DRIVING INNOVATION FORWARD 2025
VANDERBILT CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER AND COMMERCIALIZATION
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Research universities across the country have awakened to the critical importance of achieving impact through innovation. This is meaningfully affecting their campus cultures, delivering for their communities, and is important for society at large, as innovative advancements drive the economy, create new businesses and jobs, and improve the human condition.
Interestingly, universities tend to focus on the growth of their research base as a fundamental measure of success in advancing innovation. However, there is more to the story than merely relying on world-class research leading to new technology, corporate partnerships, and startup companies, which in turn lead to new products and services. There are many adjacent activities that factor into the success of an academic innovation ecosystem, and Vanderbilt is aggressively working to optimize these other factors.
Vanderbilt's Industry Collaborations team cultivates partnerships with industry, matching their R&D needs with our core research capabilities to pursue new areas of discovery and applied research. To advance internal projects, the Vanderbilt Innovation Catalyst Fund provides grants to enable the testing and validation of technologies with identifiable commercial potential. The Wondry's prototyping facilities are a great resource to test new product ideas, and their training and mentorship programs help build better entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship-in-residence programs are helping faculty vet business opportunities. Startup formation services are setting up company operations and readying them to conduct business.
Vanderbilt seed funds are providing startups with resources to pursue their business concepts and position them for rapid growth.
The Vanderbilt-supported Greater Nashville Venture Capital Association is creating a network of investors that our new ventures and others in the community can tap into for growth capital.
My CTTC colleagues and I are appreciative for the opportunity to play our part in helping Vanderbilt drive impact by leveraging innovation. As you peruse some of the programs, partnerships, and startup launches highlighted in this issue of Driving Innovation Forward, please consider the many ways Vanderbilt is delivering for their researchers, the community, and society at large. It takes a village.
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Technology
$21,713,432 REVENUE GENERATED $25,723,916 SPONSORED RESEARCH RELATED TO LICENSED TECHNOLOGIES
208 New Invention Disclosures 458 Individual Vanderbilt Submitters
First Time Submitters: 174
66
U.S. Patents Issued
968 Material Transfer Agreements Reviewed
101 Licenses & Options
80 Departments, Divisions, Institutes, & Centers Engaged in Tech Transfer
5 Vanderbilt Affiliated New Ventures
52 Confidential Disclosure Agreements 195 Sponsored Research Collaboration Agreements*
317
U.S. Patent Applications Filed
*Shared metric between CTTC and Industry Collaborations
258 End-User Transactions Executed
28 Clinical Trial Agreements Reviewed
10-YEAR SNAPSHOT
FY15–FY24
1,835 INVENTIONS DISCLOSED
612 U.S. PATENTS ISSUED
923 LICENSES EXECUTED
$300.5M REVENUE GENERATED 60 STARTUPS LAUNCHED
VANDERBILT RESEARCH
$8.90B
Total Research Expenditures
$628M Industry Sponsored Research
$5.55B Federal Research
Funding
IMPACTFUL TRANSACTIONS
Introducing: SJC Bio
SJC Bio is a new venture formed to commercialize breakthrough technology from the laboratory of Dr. Scott Guelcher, Vanderbilt Professor of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Biomedical Engineering. comprising biodegradable bone grafts for dental applications. The company was founded by an experienced entrepreneur and is seeking capital to fund further development of the polymer technology. This development work will include sponsored pre-clinical research in Dr. Guelcher's lab to support an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) submission to the FDA.
Since the early 2000's, Dr. Guelcher's lab has been developing a series of biodegradable structural polymers for medical uses, targeting bone grafts as the primary application. Much of his early research was supported through a combination of federal grants and industry contracts, leading to several inventions that were licensed to a large medical device company. His team has now developed related but novel polymer formulations that are well suited for dental applications, including adhesives and bone grafts for augmenting or reconstructing periodontal or bony defects of the oral or maxillofacial region. Specifically, these new formulations possess a combination of adhesive strength, cohesive strength, and degradation properties that can enable same-day dental implant procedures that typically require multiple dental appointments over the course of several months.
Scott Guelcher, PhD, Vanderbilt Professor of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Biomedical Engineering
SIGA Enters into Exclusive License Agreement with Vanderbilt University for Novel Poxvirus Monoclonal Antibodies
In October 2024, SIGA Technologies, Inc. announced that it entered into an agreement with Vanderbilt University to obtain a license to a portfolio of preclinical fully human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which could be used as potential treatments for a broad range of orthopoxviruses, including smallpox and mpox. Under the agreement, SIGA has exercised its option to license the exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize these mAbs globally.
“SIGA has cultivated deep expertise in orthopoxvirus, and we are thrilled to expand our pipeline with Vanderbilt’s human monoclonal antibodies, which nicely complement our best-in-class TPOXX® franchise. We believe these antibodies hold the potential to treat a broad spectrum of orthopoxviruses, both as a therapeutic and a prophylactic measure. By leveraging our unique capabilities in clinical development and our long-standing partnerships with U.S. Government agencies, we are well-positioned to maximize the impact of these potential new therapies,” said Diem Nguyen, SIGA Chief Executive Officer. “This license marks a step forward in our strategy to leverage our existing capabilities to create new opportunities for growth over the long term.”
Developed by James Crowe, Jr., M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, these mAbs have demonstrated promise in preclinical models and could potentially be used as standalone treatments or in combination with TPOXX®.
RESEARCH TOOL TRANSACTIONS
Non-exclusive Licenses to Research Tools Signed in 2024
Over the past year, Vanderbilt has executed licenses for more than 30 research tools created on campus, ranging from small molecule investigational compounds, anti-viral antibodies, and genetically modified animal models to human biorepositories and clinical rating scales. Vanderbilt routinely licenses these research tools to pharmaceutical companies that use them for therapeutic development, as well as to vendors who supply these tools to non-profit researchers nationwide. While these tools were developed by Vanderbilt scientists for use on their own projects, licensing them to others outside of our campus creates a lasting impact on the scientific community and allows researchers everywhere to test bigger, more impactful hypotheses.
One such research tool is VU1966, a Positron Emission Tomography ligand recently licensed to MedChemExpress that allows researchers to visualize the localization of drug targets in tissue and see in real-time when a prospective drug candidate acts on those targets. While experiments ultimately showed that this potential drug candidate could not be used therapeutically, this molecule, developed by Craig Lindsley, University Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Pharmacology, and his team at WCNDD, has been given a second life as a tool for studying basic neurobiology and evaluating other drug candidates. Another commercially successful research tool is the genetically modified Scn1a mouse line that was developed by Jennifer Kearney, formerly at Vanderbilt, and Mark Magnuson, Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics. This mouse line models Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy, and was licensed to six pharmaceutical companies in 2024 for internal use in therapeutic R&D. By providing access to these cutting-edge research tools, Vanderbilt cements its position as a leading center of innovation.
For Vanderbilt researchers receiving requests for materials discussed in publications or presentations, licensing these research tools presents an excellent opportunity to commercialize work and increase scientific, medical, and societal impact. In most cases, researchers are not required to manufacture additional materials, as licensees assume responsibility for synthesis and/or maintenance and distribution.
CONNECT WITH THE LICENSING TEAM
If you have developed research tools that could benefit the broader scientific community, consider reaching out to the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization at CTTC@vanderbilt.edu. We can help you explore licensing opportunities that could amplify the impact of your work while potentially generating revenue for you and Vanderbilt.
VANDERBILT CTTC HONORS FIVE PIONEERING FACULTY MASTER INNOVATORS
The 2024 Master Innovators were chosen based on their achievements across multiple categories involving innovation and entrepreneurship, including inventions created, patents issued, technologies licensed, companies launched, products on the market, and several other factors. Each of the honorees represents the very best of Vanderbilt’s commitment to innovation and the translation of academic research into real-world solutions. This esteemed recognition celebrates the groundbreaking contributions of faculty whose research has translated into transformative innovations, propelling their fields forward and creating significant societal impact.
CARRIE K. JONES, PH.D.
COLLEEN NISWENDER, PH.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Jones is celebrated for her pioneering research in neuropharmacology at Vanderbilt’s Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD) where her work addresses therapeutic interventions for central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Her contributions have illuminated the intricacies of receptor function in the brain, focusing on how these mechanisms can be targeted for treatment. Dr. Jones’s excellence in both research and mentorship has earned her multiple accolades, including being named a Chancellor’s Faculty Fellow in 2020 and receiving recognition at Vanderbilt’s 2024 Spring Faculty Assembly for her distinguished contributions to teaching and mentoring. Not only has Carrie been involved in more than 50 patents and applications at Vanderbilt, her passion for their effective development into impactful products stands out.
Research Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Niswender is renowned for her work in drug discovery and serves as the Director of Molecular Pharmacology for the WCNDD, with a specific focus on neurodevelopmental disorders such as Rett syndrome. Her research has led to key advancements in understanding the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors in CNS function, offering potential new therapeutic strategies that have progressed to clinical trials and formed the basis of licensing agreements with multiple industry partners. Dr. Niswender has received significant federal and foundation funding for her research and was nationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on Rett syndrome in 2022 with the ASPET Scientific Achievement Award. Only a handful of researchers in the history of Vanderbilt have been named on as many invention disclosures as Colleen (many of which have been commercialized, generating substantial revenues for the institution).
ALEX WATERSON, PH.D.
Research Professor of Pharmacology and Chemistry; Associate Director of Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology
Dr. Waterson's work in medicinal chemistry has been instrumental in the discovery of new cancer therapeutics, particularly through his leadership in targeting “undruggable” protein-protein interactions, in partnership with Dr. Stephen Fesik. As a recent addition to Vanderbilt’s Innovation Ambassadors program, he helps his colleagues translate academic discoveries into real-world applications. His contributions extend to key roles in national cancer drug discovery initiatives, including as the lead for Vanderbilt’s Chemical Biology Consortium (CBC) site, underscoring his impact in this critical area of research. Alex is an inventor of 21 issued US patents, with another 50 in prosecution.
COLLEEN BROPHY, PH.D. Professor of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
ROBERT WEBSTER, PH.D.
Dr. Brophy is a prominent vascular surgeon and entrepreneur whose contributions in vascular biology have revolutionized her field. Her research has led to novel approaches to preventing vascular complications, significantly improving patient surgical outcomes. Colleen has contributed to more than 50 US patents and applications, and her entrepreneurial activities included founding AzERx, a biotechnology startup that was later acquired by Capstone Therapeutics. With an extensive background in both basic science and clinical applications, her work exemplifies the type of translational research the Master Innovator Award seeks to recognize.
Richard A. Schroeder Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Webster is a leading figure in surgical robotics, where his work continues to be transformative in pioneering minimally invasive surgical procedures with increased accuracy, leading to the filing of more than 75 patents and applications. He has launched two startup companies, Virtuoso and EndoTheia, the latter of which received a breakthrough device designation from the US FDA in 2023. Dr. Webster’s work ensures Vanderbilt remains at the forefront of medical technology innovation, and his contributions continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in surgical robotics. Dr. Webster is one of the inaugural Vanderbilt Innovation Ambassadors.
INNOVATION AMBASSADORS
The Innovation Ambassadors Program is an institutional initiative to provide Vanderbilt faculty with peer-delivered access to information and assistance related to innovation and entrepreneurship on campus. The Program achieves this goal by recruiting faculty Ambassadors from departments across campus and training them on relevant topics, empowering them to serve as liaisons between researchers and innovation programs and resources at Vanderbilt.
Chris Vanags Peabody College of Education
program, Ambassadors are asked to deliver periodic departmental presentations on innovation and entrepreneurship efforts at Vanderbilt and in the local community. Ambassadors serve in additional innovation-related roles as well, including as guest judges during pitch competitions at the Wond’ry and as members of the Innovation Catalyst Fund Review Committee.
BENEFITS AND IMPACT
While Ambassadors bring a clear value to their home department and/or division, they also have access to many benefits. As recognized innovation leaders on campus, Ambassadors are closely connected with both VU/VUMC and regional leadership. Networking and education opportunities are provided through presentations and access to regional conferences, and they receive ongoing training and updates on topics such as emerging trends in startup funding and local and national funding sources. This innovative program has served as a successful model that other schools across the nation have followed to launch similar initiatives within their own institutions.
The Ambassadors continue to succeed in increasing awareness of innovation-related programming and resources across campus, contributing to a rise in invention disclosure numbers and startup interactions since the launch of the program in 2022.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Ambassadors receive instruction on a variety of commercialization, intellectual property, and entrepreneurship topics, as well as application of Vanderbilt policies and procedures. This is all designed to enable them to help others in their departments obtain quick guidance and peer support for all their innovation and entrepreneurship needs. The Innovation Ambassadors Program is administered by the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization. Like all CTTC-related services, the Program serves the entire Vanderbilt research community, spanning both the University and the Medical Center, and aligns with institutional priorities to increase faculty engagement in research translation and commercialization to achieve real-world impact. The Program’s success is enabled by the commitment of the Ambassadors and support from their departments.
Vanderbilt Innovation Catalyst Fund Fuels
Translational Research And Innovation
Vanderbilt University’s Innovation Catalyst Fund (ICF) is an initiative designed to accelerate translational research with commercial potential, fueling innovations to solve real-world problems. Open to all University and Medical Center faculty, the ICF provides support for three key areas: supporting research projects that require proof-of-concept commercialization, advancing early-stage projects with strong innovation potential, and developing research initiatives with civic and social relevance.
The program is led by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation in consultation with the Division of Finance, VUMC’s Office of Research, and academic leadership in Vanderbilt schools and colleges, with management provided through the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization. Through this fund, Vanderbilt supports a variety of translational and commercially oriented development efforts.
All applications are peer-reviewed by members of the Innovation Catalyst Fund Review Committee, comprised of VU and VUMC faculty members in four research areas: arts & humanities, bioscience & healthcare, engineering & physical sciences, and social sciences. Funding decisions on scored applications are made by a council comprised of VU and VUMC leadership in research and innovation.
In its first year, the Innovation Catalyst Fund received 59 proposals and awarded over $800,000 to support the advancement of 20 research projects with commercial potential. Uses for funding in this program include: prototype development and testing, proof-of-concept validation and data generation, conceptualization and design, software development, process improvement, new organization capability, program improvement, and campaigns or important events.
2024 CATALYST FUND AWARDEES
Jad Abumrad, distinguished research professor of communication of science and technology – Waiting Room Stories
Panambur Bhandari, assistant professor of plastic surgery – Intrinsic Glove: Saving Traumatized Hands
Lisa Fazio, associate professor of psychology and human development – Developing a Novel Platform for Social Science Research Using LLM Persona-Agents
Scott Guelcher, professor of chemical and biomedical engineering – Preclinical Testing of Resorbable Surgical Mesh
Eric Skaar, distinguished professor of pathology, microbiology, and immunology – A Stabilizing Agent That Enhances the Resistance of Probiotics and Recombinant Enzymes to Heat and Desiccation
Keivan Stassun, professor of physics and astronomy – Learning with Optimal Guidance for Autistic Navigators (LOGAN) Virtual Driving Instruction System
John Wikswo, distinguished professor of biomedical engineering – Accelerating the Development and Commercialization of a Robot Scientist/Self-Driving Biological Laboratory
INNOVATION CATALYST FUND IMPACT
This funding mechanism has already demonstrated its impact on research translation and commercialization, with respect to licensing improved technology to both established companies and to Vanderbilt-affiliated startup companies. Dr. Abhishek Dubey has leveraged his ICF award to make significant strides in freight optimization efforts, addressing pressing mobility challenges and enhancing fleet management systems. He is the co-founder of Mobius AI Inc., which has licensed and is commercializing the software that was advanced via ICF support.
ImageAssist
Dr. Michael Golinko, founder of ImageAssist, has reached significant commercial distribution milestones for his ImageAssist app, which was advanced through ICF funding. This app has the potential to revolutionize clinical documentation by offering a standardized, secure, and user-friendly solution for capturing and managing clinical photos, benefiting the broader medical community, which takes more than 200 million such photos annually in the U.S.
Democratized,
AI-Guided Chart
Abstraction Platform (DAGCAP)
Dr. Daniel Fabbri’s Democratized, AI-Guided Chart Abstraction Platform (DAGCAP) aims to create a streamlined and automated curation system that mitigates challenges associated with medical charting. Increases in the quality of curation would drastically expand research, clinical, and operational capabilities across oncology care and research. The ICF has helped advance this system so that Dr. Fabbri’s company, Brim Analytics, can take over support and distribution. The system is currently in trial use by approximately 20 teams of researchers in major medical centers across the country.
Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH)
Dr. Megan Salwei and her cross-disciplinary team have developed an initial proof-of-concept for a patient-centered Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) training system to improve radiation therapy outcomes in breast cancer patients. By integrating a Vernier GoDirect respiration belt with a VR headset, the system enables patients to visualize their real-time breathing patterns during the training process. This innovative approach aims to enhance radiation therapy safety, reduce cardiac toxicity, alleviate patient anxiety, and increase treatment efficiency.
The Vanderbilt Innovation Ambassadors play a crucial role in advocating for and promoting the ICF opportunity among their peers, further amplifying its reach and impact.
Vanderbilt's Innovation Catalyst Fund is a testament to the university's commitment to translational research and innovation. By providing vital support for projects with commercial potential and societal relevance, Vanderbilt is empowering its faculty to drive progress and make a tangible difference in the world.
NEW VENTURES
Michael Golinko Founder & CEO
Jonathan Sadlowe
Chief Business Officer
Jennifer Bennett
Head of Product & Design
ImageAssist is a novel, patent pending smartphone application that implements plastic surgery society standards for clinical photography of the face and body while automatically removing the image’s background. It seamlessly integrates into EPIC with additional implementation into any platform or HIPAA-compliant cloud.
ImageAssist, Inc was founded by Dr. Michael Golinko, Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery, and developed in collaboration with VUMC. By conceiving and refining the product within a leading healthcare institution, the team was able to ensure the product could meet the rigorous demands of medical professionals, offering institutional-grade reliability and performance and setting a new standard in clinical photography. The ImageAssist product that standardizes clinical photography was released on the App store at the end of 2024.
LEARN MORE AT IMAGEASSIST.COM
David Charles Chairman
Tim Delapp
Chief Operating Officer
Jeff Erb
Chief Business Officer
Mallory Hacker
Chief Scientific Officer
Arena Therapeutics is a start up dedicated to developing targeted brain modulation as a treatment for patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, founded by Drs. David Charles and Mallory Hacker in VUMC’s Department of Neurology. The company’s novel approach, based on research performed at Vanderbilt by Drs. Charles and Hacker, is focused on slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease in early-stage patients while also improving the efficacy, side effect profile, and durability of brain modulation in mid- and later-stage Parkinson’s disease. Arena has the only Class II evidence in the industry of a therapy that may decrease the risk of Parkinson’s disease progression.
Arena Therapeutics is preparing to launch a pivotal trial in early-stage Parkinson’s disease to gather the evidence for gaining FDA approval for the first Parkinson’s disease-modifying therapy.
LEARN MORE AT ARENATHERAPEUTICS.COM
Daniel Rau
Chief Executive Officer
Shihong Lin
Chief Scientific Officer
Sam Evans
Chief Technology Officer
Doug Morgan Advisor
Metionic was founded by Daniel Rau, an Engineering graduate from Vanderbilt University, where he honed his technical expertise and innovative mindset. Metionic is reducing the costs of critical mineral extraction using advanced textiles manufacturing to fabricate metal-selective separation membranes. The high-performance membranes are packaged into a patent-pending system design that increases extraction throughput while reducing operating expenses. Metionic’s modular, scalable architecture unlocks the economic viability of domestic lithium, uranium, and rare earth elements production. Metionic is manufacturing its first lithium selective membranes with partners in the Czech Republic and plans to open its pre-seed round in Q2 2025.
LEARN MORE AT METIONIC.COM
Cal Westenberg
Chief Executive Officer
Abhishek Dubey
Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder
Grayson McClain Chief Revenue Officer
Michael Wilbur, Chief Technology Officer
Mobius Al, Inc. utilizes a cutting-edge Al platform that uses a ‘predict and optimize’ framework to forecast energy and fuel consumption for mixed-vehicle fleets and to optimize routes, balancing future demand and potential disruptions. The company, formed by Abhishek Dubey, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Ayan Mukhopadhyay, Senior Research Assistant at Vanderbilt University, with collaborators from Penn State and Cornell, is focused on transforming fleet management and routing for non-emergency medical transportation, mass transit, freight, and last mile delivery.
Mobius equips fleets for the next step in optimization of net energy consumption with artificial intelligence, enabling planning of fleet operations using an innumerable set of factors that include forecasted weather, anticipated traffic patterns, elevation changes, temperature effects on batteries, energy profiles of vehicles based on telematics data, and other inputs being incorporated with each product update. Mobius AI moves fleet management systems beyond managing business based on miles and minutes. Mobius AI rounded out its core technology team by bringing in Vanderbilt University alumni Michael Wilbur, Chief Technology Officer, and Kareem Elgohry, Software Engineer. The team is actively working towards a major product release in June 2025 as part of their go-to-market strategy.
LEARN MORE AT MOBIUSAI.TECH
Yesi Sevilla Chief Executive Officer
Deanna Meador CoFounder & Chairwoman
Dr. Caroline Christopher
CoFounder
CHALK Coaching is the product of research developed at the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University and funded by $2.8M in multiple research grants from the National Science Foundation. CHALK is an easy-to-use classroom observation and professional development platform for early learning and kindergarten classrooms. CHALK empowers instructional coaches and administrators to collect meaningful classroom observation data, immediately visualize the results, develop collaborative action plans, and track changes over time. With CHALK, an embedded training process provides professional development for coaches, teachers, and administrators on key classroom practices and coaching strategies that have been shown to predict gains across both academic and self-regulation skills for students.
The platform is fully developed and currently in 100 classrooms, across four states. CHALK Coaching has officially opened a preSeed investment round of $500k on a SAFE note, and has already signed its first investor.
LEARN MORE AT CHALKCOACHING.COM
Noah Robinson, Founder & CEO
Shawn Glinter, Co-Founder & Board Member
Innerworld is an immersive 3-D mental health platform delivering scalable, evidence-based mental health groups. With over $9 million in total funding—more than half of which is nondilutive—Innerworld increases access to mental health care by enabling users to connect anonymously through avatars in virtual environments. Innerworld's proprietary approach is called Cognitive Behavioral Immersion™ and was developed through Founder & CEO Noah Robinson's doctoral research at Vanderbilt University under Dr. Steven Hollon. The platform’s group-based care model trains lay therapists to be as effective as traditional therapists in leading live group sessions to provide affordable, effective support that improves outcomes and delivers measurable ROI. Innerworld provides mental health support directly to consumers, as well as through Fortune 100 companies and government agencies to address the needs of diverse populations at scale.
LEARN MORE AT INNER.WORLD/HOME
INVENTOR SPOTLIGHT
TRANSFORMING NASHVILLE'S HEALTHCARE
TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM THROUGH RESEARCH
The Journey of Faculty Member and Serial Entrepreneur Daniel Fabbri,PhD
Growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley during the tech boom of the 1990s, Fabbri was immersed in an environment that would shape the trajectory of his future career. Fabbri's entrepreneurial spirit first manifested in his high school days, when he founded a startup which aimed to help other students secure internships in the Silicon Valley tech scene. “It didn't go very far,” Fabbri admits, “but it did prove that I could build something and use it as a demonstration of my capabilities, which helped me land my first internship at Yahoo.” From his early adulthood, Fabbri found himself drawn to the world of big data and machine learning, fueled by his early experiences as an intern at tech giants that would spark his passion for building the next generation through higher education.
FROM PROJECT TO PRODUCT: MAIZE ANALYTICS
Fabbri received his PhD in computer science from the University of Michigan, where he combined his interests in privacy and security with healthcare, before joining the Vanderbilt faculty in 2014. “When you explore the intersection of healthcare with privacy, security, big data, and machine learning, you end up focusing on how to secure electronic medical records,” Fabbri explains. His thesis work focused on building a system to monitor electronic medical record (EMR) access logs, similar in concept to credit card fraud monitoring, but to identify inappropriate use of patient data.
In 2013, Dr. Fabbri received an NSF Innovation Corps Award, which enabled him to venture out of the academic scene and engage with potential customers. This experience led Fabbri to found Maize Analytics to commercialize his thesis work.
“Entrepreneurship is the leg work that has to get done to get a project and convert it into a product,” Fabbri states.
Under Dr. Fabbri’s leadership, Maize Analytics was deployed to hundreds of hospitals in North America, monitoring billions of access events every month.
“I remember meeting Dan for the first time in 2014 when he was interviewing for a faculty position in DBMI,” recalls Alan Bentley, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Technology Transfer & Intellectual Property Development. “The department chair asked me to meet with Dan, as Dan wanted to know how Vanderbilt would view his company, Maize, and what avenues he had available to continue developing the company while working his day job at Vanderbilt. It took me less than 10 minutes speaking with Dan to know that he was a special kind of researcher. The way he thought about research, how results could be positioned to impact healthcare, the importance of productizing outcomes. He was impressive from day one,” reflects Bentley.
EMBRACING COLLABORATIONS AT VANDERBILT
In 2014, Fabbri's journey continued as he transitioned into a faculty role at Vanderbilt University, balancing his responsibilities as an assistant professor mentoring students, securing funding, and continuing his duties as the CEO of Maize Analytics. In 2021, Maize Analytics was acquired by SecureLink, Inc., a leading provider of third-party remote access and security based in Austin, Texas. A year later, SecureLink was bought by Imprivata, Inc., headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Fabbri moved into the role of Chief Data Scientist at Imprivata and remained in that position for more than a year before departing the company in July 2024 after a successful 10-year entrepreneurial journey.
Over the years, Fabbri’s research has spanned a wide range of areas, from sleep apnea analysis to adverse event prediction in oncology, all with a focus on applying big data and machine learning to healthcare challenges.
“I value Vanderbilt’s collaborative spirit because I have a particular set of skills that, when combined with other medical expertise, can solve impactful problems,” says Fabbri.
He continues, “something great about Vanderbilt is that it's a small enough community that you can take someone from ENT surgery and mix them with a person in biomedical informatics or computer science, and that combination allows you to do some really interesting things.” Beyond Fabbri’s academic work, he focuses on medical information research, teaching courses, mentoring graduate students, and participating in entrepreneurship programs such as the Wond’ry’s Faculty Ideator Program.
As a Vanderbilt Innovation Ambassador and the director of the Catalyzing Informatics Innovation program, Fabbri is dedicated to guiding other researchers and aspiring inventors through the process of commercializing their work. “I've gone through this journey, and I know where a lot of the hiccups and bottlenecks are. I can help my peers navigate the world of translation from research to entrepreneurship and provide a sounding board to help them validate whether they have a commercial opportunity. An idea is only part of the journey that requires grit,” he mentions.
“Dan is a poster child for the Innovation Ambassador program,” points out Phil Swaney, the CTTC Ambassador Program Manager. “His deep entrepreneurial experience and his willingness to share such experiences to help colleagues are invaluable to our faculty outreach and support efforts.”
NEW VENTURE: BRIM ANALYTICS
Fabbri's most recent venture, Brim Analytics, is a testament of his ability to adapt and leverage emerging technologies. Brim Analytics is an AI-powered platform that democratizes medical chart abstraction, allowing researchers and clinicians to quickly and accurately extract structured data from electronic medical records without the need for coding expertise. “We started building the core infrastructure for Brim years ago, with the idea of using crowdsourced medical students to do the chart abstraction,” Fabbri explains. “When the new wave of generative AI arrived, we realized we could repurpose that existing infrastructure to create an AI-driven solution that would be even more powerful and scalable,” he continues. By leveraging the best foundational language models, Brim Analytics provides an intuitive, collaborative tool that can be deployed across multiple institutions.
As a hub of medical research and innovation, Vanderbilt has been the perfect testbed for Brim’s development, providing Fabbri and his team with a wealth of real-world use cases and feedback, with nearly 30 teams at the university already using the free, in-house service. “We've had people use it for cancer progression, mental health, and even to identify pickleball injuries,” Fabbri says. This customer-centric approach has been crucial to Brim's evolution: “You often don't know what you're building until you actually have people using it,” Fabbri notes.
THE NEXT CURE, FASTER
Today, Fabbri is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Computer Science, as well as the Director of Informatics Innovation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. As he continues to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare technology, his story serves as an inspiration to researchers and entrepreneurs, demonstrating the power of combining academic rigor with a relentless drive to turn ideas into real-world impact. Looking ahead, Fabbri envisions Brim Analytics facilitating clinical research by streamlining clinical trial matching, managing registries, and enabling consistent chart abstraction across multi-site studies. His vision is for Brim to be deployed across the US healthcare ecosystem, accelerating clinical research and drug discovery by removing a critical bottleneck. “It is amazing putting the tool in peoples’ hands and seeing what they do with it,” Fabbri says.
A key part of this expansion is ensuring that Brim Analytics is easily deployable, with a “bring your own language model” approach that allows sites to leverage their own approved LLM endpoints tools while still benefiting from Brim's capabilities and privacy and security benefits.
“The thing that is important to me is getting software distributed across the country to impact and benefit patient care,” Fabbri says.
With Brim Analytics, Fabbri and his team are poised to transform the healthcare landscape, one chart abstraction at a time – and in doing so, they may just help unlock the next medical breakthrough. At Vanderbilt, we have started this process and are already seeing some 'wow' moments,” Fabbri states.
Daniel Fabbri's journey from academic research to successful entrepreneurship serves as an inspiring example of the power of translating innovative ideas into impactful real-world solutions. Through his faculty role at Vanderbilt and his commitment to mentoring others, Fabbri demonstrates the collaborative spirit that drives meaningful progress in healthcare technology.
Now, with his latest venture Brim Analytics, Fabbri is positioned to further transform the landscape of clinical research by democratizing medical chart abstraction through the power of AI. As Fabbri navigates the changing healthcare landscape, his journey highlights the significance of perseverance and determination to transform academic innovations into products that can expedite medical discoveries and enhance patient care.
For more information, visit brimanalytics.com.
INDUSTRY COLLABORATIONS
FEATURED RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS
MEDICAL DEVICES
Through interest in acquiring a startup commercializing Vanderbilt intellectual property, a global medical device company intends to establish a center of excellence in medical device innovation locally. Vanderbilt research efforts in surgery and engineering provide fertile ground for other emerging technologies. Forging deep relationships in this industry sector creates an economic draw for other companies and potentially suppliers to the region, contributing to the innovation ecosystem.
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Peabody researchers are piloting their technology with a large energy company to make training materials more engaging and interactive for employees. The program measures comprehension and retention of training content using AI and a novel intelligent text framework. The goal of the pilot study is to demonstrate proof of concept in order to scale the platform for larger implementation throughout the organization.
Research collaborations with industry advance the most innovative discoveries for therapeutic targets, pathways, and technologies. Industry Collaborations forged a relationship with a global pharmaceutical company and was invited to apply for research funding. Vanderbilt was awarded a competitive research grant to identify therapeutic intervention points to prevent the colonization and proliferation of lung cancer. These types of relationships with pharmaceutical companies allow for joint mapping of research interests and capabilities and a more curated approach to matching industry and academic researchers.
TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY
Traffic Management
The first phase of a traffic study for a global transportation infrastructure company sought to better understand traffic patterns utilizing the I-24 MOTION corridor. Upon completion of that phase, Vanderbilt researchers achieved the goal of developing innovative solutions designed to better manage interstate traffic. The second phase of the research project, launched in late 2024, builds on this initial research by identifying and testing technical solutions for accurate vehicle positioning on roadways. The goal is to enter a long-term, robust relationship with the company to identify new tech-based approaches to characterizing and responding to changing transportation conditions anywhere the company operates in the world.
Public-Private Engagement
In response to a state economic development initiative called Transportation Network Growth Opportunity, Vanderbilt engaged with public entities to help guide the creation of an initiative to increase innovation in the state around transportation mobility. The Industry Collaborations team led the effort to identify industry partners to join Vanderbilt researchers to solve difficult problems impacting daily transportation life for Tennesseans. Due to ongoing, collaborative interactions, Vanderbilt secured a second round of funding for additional important community-improvement projects.
SMART AND CONNECTED CITIES
Vanderbilt recently formalized a longstanding research relationship with a large engineering, architecture and design firm to explore the future of innovation and design. This new collaboration agreement builds on the strategic alignment between corporate initiatives, the research and educational strengths of Vanderbilt, and prior engineering and infrastructure project work.
INDUSTRY AFFILIATE PROGRAMS
To foster transformative partnerships between academia and industry, the Industry Collaborations team is developing industry affiliate programs to drive innovation and build competitive advantage within the Vanderbilt community and for our industry collaborators. By leveraging Vanderbilt’s cutting-edge research, world-class faculty, and multidisciplinary expertise, these programs provide companies with access to pioneering technologies, top-tier talent, and customized collaboration opportunities. These partnerships enable industries to address critical challenges, accelerate product development, and stay ahead in competitive markets while supporting Vanderbilt’s mission to advance knowledge and positively impact society. Through shared resources and insights, Vanderbilt’s industry affiliate programs create a dynamic ecosystem for mutual growth, discovery, and long-term value creation.
LET'S CONNECT!
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Let's Stay Connected
CTTC offers professional commercialization services for all intellectual property arising from Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. CTTC’s goal is to optimize the transition of innovations to the marketplace, generate revenue to fuel future research, and create a positive societal impact.
CONTACT OUR TEAM
Connect with our expert teams in Licensing, New Venture Development, Operations, Corporate Alliances, Medical Product Support Services (MPSS), and Industry Collaborations to explore innovative solutions and partnership opportunities. Email us at CTTC@Vanderbilt.edu.
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