Northwestern University has announced the creation of a new institute aimed at speeding up the development and adoption of advanced medical technologies. The Querrey-Simpson Institute for Translational Engineering for Advanced Medical Systems (QSI-TEAMS) is being established with $29 million in philanthropic funding from University Trustee Kimberly K. Querrey.
The institute's goal is to accelerate the process by which university research discoveries are translated into treatments and devices that can improve patient care. QSI-TEAMS will work at the intersection of engineering, science, and medicine to help identify clinical needs, conduct large-scale clinical studies on new technologies, and refine these technologies so they fit within existing clinical workflows. The initiative is designed to bridge academic advances in technology with commercialization efforts at Northwestern.
“Developing breakthrough medical technologies that alleviate suffering from disease is one of the noblest pursuits of human endeavor,” said President Henry S. Bienen. “Thanks to Kimberly Querrey’s visionary leadership and philanthropy, QSI-TEAMS will enhance the work of Northwestern researchers to get these new technologies to the patients’ bedside, where they are most needed.”
QSI-TEAMS will also provide guidance to researchers in the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics (QSIB) and other Northwestern centers funded by Querrey as they move their findings toward applications that can benefit patient care.
“QSI-TEAMS will accelerate the impact for some of Northwestern’s most transformative research,” said Vice President for Research Eric Perreault. “This generous gift will support new facilities and partnerships to enable rapid scaling, evaluation and deployment of medical technologies that deliver tangible benefits to those who need them most.”
Since its founding in 2016 and subsequent expansion in 2019, QSIB has focused on transforming human health through technological breakthroughs while training future leaders in both engineering and medicine. The institute consists of around 30 medical faculty members, 15 technical faculty collaborators, 300 undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and 200 graduate students. QSIB affiliates have published their findings widely—400 publications cited 150,000 times globally—and have disclosed over 150 inventions resulting in more than 120 patent applications filed; about half have been licensed commercially. They have also launched seven startups which together have attracted more than $150 million in additional funding and created approximately 200 technical jobs.
John A. Rogers, professor of materials science and engineering as well as biomedical engineering and neurological surgery at Northwestern, will lead QSI-TEAMS while continuing his role as director of QSIB.
“At QSIB, we have a proven track record of developing technologies that address important unmet clinical needs — publishing the results in the highest impact science journals and seeding the development of FDA-regulated medical devices,” Rogers said. “QSI-TEAMS will build upon these successes and reduce barriers to scaled deployment in medical settings. Through deep engagements with our clinical collaborators, we will now also have the capacity to co-author papers in the most competitive medical journals, with studies that optimize the benefits to patients and accelerate the translation process — all with tremendous educational value for our students.”
The institute will operate on both Northwestern’s Chicago and Evanston campuses. Support from Querrey is providing resources needed for immediate start-up—including funding for clinical experts, engineers, fellowships for MD/PhD students as well as equipment costs.
“We are delighted to launch QSI-TEAMS as another expansion of our efforts to bring innovation out of the lab and directly to patients,” said Christopher Schuh, dean of McCormick School of Engineering. “Kimberly’s vision and support help us fill critical gaps for scaling technologies and bridging into larger clinical trials. It helps advance a suite of strategic initiatives to support better connectivity between engineering and medicine at Northwestern.”
Querrey has previously supported numerous initiatives at Northwestern including several research centers such as: Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center; Kimberly K. Querrey & Louis A. Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics; Querrey InQbation Lab; Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics; Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer’s Disease; among others across STEM fields.
“In this moment of unprecedented possibility, investing in academic research has never been more vital,” Querrey said. “Northwestern already stands at the forefront, home to renowned research centers powered by visionary faculty. QSI-TEAMS will build the connective framework that unites these strengths, unlocking new pathways for discovery and empowering us to realize the full potential of our collective brilliance.”
In addition to her philanthropic contributions supporting research innovation at Northwestern across multiple disciplines—including a recently announced professorship in astrophysics—Querrey holds leadership roles on several Board committees related to research governance.