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Welcome to UNM Rainforest Innovations

Past Recipients of Gap Funding

For more information on past recipients, please contact UNM Rainforest Innovations at info@innovations.unm.edu or at (505) 272-7900.

2022

Projects Funded By UNM RI

  • Two-Dimensional Silicon Carbide: Angstrom Level Semiconductor Technology: Dr. Sakineh Chabi, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
  • Multi-Pass Asymmetric Confocal Cavity (MPACC): Dr. Mansoor Sheik-Bahae, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
  • Spray Drying of Essential Oil-based Larvicides: Dr. Ivy Hurwitz, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Center for Global Health
  • hiPSC-based High-Throughput Screening of Novel CCKBR scFV for Treating Acute and Chronic Pain in Female Patients: Dr. Karin Westlund High and Dr. Sascha Alles, Dept. of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine

2021

Projects Funded By UNM RI

  • Two-Dimensional Silicon Carbide: The New Wonder Material: Dr. Sakineh Chabi, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
  • Colorimetric Ionizing Radiation Detector: Dr. Fernando Garzon and Dr. Kannan Ramaiyan, Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials
  • MACSLA: A Device for Characterization and Quality Control of Active Optical Fibers: Dr. Arash Mafi, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Center for High Technology Materials
  • Drifteen: Dr. Matthew McDuffie, Dept. of Film and Digital Arts

2020

Projects Funded By UNM RI

  • Mechanical Vibrating Mesh Atomizer: Dr. Nathan Jackson, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Center for High Technology Materials
  • Lipase Inhibitors to Prevent Rancidity in Expressed Human Milk During Storage: Dr. Jason McConville and Dr. Katherine Zychowski, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences

2014

Projects Funded By UNM RI

  • NORBIRT & DANBIRT Therapeutics to Control Chronic Neuropathic Pain: Dr. Erin Milligan and Dr. Jeff Norenberg, Dept. of Neurosciences and Dept. of Pharmacy Practices & Administrative Sciences
  • A Novel System for Controlled XeF2 Etching of Si: Industrial and Laboratory Applications: Dr. Zayd Leseman, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Projects Selected for Possible Funding by UNM Main Campus or HSC’s CTS Program
  • Combination Treatment with 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine and 5-formyl-2′-deoxyuridine for Cancer Therapy: Dr. Yoshihiro Matsumoto, Cancer Research & Treatment Center
  • Coupled-cavity Photo-acoustics Spectroscopy and Sensing (CC-PASS): Dr. Mansoor Sheik-Bahae and Dr. Alexander Albrecht, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy
  • Peptide Functionalized Fluorescent Monovalent Quantum Dots: Dr. Diane Lidke and Patrick Johnson, Dept. of Pathology and Dept. of Nanoscience & Microsystems

New Mexico Angels Projects

  • Investigation of Isoxsuprine Hydrochloride as a Novel Stroke Therapeutic: Dr. Jeff Hill, Dept. of Neurosurgery
  • EFGR/MAPK Pathway Effectors as Novel Targets in HPV-Positive Tumors (Warts and Squamous Cell Carcinomas): Dr. Michelle Ozbun, Dept. of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
  • NORBIRT & DANBIRT Therapeutics to Control Chronic Neuropathic Pain: Dr. Erin Milligan and Dr. Jeff Norenberg, Dept. of Neurosciences and Dept. of Pharmacy Practices & Administrative Sciences
  • A Novel System for Controlled XeF2 Etching of Si: Industrial and Laboratory Applications: Dr. Zayd Leseman, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering
  • MEMS Multi-Direction-Looking Ultrasonic Imager for Minimally-Invasive Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: Jingkuang Chen, Ph.D., Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering (School of Engineering)
  • Innovative Drug Discovery for Proprietary UNM Intellectual Property: Larry A. Sklar, Ph.D. & UNM NIH Roadmap Team (New Mexico Molecular Libraries Screening Center), Dept. of Pathology (School of Medicine), College of Pharmacy, Cancer Research & Treatment Center

2013

  • Magnetodynamic Activation of 13C- Acyl-Isoniazid (hINH)1: Graham Timmins, Ph.D., Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (College of Pharmacy)
  • At Last: Inexpensive Ultrafast Telecom Optical Receivers with Ultra Low-Cost Photodetector Technology: Majeed Hayat, Ph.D.and Payman Zarkesh-Ha, Ph.D., Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Center for High Tech Materials (School of Engingeering)
  • Parallel Systems for High Throughput Flow Cytometry: Steven Graves, Ph.D. and Dr. Andrew Shreve, Ph.D., Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and Center for Biomedical Engineering (School of Engineering)
  • A Blood Biomarker for Early Blood Brain Barrier Damage in Ischemic Stroke: Wenlan Liu, Ph.D and Ke J. (Jim) Liu, Ph.D., Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and BRaIN Center (College of Pharmacy)

New Mexico Angels Projects

  • A Novel and Improved Fungal-Based Agricultural Biopesticide: Ravi Durvasula, Ph.D., Department of Internal Medicine (School of Medicine)
  • Parallel Systems for High Throughput Flow Cytometry: Steven Graves, Ph.D. and Dr. Andrew Shreve, Ph.D., Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and Center for Biomedical Engineering (School of Engineering)
  • At Last: Inexpensive Ultrafast Telecom Optical Receivers with Ultra Low-Cost Photodetector Technology: Majeed Hayat, Ph.D.and Payman Zarkesh-Ha, Ph.D., Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Center for High Tech Materials (School of Engingeering)
  • Curing “Ouch Mouth”: The Development of Lobocaine: Jason McConille, Ph.D., Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (College of Pharmacy)

2012

  • A New Generation of Polymer Concrete: Mahmoud Reda Taha, Ph.D., Department of Civil Engineering (School of Engineering)
  • Small GTPases as Novel Targets in Ovarian Cancer Treatment: Angela Wandinger-Ness, Ph.D., Carolyn Muller, M.D., and Laurie Hudson, Ph.D., Departments of Pathology, Obstretrics & Gynecology, and Pharmaceutical Sciences (School of Medicine and College of Pharmacy)
  • A Novel Class of Multi-Colored Recombinant Antibodies: Ravi Durvasula, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine: Center for Global Health (School of Medicine)
  • A Novel Real-Time Fault Prediction and Detection System for Solar Hot Water Systems: Andrea Mammoli, Ph.D., Thomas Caudell, Ph.D., Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering (School of Engineering)

New Mexico Angels Projects

  • Therapeutic Potential of Tyrosine Phosphatase STEP in Ischemic Brain Injury: Surojit Paul, Ph.D., Department of Neurology (UNM Health Sciences Center)
  • Electrospun Fiber Mats from Low Tg Ploymers: Elizabeth L. Dirk, Ph.D., Department of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering (School of Engineering)
  • Preclinical Development of a Mesoporous Silica Supported Lipid Bilayer Nanoparticles (Protocells) for Targeted Drug Delivery and Imaging of Diverse Cancers in vivo: Eric Carnes, Ph.D., Chemical & Nuclear Engineering (School of Engineering)

2011

  • Intra-Cavity Enhanced Cryogenic Optical Refrigerator (ICECORE): Mansoor Sheik-Bahae, Ph.D., Dept. of Physics & Astronomy (School of Arts & Sciences)
  • Novel Prophylactic Treatments of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy by Targeting Early CI Transporter Pathology in the Deep Entorhinal Cortex: Wolfgang Mueller, M.D., Ph.D., Dept. of Neurosurgery (School of Medicine)
  • Receptor-Targeting Radionuclide Therapy of Melanoma: Yubin Miao, Ph.D., College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences

2010

  • IBD and Anti-Inflammatory Herbal Teas: Robert Orlando, Ph.D., Dorothy J. and David L. Vander Jagt, Ph.D. (collaborators), Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Biocides: Research and Development Towards Practical Application: David Whitten, Ph.D., Dept. of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and Center for Biomedical Engineering

2009

  • Development of Monoclonal Antibodies to Hyperglycosylated hCG: Laurence Cole, Ph.D. and Bryce Chackerian, Ph.D., Depts. of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • Thin-Film Heat Switches for Energy Generation and Cooling: PyroElectric/ElectroCaloric Heat Engines—PEECHE: Kevin Malloy, Ph.D. and Richard Epstein, PhD., Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Center for High Technology Materials and Los Alamos National Labs
  • Preclinical Studies of NM031—A Stable Isotope-Enhanced Tuberculosis Drug: Graham Timmins, Ph.D., College of Pharmacy
  • Three-Step Preparation of Anticonvulsant Lyrica and Analgesic Baclofen Using Environmentally Friendly Organocatalytic Asymmetric Processes: Wei Wang, Ph.D., Dept. of Chemistry & Chemical Biology

2008

  • Multiplex Immunosensors for Rapid Diagnostics of Infectious Disease: Plamen Atanassov, Ph.D., Gabriel Lopez, Ph.D., Dmitri Ivnitski, Ph.D., Ravil Sitdikov, Ph.D., Dept. of Chemical & Nuclear Engineering, CHTM, Center for Micro-Engineered Materials (School of Engineering); Stephen Young, Ph.D., TriCore Reference Labs, Depts. of Pathology and Molecular Genetics & Microbiology (School of Medicine)
  • A New Virus-Like Particle Display System for Vaccine Development: Bryce Chackerian, Ph.D., David Peabody, Ph.D., Dept. of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, School of Medicine
  • Inhibition of Dialysis-Induced Inflammation: David VanderJagt, Ph.D., Vallabh O. Shah, Ph.D., Lorraine Deck, Ph.D., Depts. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Internal Medicine (School of Medicine), Dept. of Chemistry (College of Arts & Sciences)

2007

  • MEMS Multi-Direction-Looking Ultrasonic Imager for Minimally-Invasive Medical Diagnosis & Treatment: Jingkuang Chen, Ph.D., Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering (School of Engineering)
  • Innovative Drug Discovery for Proprietary UNM Intellectual Property: Larry A. Sklar, Ph.D. & UNM NIH Roadmap Team (New Mexico Molecular Libraries Screening Center), Dept. of Pathology (School of Medicine), College of Pharmacy, Cancer Research & Treatment Center