, a startup company run by students from the University of Notre Dame, won three prizes and $19,000 at the , the largest competition of its kind in the world.
Competing against 42 teams from the U.S., Europe and Asia that were invited to Rice University in Houston, Texas, Enlightened Diagnostics received awards for the quality of its presentations and the promise of the company’s novel 3-D tumor imaging platform to radically improve cancer diagnostics in the future.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our team members, who have worked incredibly hard since last August on launching this company,” Megan Usovsky, a master’s degree student in Notre Dame’s program, said. “It’s especially exciting to win the Women’s Health and Wellness Innovation Prize and meet its sponsors, Sandi Heysinger and Dick Williams, with whom we share a strong commitment to fighting breast cancer.”
The company’s technology allows doctors a first-ever look in three dimensions at the molecular structure of tumors and surrounding tissues. In contrast to the current approach to analyzing biopsy samples, which is to slice them into extremely thin sections, the platform keeps the samples whole and intact.
“In terms of the amount of information this provides clinicians, it’s similar to the leap from two-dimensional X-rays to CT scans,” Christopher Cali, a student in Notre Dame’s , said. “The 3-D and spatial data we give doctors reduces misdiagnoses and helps them design more precise, personalized treatment plans for patients.”
The technology was developed and continues to be refined by the company’s three founders, all of whom are Notre Dame faculty members: , Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; , Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; and , Department of Biological Sciences and the . Enlightened Diagnostics’ leadership also includes , a doctoral student in the Zhang lab; Scott Manwaring, an M.B.A. student at the ; and Colin O’Toole, who is completing an M.S. in accountancy degree, also at Mendoza. To date, their research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Notre Dame’s initiative and others.
In February, the leadership of Enlightened Diagnostics won second place at the University of Louisville’s . On April 16, they presented in the morning at Notre Dame’s in South Bend, then rushed to catch flights to Houston to join the Rice event that afternoon.
“I’ve seen few teams with this kind of spirit, cohesion and drive,” said Gaylene Anderson, the group’s lead adviser and manager at Notre Dame, who herself was recently recognized as the University’s “Mentor of the Year” for guiding faculty and students through the commercialization process. “They’ve learned from each experience and are constantly improving. It bodes well for the future of the company.”
Enlightened Diagnostics is talking now to investors about funding to support final device optimization, clinical testing that is needed to achieve CLIA certification and FDA approval, and establishment of its Phase 1 sales force.
Contact: Gaylene Anderson, Cleveland Clinic Innovations, 216-956-9005, andersg4@ccf.org