Purdue researchers studying diabetes treatments, concussion-mitigation, cancer therapies and seven other discoveries received nearly $500,000 in the most recent rounds of awards through the Trask Innovation Fund.

The Purdue Research Foundation-managed Trask Innovation Fund is a development program to assist faculty who are close to commercializing a discovery.

"The Trask Innovation Fund is an important resource for Purdue researchers who are in the final stages of moving a discovery to the market but need short-term funding to finalize the research they have already conducted," said Joseph B. Hornett, senior vice president, treasurer and COO of the Purdue Research Foundation. "The Trask fund can be used to develop a prototype or compile data that demonstrates the commercial strength of an invention that makes a technology more marketable."

Elizabeth Hart-Wells, assistant vice president and director of the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, said Trask fund recipients came from various disciplines across the Purdue campus.

"The faculty from the colleges of science, engineering, agriculture, pharmacy and other areas are represented in this round of Trask awards," Hart-Wells said. "Purdue is a recognized international leader for education and research, and we are constantly looking for strong ways to support and commercialize the important discoveries being developed at Purdue."

The researchers who received the funding are:

* Jenna Rickus, agriculture and biomedical engineering associate professor.

* David Nolte, physics professor.

* Eric Nauman, mechanical engineering associate professor.

* Douglas Adams, Kenninger Professor of Renewable Energy and Power Systems.

* Catherine Hill, associate professor of entomology.

* Paul Collodi, animal sciences professor.

* Kevin Trumble, materials engineering professor.

* Yoon Yeo, industrial and physical pharmacy assistant professor.

* Richard Borch, Lilly Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and head of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology.

* Riyi Shi, professor of neurosciences and biomedical engineering.

"Recipients of the Trask fund are faculty researchers who have submitted a proposal to the Trask Innovation Fund Advisory Council," said Richard O. Buckius, Purdue's vice president for research and a member of the Trask advisory council. "There were many outstanding faculty proposals and the selection process is competitive. The council awards Trask funding twice a year."

Contact: Cynthia Sequin 765-588-3340 Email Contact