Transfer to Transform 2025
Guiding Ideas to Solutions
A hospital environment is a fertile ecosystem for new ideas. Innovators from every corner of the organization – from surgeons, doctors and nurses to research staff – have unique perspectives on what can help a patient, or a fellow clinician or a scientist.
The Office of Technology Commercialization at Nationwide Children’s Hospital facilitates the transfer of new technologies, research and innovations to outside partners to benefit pediatric care, our community and the general public.
Message from Leadership
Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE
President of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute
Nationwide Children's Hospital
At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we understand the importance of translating innovative work beyond our walls and into the world. New technologies drive economic development in our local, national and global ecosystem and most importantly, improve pediatric care. The Office of Technology Commercialization exists to ensure that the necessary partnerships are in place to execute this important function.
At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we are deeply committed to translating cutting-edge research into real-world solutions that benefit children and families. Over the years, we have fostered a vibrant ecosystem where our clinicians, researchers and industry partners work together to bring breakthrough technologies from the laboratory, and bedside, to the marketplace. This collaboration accelerates the development of novel treatments, devices and therapies, ensuring that they reach the patients who need them the most.
Our commercialization and technology transfer activities are a key pillar of this mission. By identifying high-potential innovations and forging strategic partnerships with industry leaders, we aim to bridge the gap between groundbreaking scientific discoveries and their widespread application in healthcare. Through our dedicated team, we manage intellectual property, support commercialization efforts and guide entrepreneurs and startups through the complex journey of bringing their innovations to fruition.
We believe that the future of pediatric care hinges on fostering a strong culture of innovation, collaboration and shared purpose. As the health care landscape continues to evolve, we are excited about the opportunities ahead and are eager to expand our impact through continued partnerships and knowledge exchange. As you read the following pages of this report, I hope it is clear to you the commitment that Nationwide Children’s Hospital has made to impacting the lives of children everywhere through its innovation and commercialization efforts. I am truly honored to be a part of this team, and humbled daily by the amazing individuals that drive our commercialization engine.
Scott Harper, PhD and Paul Martin, PhD
Jerry R. Mendell Center for Gene Therapy
The collaborative research of Scott Harper, PhD and Paul Martin, PhD, embodies the spirit of innovative research and discovery. To recognize their dedication, creativity, collaboration, and impact, on behalf of the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) at Nationwide Children’s, Abigail Wexner Research Institute President Dennis Durbin, MD, presented Drs. Harper and Martin with the 2024 Excellence in Innovation Award during the AWRI Annual Research Retreat on November 13, 2024.
Is Vironexis the Future of Immunotherapy?
Despite significant advances in treatments, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally. Traditional therapies, while improving patient outcomes, still have limitations – such as the need for frequent dosing, complex and costly manufacturing and severe side effects. These challenges are driving the search for more effective and sustainable solutions. One of the most promising cancer treatment innovations is gene therapy, which offers a targeted approach to treating cancer cells while minimizing damage to health tissue At the forefront of this innovation is Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where researchers have developed a technology that produces an off-the-shelf, single-dose treatment designed to address the short-comings of current immunotherapies.
More Than One REMEDY for Genetic Disorders
The field of gene therapy has had some astounding success in recent years – much of which emerged from labs at Nationwide Children’s Hospital – but it has also stumbled over some serious logistical roadblocks. Meisam Naeimi Kararoudi, DVM, PhD, director of the CRISPR/Gene Editing Core at Nationwide Children’s developed a new approach to correcting heterozygous mutations and other novel techniques for gene editing and this is transforming the potential to combat disease.
Innovative Highchair Design Revolutionizes Pediatric Care
Highchairs provide a safe, stable seating option during meals and interactions with family, friends and staff, promoting normalcy and supporting developmental needs. However, the design and adaptability of highchairs for all children are somewhat limited. The collaboration between Nationwide Children’s Office of Technology Commercialization and Columbus College of Art & Design has led to the creation of a novel highchair designed to benefit children’s health.
Transforming Pediatric Orthopedic Care
At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Department of Orthopedics drives pediatric health care innovation through collaborations that bridge clinical expertise and technological advancement. Specializing in areas like spinal deformities, trauma care and sports medicine, the team addresses unique developmental needs to create solutions tailored for children. Central to this effort is the Center for Orthopedic Innovation, which works alongside the Office of Technology Commercialization to transform groundbreaking ideas into practical applications.
Revolutionizing Genomic Data Management and Interpretation
When it comes to working with big data, it doesn’t get much bigger than the human genome. Each of our genomes has approximately 6 billion data points, half from one’s mother and half from one’s father. Compared to the human reference genome, an individual typically harbors 4-5 million genetic variants, a large number of which may be unique to that person. Understanding the impact of these variants and their multitude of interactions is crucial to improving our health and management of disease, particularly in pediatric cancer and rare diseases.
Clinicians and researchers use various genome sequencing approaches to identify genetic variants that may be causing a child’s cancer or disease. Discerning which variants are potentially causative in each case can be a daunting task.
Available Technologies
Our portfolio of over 200 available technologies developed by our innovative researchers and clinicians is diverse and ever-growing. They span a wide array of research fi elds and categories of market applications and range from early-stage innovations to market-ready products.
Types of innovations include:
- Biomarkers
- End User Innovations
- Gene Therapies
- Therapeutics
- Tissue Engineering Innovations
- Research and Clinical Tools
Startups
The Office of Technology Commercialization at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, led by Margaret Barkett, PhD, facilitates the transfer of new technologies, research and innovations to outside partners to benefit pediatric care, the local community and the general public..
2024 Metrics
*A contributor is any Nationwide Children's faculty or staff member who submitted one or more invention disclosures.
*2024 Revenue unavailable at time of publish