For the past 20 years my laboratory has supported a robust portfolio of grants focused on understanding the molecular genetics and diagnostics of retinal disease, drug trials for eye disease, novel nanoplatforms for research and discovery, and clinical outcomes including national clinical trials. Our work has been supported by NIH, DOD, HRSA, USDA, other federal agencies, and private philanthropies. Over the past decade I have successfully translated diverse innovative concepts into new research tools and clinical medicine through robust, multidisciplinary research collaborations across the state of Tennessee, nationally, and internationally. These collaborations have generated numerous national awards for technological innovation, including an R&D100 Award, American Telemedicine Association Innovation Award, Memphis Business Quarterly, Inaugural 2013 Innovation Award, the B. Otto Wheeley Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer, and others. Our work focuses on translating engineering concepts into novel clinical paradigms with significant entrepreneurial success, leveraging them into commercial ventures and startup companies.
