Program Overview
Indiana University’s Innovation and Commercialization Office has awarded funding to three faculty-led projects to support commercialization of technologies addressing respiratory disease, antibiotic resistance, and assistive health technologies.
The Gap Fund and Blatt Endowed Fund are designed to help faculty overcome early commercialization barriers, generate proof-of-concept data, and position technologies for licensing, startup formation, or industry collaboration.
As noted by IU leadership, these awards are intended to translate “fundamental discovery into new diagnostics, therapeutics, and devices.”
Strategic Relevance for GAP Leaders
This funding round reflects several core GAP design principles:
• Deploying small, targeted investments at high-risk translational stages
• Supporting proof-of-concept validation to unlock downstream capital
• Strengthening IP positioning and commercialization pathways
• Connecting faculty to institutional innovation infrastructure
Programs like IU’s demonstrate how relatively modest funding can significantly increase the likelihood of external investment, licensing, or startup formation.
Potential Market Applications (Project-Level Detail)
Respiratory Therapeutics – Dr. Ben Gaston
Funding: $19,000 (IU Gap Fund)
Dr. Ben Gaston is advancing a therapeutic approach to treat primary ciliary dyskinesia, a rare inherited disorder that causes chronic respiratory infections and breathing complications.
His team discovered that a treatment originally developed for asthma may be effective for this condition, addressing a major unmet clinical need.
Market Applications
• Rare disease respiratory therapeutics targeting chronic airway inflammation
• Expanded use of asthma-derived treatments for broader pulmonary conditions
• Pediatric and clinical respiratory care innovations for underserved patient populations
Antibacterial Resistance Inhibitors – Dr. Cristina Landeta
Funding: $25,000 (Blatt Fund)
Dr. Cristina Landeta is developing small molecule inhibitors that block bacterial resistance mechanisms, offering a novel approach to combating antibiotic-resistant infections.
Her work focuses on optimizing compound strength and selectivity while building a testing platform in human cell lines to generate proof-of-concept data.
Market Applications
• Next-generation antibacterial therapies targeting resistance pathways
• Drug development platforms addressing global antibiotic resistance challenges
• Pharmaceutical partnerships for novel anti-infective compounds
Assistive Hearing Technology – Dr. Dana Urbanski
Funding: $25,000 (Blatt Fund)
Dr. Dana Urbanski is developing an affordable assistive hearing device and companion app designed specifically for older adults with dementia.
The system aims to improve usability compared to traditional hearing aids, which are often costly and difficult to manage in care environments.
Market Applications
• Affordable hearing devices for aging populations and dementia patients
• Digital health tools supporting caregiver-assisted communication
• Long-term care and nursing home technology solutions
Read the Full Story:
https://today.iu.edu/live/news/48550-3-iu-researchers-awarded-funding-to-commercialize
Related Topics:
university gap funding programs, translational research commercialization, healthcare innovation, antibiotic resistance solutions, assistive health technologies
