Read the latest from the OTD No images? Click here February 2021 Welcome to the February 2021 issue of Developments, OTD's tri-annual newsletter. Happy 40th birthday to the Bayh-Dole Act! This law empowers universities to work on behalf of inventors to ensure innovations derived from basic research become products that improve patient outcomes. Bayh-Dole has had a significant impact on the number of novel technologies from universities that come to market to make the world a better place. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to our office. Kathleen M. Schmainda, PhD Dr. Schmainda has worked closely with the OTD since 2000. In that time her research has generated 20 inventions, 6 patent applications, 4 issued patents as well as copyrighted software. Some of this IP was licensed to two successful startup companies in the Milwaukee area that she helped to co-found. Both companies continue to deliver FDA-cleared and CE-marked products worldwide. One company, Imaging Biometrics LLC, has recently been acquired by a UK-based company, IQ-AI Ltd, enabling the expansion of their health care portfolio. OTD is responsible for the reporting of all inventions that originate from federally funded grants at MCW. Although recipients of federal grants retain ownership of their IP (as described in the FAQ), along with those rights come requirements that the patent and licensing status of inventions are reported to the funding agency via a government database called iEdison. Q: “If my invention derives from federally funded research, does the government own it?” A: No. The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 specifically gives nonprofit and small business recipients of federal research funding the right to retain ownership of IP developed under federal grants. This right comes with the proactive obligation to protect (via patents) and commercialize (via patent licensing) those federally funded technologies. For more information, please contact us. On January 21, OTD hosted a virtual Startup Showcase to highlight MCW spin-out companies. The event featured six entrepreneurs who presented their MCW-based startup's technology and recent business successes as well as a keynote address from seasoned MCW entrepreneurs Dr. Michael Mitchell and Dr. Aoy Tomita-Mitchell. Thank you to all the presenters for their willingness to make the 2021 Startup Showcase a reality! Keep an eye out for other events in future editions of Developments. One day in 1945, Raytheon employee Percy Spencer noticed that the candy bar in his pocket had melted while he was working near magnetrons, the devices that power radars. Percy further investigated by placing popcorn close to the magnetron, consequently making the world’s first microwaved popcorn. He continued working at Raytheon to make the first microwave oven, known as the “RadaRange,” and in 1950 received US Patent No. 2,495,429 for his invention titled “Method of treating foodstuffs.” VasoGnosis, a startup based on MCW intellectual property, was recently awarded a Phase I SBIR grant for “Development and Validation of Noninvasive High-Fidelity Serial Aneurysm Diagnostic Software." VasoGnosis was founded by Ali Bakhshinejad, PhD (a recent postdoctoral fellow at MCW), along with MCW faculty members Kevin Koch, PhD, and Andrew Nencka, PhD. Congratulations to VasoGnosis. Medical College of Wisconsin | 8701 Watertown Plank Road | Milwaukee, WI 53226 | United States Connect to MCW on Social |