The NDnano Graduate Student - Postdoc Group and the IDEA Center recently co-hosted an event aimed at raising awareness around the opportunities for researchers to see their discoveries, innovations, and inventions translated into impactful applications.

The meeting featured Steven Asiala (PhD '14), Faculty Engagement Associate with the Notre Dame IDEA Center, and Roy Stillwell (PhD '22), CEO of NearWave. They spoke to the group about their respective backgrounds, career trajectories, and experience working to commercialize technologies emanating from research labs. 

Asiala spoke on the resources, programming, and engagement opportunities available to graduate students through the IDEA Center. The IDEA Center’s Commercialization Engine process is aimed at supporting the validation and de-risking of early-stage technologies, from initial invention disclosure, through key technical, problem, and market validation steps, to spin-out or licensing. In addition, Asiala spoke on the basics of intellectual property in the University environment and gave a preview of some of the programs the Center aims to create to better engage with researchers on the horizon. 

NearWave is developing a hand-held imaging device to aid physicians in selecting appropriate therapies for patients undergoing chemotherapies, with their sights set initially on breast imaging. Stillwell shared the journey of Nearwave’s growth, from class project idea, to initial technical demonstration, business plan competitions, and the recent completion of the Y Combinator accelerator program. To date, NearWave has established relationships with key partners for human studies, successfully attracted letters of intent to purchase their product, and raised over $1M in funding. 

To learn more about opportunities for researchers to work with the IDEA Center, please contact Asiala. 

The NDnano Graduate Student - Postdoc group brings together students and postdocs in science and engineering to share ideas, make connections, and develop an interdisciplinary approach to solving problems. To be included in notices for future events, please contact Karla González or Heidi Deethardt.