Karen Colley Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs | University Of Illinois At Chicago
The University of Illinois has announced the recipients of the 2025 Chancellor’s Translational Research Initiative awards. The initiative aims to support innovative research projects across various disciplines.
Adam Cross from the College of Medicine Peoria, Department of Pediatrics, was recognized for his work on the Pulmonary Acoustic Sensor Telemetry Array. Oliver Keyhani from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, received an award for discovering a new antibiotic derived from ambrosia beetle fungi.
Divya Bijukumar at the College of Medicine Rockford, Department of Biomedical Sciences, developed the EVNaturoPatch—an exosome-releasing microneedle patch designed for delivering pain management therapies. Aslihan Karatas from the College of Engineering's Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering created a window diagnostic tool aimed at enhancing occupants’ safety and indoor environmental quality in commercial buildings.
Sushant Anand, also from the College of Engineering but within the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, was awarded for creating an ultra-fast paper-based PCR device intended for affordable home diagnostics. Steve Lee from the College of Pharmacy's Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences worked on developing a human CD40 agonist antibody as part of a cancer vaccine effort.
Ying Liu in Chemical Engineering proposed a peptide-lipid nanoparticle-based siRNA therapy targeting lung fibrosis. Zongmin Zhao from Pharmaceutical Sciences researched nanoparticle-decorated myeloid-derived suppressor cells for immunotherapy against multiple sclerosis.
Tanvi Bhatt from Applied Health Sciences' Physical Therapy department designed FRATS—a cloud-based AI-powered system to assess fall risks. Sojin Shikano in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics focused on adoptive T cell transfer therapy for treating inflammatory bowel diseases.
Each awardee's contributions reflect significant advancements in their respective fields with potential societal benefits.