Boston Scientific Corp. has exercised its option to acquire the remaining shares of University of Iowa startup Farapulse Inc., which has developed a method for precisely and safely treating abnormal heart rhythms. Last September, Boston Scientific signed an investment agreement with an option to acquire Farapulse (originally Iowa Approach), a company founded by UI Assistant Professor of Internal...

Research on faulty genetic material by University of Iowa (UI) Carver College of Medicine professor Christopher Ahern recently was licensed by Tevard Biosciences, a company that is seeking to treat certain forms of epilepsy. However, the innovative UI treatment approach being developed by Tevard holds the promise of becoming a platform with medical applications far beyond those for epilepsy. The...

With federal funding from the Iowa Governor’s Office, researchers at the University of Iowa are working to help create a nanovaccine that would protect against the virus that causes COVID-19 and be administered via nasal spray rather than a needle. On Thursday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she has set aside $2 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (or CARES) Act funding to...

The State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) has been in the spotlight since the beginning of the COVD-19 pandemic. It’s won widespread praise—including from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Board of Regents—for the dedication of its staff as it’s expanded its capabilities to meet explosive demand for testing. The lab is fast approaching having conducted half a million COVID-19 tests since February and...

The following message from Vice President for Research Marty Scholtz was shared with campus on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Research and scholarship are foundational missions of the University of Iowa, and we are very impressed with your resiliency, determination and perseverance during the last two months as we have been away from our campus. I know many of you are understandably anxious to return to...

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named University of Iowa cystic fibrosis and gene therapy researcher John Engelhardt, PhD, a 2019 Fellow. Engelhardt, who is professor and head of anatomy and cell biology in the UI Carver College of Medicine and director of the UI Center for Gene Therapy, is recognized for his work in developing gene therapies to treat cystic fibrosis (CF). The...

It’s never too early to start strategizing about how to write a winning grant proposal that will get attention and bring in research funding. A long-respected program that helps faculty and other research team members do just that, the Write Winning Grant Proposals seminar, will be offered on the University of Iowa campus Oct. 25. The event will be presented by John D. Robertson, Ph.D., a managing...

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named University of Iowa neurosurgeon and entrepreneur Matthew Howard, M.D., a 2018 fellow. Howard, who is the John C. VanGilder Chair in Neurosurgery and head of the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery, will receive the award during an induction ceremony at Space Center Houston in Texas on April 11. He is the...

A system designed by a University of Iowa ophthalmologist that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect diabetic retinopathy without a person interpreting the results earned Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization in April, following a clinical trial in primary care offices. Results of that study were published Aug. 28 online in Nature Digital Medicine, offering the first look at data...

University of Iowa startup and medical device developer iotaMotion Inc. has raised $2 million in a seed financing round to fuel the development of novel robotic systems for cochlear implantation surgery. The company says its technology, based on research within the UI Carver College of Medicine's Department of Otolaryngology, will enable surgeons to achieve more precise, individualized solutions...

Fresh thyme and oregano usually offer a savory touch to a tasty dish, but a University of Iowa researcher recently discovered natural compounds in the herbs that may offer a treatment for cachexia or “wasting syndrome” as it is more commonly known. Wasting syndrome is characterized by a loss of weight and muscle atrophy, and largely found in patients who suffer from cancer, kidney disease, chronic...

Recognizing a year of innovation, scholarship and service, the University of Iowa Celebrating Excellence: Discovery and Innovation Awards Ceremony was held April 24.