Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron
By Scott Rainone & Allison Plante, ABIA Communications Department
Summa Health System, along with Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron General Medical Center, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM), and The University of Akron, is a founding member of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA), which is focused on patient-centered innovation and commercialization at the intersection of biomaterials and medicine. ABIA was established to expand the city’s legacy in biomaterials science and to pioneer the next generation of life-enhancing and life-saving biomedical innovation. It is dedicated to becoming a global leader in biomaterial and medical research, education, clinical services and commercialization, and a driver of transformative economic, social and health benefits for the Greater Akron area.
In order to reach its goals, the Institute operates through four Centers of Innovation tasked with rapidly taking ideas from proof-of-concept demonstration to standard of medical care.
Center for Biomaterials and Medicine (CBMM)
Matthew Becker, PhD, Director, Biomaterials-Orthopaedics Platform
David Kay, MD, Director, Biomaterials-Wound Healing Platform
A collaboration of all of ABIA’s founding members, the Center for Biomaterials and Medicine is a center of research excellence with core strengths in biopolymers, orthopaedics and wound healing that leverages world-class polymer science, engineering and medical expertise into high-value clinical applications. The CBMM takes research from bedside to bench to bedside, by investigating problems garnered by clinicians, developing solutions to those problems, and assisting clinicians in implementing the solutions into everyday medical care.
Research projects tackled by the CBMM fall into two technology platforms, which specialize in the development of biomaterials for orthopaedics and for wound healing. The biomaterials-orthopaedics platform focuses on the use of biomaterials and understanding of skeletal biology to develop orthopaedic devices and technologies that improve the surgical and reconstructive outcomes for patients with bone damage. The biomaterials-wound healing platform focuses on creating engineered biomaterials composites for use in wound healing, as well as devices and materials to improve closure of surgical wounds.
This year, ABIA funded eight research projects through its Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) grant program to award innovative collaborations occurring among its five founding members. All projects were reviewed using National Institutes of Health (NIH) standards on the basis of strengths and weaknesses related to significance, investigators, innovation, approach and leverage plan. Principal investigators spanned from every founding member, illustrating the collaborative ecosystem that ABIA was founded to produce. To date, progress on CRD investigations includes five lab personnel hires, seven materials synthesized/produced, three biocompatibility tests underway, two publications and conference presentations prepared and four additional grant applications.
Projects involving Summa staff funded by the CRD program are:
Development of a Polymer Platform for Drug Eluting Prosthetic Devices
Judit E. Puskas, PhD, PE, The University of Akron
Steve Schmidt, PhD, Summa Health System
Real-Time in situ Sensing of Ulnar Nerve Strain for Injury Prevention and Diagnosis
Zhenhai Xia, PhD, The University of Akron
Juay Seng Tan, PhD, The University of Akron
Nina M. Njus, MD, Summa Health System, Summit Hand Center—Crystal Clinic Inc.
Development of Biomimetic Liquid Crystal Films for Sugar Sensing Contact Lens in Noninvasive Real-Time Diabetic Care
J. Jack Hu, PhD, Akron Medvision, The University of Akron
Deepak Edward, MD, Summa Health System
Controlled Delivery System of ALK-5 Inhibitors for Suppression of Ocular Scarring after Glaucoma Filtration Surgery
Vijaykumar Sutariya, Ph.D., Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy
Hiroshi Nakamura, M.D., Ph.D., Summa Health System
Werner Geldenhuys, Ph.D., Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy
Development of Delivery Mechanisms for Liquid Crystalline Pharmaceuticals Using Electrospinning
James M. Jamison, PhD, Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Summa Health System, Kent State University
Yang H. Yun, PhD, The University of Akron
Vivian E. von Gruenigen, MD, Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Summa Health System, Case Western Reserve University
Chun-che Tsai, PhD, Kent State University
Mechanically Enhanced, Peptide Crosslinked Poly (ester urea) for Critical Bone Defect Repair
Matthew L. Becker, PhD, The University of Akron
Matthew Graham, PhD, Akron Polymer Systems, Inc.
John Elias, PhD, Akron General Medical Center, Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy
Kimberly Stakleff, PhD, Akron General Medical Center
Scott Weiner, MD, Summa Health System
For more information on the CBMM or to get involved in the Center’s research, contact Rita Filer, rfiler@abiakron.org.
Medical Device Development Center (MDDC)
Brian Davis, PhD, Vice President
The Medical Device Development Center (MDDC) accelerates products from concept to commercialization by offering services and resources along the path of development. The MDDC offers numerous expert resources and services including product design, development and prototyping, market analysis, intellectual property analysis and business development.
Through its Technology Development Fund (TDF), the MDDC also offers funding to support further development of novel inventions that have the potential to provide significant commercial and clinical value. The TDF is intended to facilitate the continued development of promising technologies generated within ABIA founding members and can be utilized for prototyping, market analysis, intellectual property review, animal studies and other needs.
The MDDC is providing critical resources to Summa in support of efforts by Steven P. Schmidt, PhD, Vice President for Clinical Research and Innovation at Summa, to advance commercial-oriented innovation and transform promising medical technologies that will significantly improve patient care. Additionally, Thom Olmstead, Director of Business Development and Technology Assessment for the MDDC, is spending time at Summa to facilitate innovation throughout the Summa system, increase the volume of and manage invention disclosures, interface with inventors and consult on process improvement.
For additional information, or to get involved with the MDDC, contact Elizabeth Barber, ebarber@abiakron.org.
Center for Clinical and Community Health Improvement (CCCHI)
Janine Janosky, PhD, Vice President
The Center for Clinical and Community Health Improvement works to accelerate the health of the Akron community through health promotion, access and delivery. By developing new and improved methods for health promotion, execution of clinical trials, and implementation of new processes for education, diagnosis and management of community care, CCCHI is working to make Akron a healthier community.
Currently, the Center is working to evaluate community-based research and clinical trials throughout the Akron region, starting with programs throughout ABIA’s founding members. CCCHI is taking a “we can do it” attitude toward strengthening the power of Akron’s medical research, working with founding member institutions to answer questions, design studies, identify eligible patients, help with physician engagement and facilitate communication between institutions, physicians and patients. Additionally, CCCHI is developing ways to engage patients with whom access is limited. Through these initiatives, CCCHI intends to boost the capacity of programs throughout Greater Akron.
The ABIA Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), organized within CCCHI is a dynamic research network that seeks to generate robust studies both within and between primary care and specialty practices. By promoting an environment, where clinical problems and research marry, ABIA has formed another way for collaboration to grow. If you are interested in enrolling in the ABIA PBRN or would like more information, please contact Diana Kingsbury, PBRN Manager, at dkingsbury@abiakron.org.
For more information on CCCHI, or to get involved with the Center, contact Brenda Holland, bholland@abiakron.org.
Center for Simulation and Integrated Healthcare Education (CSIHE)
Michael Holder, M.D., Vice President
The Center for Simulation and Integrated Healthcare Education is establishing a nationally recognized model where innovative technologies and methodologies are tested and used to improve the performance of provider teams and early responders.
The Center, dedicated to expanding the already present capabilities in simulation training throughout ABIA’s founding members, is renovating a facility that will provide larger scale simulation opportunities with an emphasis on team inter-professional education and training. Among the services that will be offered in the CSIHE facility are surgical skills training in a state-of-the-art BioSkills lab, a flexible operation room, intensive care unit, and high-risk obstetrics simulation areas.
Dr. Rami Ahmed, emergency room physician and director of Summa’s Simulation Center, and Michelle Chapman, research associate and manager of Summa’s Applied Surgical Research Unit, are among those working with CSIHE to help with design and planning the new facility, scheduled to open in the summer of 2011. Additionally, Ahmed and Chapman are working with NEOUCOM’s Holly Gerzina and The University of Akron’s Martha Conrad from the school of nursing to develop curriculum for future training classes to be offered to provider teams and early responders.
CSIHE has launched pilot simulations with several regional groups to address issues that range from emergency training to disaster preparedness to inter-professionalism skills. Summa, along with all other founding member institutions, has provided teaching faculty, learners or a site for one or more of the four pilot programs conducted to date.
For more information on CSIHE or to get involved with the Center, contact Brenda Holland, bholland@abiakron.org.
For more information on the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron, visit our website at www.abiakron.org.