Celebrating Duke’s Innovators: The 2024-2025 Sanofi Innovation Awards
Durham, NC – At Duke University, we are committed to fostering groundbreaking research that has the potential to transform healthcare and improve patient outcomes. As a leading institution in the field of academic innovation, we are proud to partner with global leaders in the life sciences industry, such as Sanofi, to accelerate the translation of pioneering discoveries into tangible therapeutic solutions. One of the most exciting ways we achieve this is through the Sanofi Innovation Awards (iAwards) program, which has been a key avenue for advancing Duke’s research into impactful clinical applications since the program’s inception in 2015.
The iAwards program brings together top academic and medical institutions to collaborate on innovations in target identification and translational science. It provides critical seed funding, expert guidance, and access to a network of resources that enable researchers to move their work closer to real-world solutions.
Duke’s Internal Process for iAwards Submissions
At the Office for External Partnerships (OEP), we are responsible for managing Duke’s internal process for iAwards submissions. Our role is to support Duke faculty in identifying promising projects, helping to guide them through the application process, and ensuring that they have the resources and support they need to successfully engage with Sanofi. This process involves a detailed review of each submission to ensure alignment with both Duke’s strategic research goals and Sanofi’s therapeutic priorities. Once a project is selected as a finalist for an iAward, our office facilitates ongoing collaboration between the Duke research team and Sanofi. We assist with administrative logistics to help navigate the scope of work discussions. Our goal is to ensure that each Duke-led project has the best possible chance of making a lasting impact on the lives of patients.
Duke’s 2024-2025 iAward Winners
We are excited to announce that three Duke researchers have been selected as recipients of the 2024-2025 Sanofi Innovation Awards. These outstanding researchers are at the forefront of critical scientific advancements in disease modeling, cancer immunotherapy, and neurodegenerative diseases. Please join us in congratulating the following Principal Investigators (PIs) from Duke:
Dr. Purushothama Rao Tata
Project: “Establishment of Defined Conditions for Human Precision Cut Lung Slice Cultures for Disease Modeling and Pre-Clinical Studies”
Dr. Tata’s innovative approach to lung disease modeling using precision-cut lung slices holds the potential to revolutionize how we study pulmonary diseases and evaluate new therapeutic strategies. This project promises to provide a more accurate and patient-relevant platform for drug testing and disease research.
Dr. Scott Antonia
Project: “Establishing a Pipeline for the Discovery and Characterization of Novel Intra-Tumoral Antibodies in Patients with NSCLC”
As a leader in cancer immunotherapy, Dr. Antonia’s work aims to discover novel intra-tumoral antibodies that could become the foundation for next-generation treatments for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), one of the most challenging cancers to treat.
Dr. Xiao-Fan Wang
Project: “Targeting THBD Senescence Cascade in the Development of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease”
Dr. Wang’s research into the THBD senescence pathway is opening new doors for understanding and potentially treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. His work could pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at slowing or reversing the progression of dementia.
We want to take this opportunity to extend our congratulations to Dr. Tata, Dr. Antonia, and Dr. Wang. We are proud of their achievements and excited to see where this collaboration with Sanofi will lead. The OEP team will continue to work closely with them to facilitate these partnerships and ensure the successful execution of their research projects.
Working with OEP
“Collaborating with the OEP team on the Sanofi iAwards program was an incredibly rewarding experience. Their expertise and support throughout the application process made it seamless to navigate the complexities of academic and industry collaborations. The team’s dedication to fostering impactful research and their commitment to transforming innovative ideas into real-world solutions was truly inspiring.”
“The Duke Office for External Partnerships has been a critical resource in helping us navigate the proposal submission process for our iAwards collaboration with Sanofi. We anticipate their ongoing support as we move forward with the next stages of the project.”
“We greatly appreciate the support from the Duke Office for External Partnerships and their expert guidance in submitting our proposal for collaborative research with Sanofi through the iAwards program. Their ongoing support will be crucial as we move forward with the project and explore future opportunities for collaboration.”
A Partnership for the Future
At Duke University, we always seek new ways to collaborate with industry leaders to translate academic discoveries into real-world patient solutions. The Sanofi Innovation Awards program is an exceptional example of how these partnerships can accelerate scientific progress and ultimately improve the health and well-being of people worldwide.
We look forward to keeping our community updated on the progress of these innovative projects and to future collaborations that will continue to drive forward the mission of improving global health through scientific discovery.
Together, we are advancing science, fostering innovation, and improving patient lives.
For more information on OEP and upcoming initiatives, visit the OEP website: https://externalpartnerships.duke.edu/
Follow Duke OEP on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/duke-s-office-for-external-partnerships/
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