PROBLEM SOLVERS
What makes research worth the time, investment, and resources?
Far from being confined to high-tech labs in elite institutions, health sciences research shapes our habits, improves our health, and guides us in making informed decisions.
From handwashing inspired by germ theory in the 19th century, to iodized salt and other fortified foods introduced in the 1920s, to smartwatches tracking our steps and heart rates, our lives have been impacted by researchers’ evidence-based discoveries.
These discoveries can take years, even decades, to become available to those who need them. Some never make it to market, felled by financial hurdles, competing drugs and devices, unforeseen side effects, and other obstacles.
But the inventions and innovations that do make it through the arduous development and testing process shape human lives in ways large and small. Understanding these benefits is essential, as taxpayers often foot the bill for federally funded research.
Breakthroughs don’t always look like products or patents, says bioengineer Wilbur Lam, Emory vice provost for entrepreneurship, who has led major research labs and developed point-of-care diagnostic technologies such as an iPhone ear scope and a visual anemia test. “Sometimes it’s an unexpected synergy, a new model for delivery, or a student reimagining a career path,” he says. “Innovation is a mindset.”
When it comes to measuring success in tech transfer, says Todd Sherer, Emory associate vice president for research and executive director of the Office of Technology Transfer, nothing matters more than getting new products to market. “That’s the ultimate validation of our work,” Sherer says. “It proves the impact of university research in real-world terms. The true measure is whether a discovery becomes something that helps people.”
Here’s a small sampling of Emory’s thousands of inventions and innovations, from medical devices to surgical techniques, to therapeutic drugs, to improved sanitation methods, which have helped millions of people live longer, healthier lives.
Pharmacologist and neurobiologist Ray Dingledine
Pharmacologist and neurobiologist Ray Dingledine
Brain Therapeutics
Developed NMDA receptor modulators to treat cerebral ischemia (reduced blood flow to the brain), pain, and depression, and created novel anti-inflammatory drugs aimed at preventing cognitive decline and reducing postoperative pain.
Photo Jack Kearse
Kathy Griendling, cardiovascular physiologist, vascular biologist
Kathy Griendling, cardiovascular physiologist, vascular biologist
Rethinking Vascular Disease
Discovered that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are not merely damaging byproducts of cellular metabolism but also important signaling molecules that regulate blood vessel function. This reshaped our understanding of vascular disease and suggested new therapeutic approaches for hypertension, atherosclerosis and blood vessel repair.
Photo Jack Kearse
Neuroendocrinologist Larry Young
Neuroendocrinologist Larry Young
Biology of Bonding
Clarified the genetic and brain mechanisms of attachment by studying pair bonding in monogamous prairie voles, identifying key roles for oxytocin and vasopressin in social behavior with relevance to human conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.
Photo Jack Kearse
Immunologist Max Cooper
Immunologist Max Cooper
Pioneer in Immunology
Advanced our knowledge of the human immune system through the discovery of B cells and T cells and determined how these white blood cells remember previous infections and protect the body from pathogens.
Photo Jack Kearse
Surgeons Chris Larsen and Thomas Pearson invented a new class of transplant drugs.
Surgeons Chris Larsen and Thomas Pearson invented a new class of transplant drugs.
Preventing Rejection
Developed immunosuppressive drugs with fewer side effects, the first of which was belatacept, which prevents rejection in kidney transplant patients while helping to maintain kidney function. Broadened the use of pancreatic islet cell transplantation to restore natural insulin production in type 1 diabetes.
Getty Images BRO Vector
Pediatrician Doug Graham
Pediatrician Doug Graham
Targeting Cancer
First to clone and characterize the Mer gene (MERTK), demonstrating that it is often overexpressed in a spectrum of human cancers, including certain leukemias (ALL, AML), non-small cell lung cancer, and melanoma. This led to therapies that target MERTK and kill cancer cells.
Photo Kay Hinton
Orthopedic surgeon Scott Boden
Orthopedic surgeon Scott Boden
Bone Healing
Identified the LMP-1 gene and its protein that can encourage the growth of osteoblasts, or bone tissue, which helps to reduce the need for bone graft surgeries.
Photo Jack Kearse
Cell biologist Marla Luskin discovered new ways to heal the brain.
Cell biologist Marla Luskin discovered new ways to heal the brain.
Brain Repair
Found that certain brain neurons can divide and multiply when a growth factor is added, suggesting new ways to help repair the nervous system after injury or diseases like Parkinson’s.
Getty images Yutthana Gaetgeaw
Virologist Rafi Ahmed
Virologist Rafi Ahmed
Immunotherapy Trailblazer
Discovered the role of the PD-1 protein in inhibiting the immune response to chronic viral infections, paving the way for cancer immunotherapy.
Photo Jack Kearse
Cardiologist and Epidemiologist Peter Wilson
Cardiologist and Epidemiologist Peter Wilson
Predicting Risk
Created a prediction model for cardiovascular disease. Key work in identifying cardiometabolic risk factors and highlighting links between genes, lifestyle, and heart and metabolic health. Used large cohorts like the Million Veterans Program for insights on genetic factors, impact of diet (omega-3s, plant-based), etc.
Photo Jack Kearse
Ophthalmologist Phinizy Calhoun Jr. shaped modern ophthalmic pathology.
Ophthalmologist Phinizy Calhoun Jr. shaped modern ophthalmic pathology.
Eye Pathology Advances
Was a pioneer in the subfield of ophthalmic pathology, introduced early microscope-assisted eye surgeries, and founded the Southeast’s first eye bank. More recently, Emory Eye Center has improved targeted drug delivery by advancing microneedle technology with Georgia Tech for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma.
Photo Gary Meek
Pharmacologist and Biochemist Haian Fu
Pharmacologist and Biochemist Haian Fu
Anti-Cancer Drugs
Developed novel strategies to target protein–protein interactions (PPIs) in cancer and other diseases, identifying previously unknown cancer vulnerabilities and enabling the development of anti-cancer drugs.
Photo Jack Kearse
Researchers Dennis Liotta, Raymond Schinazi, and Woo-Baeg Choi
Researchers Dennis Liotta, Raymond Schinazi, and Woo-Baeg Choi
Antiretroviral Drugs
Created HIV antiretroviral drugs that helped transform HIV from a fatal diagnosis to a manageable chronic condition and developed a method to make these compounds quickly and efficiently. The resulting new drugs, FTC and 3TC, were taken by people in treatment for HIV/AIDS worldwide, saving millions of lives.
Microscopic view of fragile X syndrome modeled in a brain organoid
Microscopic view of fragile X syndrome modeled in a brain organoid
Decoding Fragile X
Geneticist Stephen Warren identified the gene mutation responsible for fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. This was the first major triumph of the Human Genome Project and led to the first diagnostic test for fragile X as well as new treatments. Geneticist Stephanie Sherman discovered the Sherman paradox, the increasing incidence of fragile X across generations.
Photo courtesy of Zhexing Wen/Emory
Emory frontline medical providers in personal protective equipment (PPE).
Emory frontline medical providers in personal protective equipment (PPE).
Lessons from Ebola
Developed new protocols for infectious disease care, including the operation of negative pressure isolation units and the donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE) from gloves to protective suits. Many of these advances were made while Emory's Team Ebola cared for the first Ebola patients on US soil at Emory’s Serious Communicable Diseases Unit (SCDU), under the medical direction of infectious diseases physician Bruce Ribner.
Cardiologist Andreas Gruentzig
Cardiologist Andreas Gruentzig
Interventional Cardiology
Pioneered percutaneous coronary angioplasty, also known as “balloon angioplasty,” a less invasive way to open blocked arteries. Developed the balloon catheter, performed the first successful coronary angioplasty, and established a global hub for training specialists in this new technique. His innovations led to modern procedures like stents and valve treatments, benefiting millions.
Primatologist Frans de Waal studied the social intelligence of non-human primates.
Primatologist Frans de Waal studied the social intelligence of non-human primates.
Social intelligence
Revealed that non-human primates possess a rich and emotionally complex social intelligence, exhibiting alliances and power struggles, a sense of empathy and fairness, and behaviors like reconciliation and consolation. His research led to insights about human’s social intelligence as well.
Photo Getty Images eromaze
Oncologist Sagar Lonial advanced knowledge about multiple myeloma.
Oncologist Sagar Lonial advanced knowledge about multiple myeloma.
Multiple Myeloma
Advanced the understanding and treatment of multiple myeloma, contributing to the first BCMA-targeted therapy, the first anti-CD38 antibodies and other immuno- therapies.
Illustration Getty Images Nemes Laszlo
Clinical psychologist Barbara Rothbaum
Clinical psychologist Barbara Rothbaum
Virtual Treatment
Used virtual reality (VR) therapy to treat patients with phobias, addictions, anxiety, and PTSD by immersing them in realistic, computer-generated environments that help them gradually become more comfortable with fear-inducing situations or resist addictive behaviors in drug-use settings.
Photo Jack Kearse
Cardiac electrophysiologist Jonathan Langberg
Cardiac electrophysiologist Jonathan Langberg
Improving AFib
Pioneered catheter ablation to help correct mild atrial fibrillation as well as inventing a new diagnostic tool to make it easier to predict which patients will respond to medication and which to ablation.
Illustration Getty Images magicmine
Radiation oncologists Tim Fox and Ian Crocker
Radiation oncologists Tim Fox and Ian Crocker
Seeing Cancer Clearly
Developed Velocity AI, molecular imaging software that helps physicians see cancer more clearly by integrating multiple scans into one 3D-like image and providing a higher resolution view of tumor boundaries.
Photo Jack Kearse
By Mary Loftus, design Peta Westmaas
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