Biomedical scientists and engineers are often driven to see their research result in measurable health outcomes.  Despite this motivation, fewer than 30% of health related innovations (or associated IP) are ever implemented. Studies show that the adoption of new healthcare related technologies is substantially more successful when researchers and inventors are directly engaged throughout the commercialization process. At the same time, most of us have little or no idea how to navigate the commercialization process, or its connection to applied research. In this mostly non-technical presentation I will chronicle my own attempts at the development and commercialization of various devices, materials, and nanotechnologies. We will also reflect on how evolving critical care needs and a collapsing regional and national supply chain, especially in the first months of the pandemic, drove the formation of efficient public-private collaborations.  While UMaine has a long history of collaborating with external partners through its research centers, new initiatives to support faculty innovation present opportunities for collaboration.  Engagement in these activities has the potential to significantly increase research impact and catalyze medical innovation.

Speaker:  Michael Mason, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Maine. Dr. Mason is a Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and the Associate Director of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering.

Events are free but registration is required. Please use this link to register.