are active faculty, scientists and administrators who have demonstrated remarkable innovation producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. They also have growing success in patents, licensing and commercialization, while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.

“Recognition from NAI is a tremendous accomplishment, and we are extremely proud of these UofL innovators,” said Jon Klein, interim executive vice president for research and innovation. “The research-backed technologies they are developing have the potential to diagnose, treat and cure disease and improve the way we live and work. I look forward to seeing them continue to develop these innovations into practical solutions to real world problems.”

The four inventors selected from UofL, the only ones from Kentucky, are:��

• Thad Druffel, and the . Druffel’s work focuses on solar power, including via his startup, ��which is commercializing a technology meant to make solar power more accessible.��
• Nobuyuki Matoba, . Matoba’s work focuses on tackling devastating diseases, inflammatory bowel disease and cancer, through new vaccines, immunotherapeutics and treatments that leverage protein engineering and plant-based biotechnology.��For his work, Matoba was named UofL’s 2023 Innovator of the Year.��
• Thomas Roussel, Speed School. Roussel focuses on microfabricated/COTS sensor technologies and custom instrumentation, all in support of the development of analytical techniques for environmental studies, orthopedic and rehabilitation platforms, as well as biomedical diagnostic applications.��
• Jagannadh Satyavolu, Speed School and the Conn Center. Satyavolu has a way to leverage spent bourbon stillage to make greener energy solutions and other products, including through his startup, BioProducts LLC.��

UofL and its provide robust support for inventors working to develop and commercialize the technologies emerging from their research, including intellectual property protection, entrepreneurial coaching and product development grants and training. The goal is to translate academic research into products that can save and improve lives.��

In the past fiscal year, UofL was awarded 38 new patents, secured 11 licenses, launched three new startups and brought in a total of $1.4 million in innovation income, including patent royalties and licensing. Over its 25-year history of commercializing research, UofL has been awarded more than 350 U.S. patents, formed nearly 50 startups still in operation and has created countless new products and services positively impacting people here and beyond. For those successes, UofL ranks among the for patents awarded.��

“This year’s class of Senior Members is truly a testament to…what happens when the academic space encourages and celebrates invention and commercialization,” said Paul R. Sanberg, President of NAI. “We are proud to welcome these outstanding academic inventors to the Academy and look forward to supporting and celebrating them as they continue in their innovation journeys.”

UofL researchers can begin their inventor journey , and industry interested in licensing UofL IP can find a full listing of available technologies . ��

“Innovation is absolutely critical to the University of Louisville’s mission,” said UofL President, Neeli Bendapudi. “It’s what drives us, inspires us, and it’s a big part of what makes us a great place to learn, work and invest — our three most important goals as a university.”��

The event, hosted by the and the honored UofL innovators who had recently been awarded a patent or whose technology had been licensed to a company for commercialization.��

“Our researchers and innovators do tremendous work with the power to change and improve lives,” said Allen Morris, executive director of the Commercialization EPI-Center, formerly the Office of Technology Transfer. “That’s what this event is about — celebrating them, and the work they do.”

Two large awards were also presented: Susan Ildstad was given the Innovator of the Year Award and John O. Trent was given the Career Impact Award. Each took home a red-and-black glass flame — the symbol for the event.��

Ildstad’s company, Talaris, recently to develop a therapy invented at UofL that could improve the lives of kidney transplant recipients. The technology, which just entered its phase three clinical trials, could allow living donor kidney transplant recipients to stay off immunosuppression drugs, which they would otherwise need for the rest of their lives.

Likewise, Trent has a long a history of collaborating on technologies, particularly in . Some of his notable inventions include AS1411, novel PFK inhibitors for fighting the spread of cancer and his natural product hand cream for DNA repair, now licensed to and in clinical development by Repairogen.��

Robert S. Keynton, interim executive vice president for Research and Innovation, said this year has been a at UofL. In 2019, he said, UofL saw more research disclosures of new innovations, more commercialization deals and more innovation income.

Keynton also noted several success stories that had gained attention over the past year: One team, he said, developed a new method of , extending its shelf life for the battlefield, rural areas and even space travel. Another team developed a way to , which could have huge impacts for our environment. And yet another is helping people .

“The work you do is significant,” he said. “The work you do is important. The work you do has impact. And I’m proud to be part of it, both as the Interim EVPRI and as an inventor myself.”

Check out some of our innovators:��

The startup, Pascal Tags, was founded by��J.B. Speed School of Engineering student, Brandon Young, and recent College of Business graduate, Haley Pfeiffer. Young will pitch the company’s�� at the competition in November at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in Alexandria, Virginia.����

“For Pascal Tags, I think the opportunity is potentially once in a life time,” Young said. “It is very humbling being the first representative from the state of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.”

He and other collegiate finalists will present��their inventions to a panel of judges that includes National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees and USPTO officials and showcase their work at the Collegiate Inventors Competition Expo.

“We will get to present and discuss our technology with very distinguished individuals from the Hall of Fame, compete against other great innovators, and reach an audience most innovators do not have the chance to in college,” Young said.

Pascal Tags, a , has developed smart tags that��help track inventory.��Young invented the technology with his faculty mentor, Dr. Thad Druffel of the UofL Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research.��

The team worked with the UofL to protect and commercialize their intellectual property.��Pascal Tags also participated in UofL’s entrepreneurship training and the����site program��for translational research.��

“This is great honor and opportunity for Brandon and the University,” Druffel said. “With a good idea and a lot of hard work, Brandon has definitely earned his place among the top collegiate innovators.”��

Keynton is a professor and the Lutz Endowed Chair of Biomechanical Devices of the Department of Bioengineering at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering. Keynton was founding chair of the bioengineering department, which under his tenure grew into the most productive basic and translational research department in the Speed School. He is also the director of research initiatives in the office of the executive vice president for research and innovation.

“I am humbled by the nomination and support from my colleagues at UofL and I am truly honored to have been selected to be a member of the National Academy of Inventors and to be associated with such a prestigious group,” Keynton said. ��

Keynton’s research focuses on Lab-on-a-Chip devices, microsensors, biomedical devices and biomaterials. He joined UofL in 1999 and has co-founded three companies with UofL colleagues. His career has centered on multidisciplinary research, which includes more than $51 million of funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation and the Veterans Administration.

“Professor Robert S. Keynton is a leader in research and innovation at UofL and the nation and around the world,” said William Pierce, UofL executive vice president for research and innovation, who was named an NAI Fellow in 2015. “As founder of our department of bioengineering, he has��built a talented faculty as he built his own research efforts.��He has brought in many millions of research��dollars in research funding individually and has led or helped lead development of our Nanotechnology Center, our Coulter Project initiative, our REACH (NIH) for proof-of-concept centers, and our NSF I-Corps Centers to provide opportunity for so many.��Currently he leads efforts that will provide opportunities for untold numbers of students, fellows and future alumni.��We are proud to have Rob as one of our leading innovators, inventors and scientists.”

Keynton is the fifth UofL researcher to be named an NAI Fellow. In addition to Pierce in 2015, honorees have been Suzanne T. Ildstad, MD, and Kevin M. Walsh in 2014 and Paula J. Bates in 2016.

With the election of the 2017 class there are 912 representing more than 250 research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes. The 2017 Fellows are named inventors on nearly 6,000 issued U.S. patents, bringing the collective patents held by all NAI Fellows to more than 32,000 issued U.S. patents.

The new NAI Fellows will be inducted April 5 as part of the of the National Academy of Inventors at the Mayflower Hotel, Autograph Collection in��Washington, DC.