Penn to boost biomedical pipeline

Pennsylvania University is set to launch the Penn Center for Health, Devices and Technology (Penn Health-Tech) on May 2, a university-wide initiative to boost development and commercialisation of medical devices and health technologies.

Penn Health-Tech is a joint effort of the Perelman School of Medicine, the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Office of the Vice-Provost of Research.

Mark Turco, chief innovation officer and corporate outreach officer at the institution’s tech transfer office Penn Center for Innovation, will also support the program.

Brian Litt, professor of neurology, neurosurgery and bioengineering in the Perelman School of Medicine, and Insup Lee, professor in Penn Engineering’s Department of Computer and Information Science, will serve as co-directors for Penn Health-Tech.

Penn Health-Tech aims to expand the university’s biomedical technology pipeline, focusing on the intersection of medical devices and IT systems. The initiative will link to Penn’s health system and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, among other regional partners.

The new centre will launch with a first symposium, to be followed by a second event in autumn when $300,000 in seed funding will be awarded through a competition to promising technologies.

Penn Health-Tech was made possible in part through a gift from alumnus Jonathan Brassington.

Vijay Kumar, dean in the School of Engineering, said: “The centre is an exciting opportunity for Penn Engineering to partner with Penn Medicine to develop novel biomedical devices. Penn’s leadership in cyber-physical systems, nanotechnology and other areas offers untapped potential for innovation at the forefront of this field.”