Servio H. Ramirez, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University — Advancing the development of a blood test for the evaluation of traumatic brain injury