Driving discoveries: IU's innovation in biosciences improves human health
Recently, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten sat down withRichard DiMarchi, distinguished professor of Chemistry and the Chair of the Linda & JackGill Center of Biomolecular Sciences, to talk about his pioneering research that’s transforming the treatment of obesity worldwide.
Their discussion focused on Professor DiMarchi’s research that earned the Mani L. Bhaumik Breakthrough of the Year Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the ever-growing conversation of obesity viewed as a disease, and how injectable treatment for obesity was stagnant in the pharmaceutical industry. With support of the $138 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant, IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences (IU LAB) will provide more initiatives and opportunities for future bioscience research in the State of Indiana.
In alignment with IU 2030: The Indiana University Strategic Plan, Professor DiMarchi commented on how IU LAB is an example of service to our State and beyond. “This state, this city was the first in biomedicine. The technology that we know as biotechnology was advanced to be medicines that benefit society right here. Indiana should pride itself in being first in biomedicine.”
Watch the video interview
Learn more about IU LAB
State Update
The Indiana General Assembly reconvened for the second half of session this week. After their one-week break, the 334 bills that made it through their originating chamber have switched sides and will now go through the same process in the opposite chamber. This Statehouse Update provides a summary of bills the team is tracking and that moved during the ninth week of session.
Read the State Update
Federal Update
This week’s Federal Update covers Congressional, Executive Branch and Judicial Branch activities of interest in Washington, D.C.
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Economic Engagement Update
IU Venture Summit 2025
The 4th annual IU Founders & Funders Network Venture Summit will take place May 15-16 in Bloomington. The Venture Summit provides members of IU’s startup ecosystem the chance to connect with industry leaders and potential partners, build relationships to support their endeavors, and learn about innovative startups and investment opportunities.
This year’s event will feature a keynote speech from IU alum Matt Hay, best-selling author, TEDx speaker, congressional lobbyist, public health doctoral candidate and serves as the Director of Advocacy for a rare disease biopharma company; a fireside chat with IU alum and faculty Dr. Richard DiMarchi,a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Inventors Hall of Fame and co-founder of eight successful biotechnology start-up companies; includes two panel sessions with VCs who will share their perspectives on economic trends, investment themes, and strategies for startup founders; and a series of events highlighting AI insights, among other sessions and speakers.
Register for the Venture Summit
Silicon Valley Venture Challenge puts Kelley Direct online MBA students’ ideas in front of investors
Other business programs may invite professionals to campus to evaluate pitches, or the experience may account for only a percentage of their final grade. Donald F. Kuratko is unaware of any other business school that takes online MBA students to Silicon Valley, where 100 percent of their grade is based on their performance in their pitch sessions. He’s been doing it since 2015. “Having the opportunity to pitch to potential investors in Silicon Valley was an incredibly valuable experience, providing feedback that propelled me forward and helped shape the entrepreneur I am today,” said Benton Miller, 2024 Kelley Direct graduate.
Read about the program
IU in the News
Indiana’s first mobile lung screening program launches
A collaborative partnership between theIndiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer CenterandIU Health, the mobile lung screening program launched with a ribbon-cutting celebration at Tom Wood Aviation in Fishers, Indiana. The program will begin screening eligible high-risk Hoosiers immediately with scheduled stops this month in Blackford, Jay and Bartholomew counties. The program will then head to Clark, Ohio and Hancock counties in April. With care provided by IU Health, the mobile unit will provide approximately 2,000 scans in 2025 with the program coordinating follow-up care for patients within their local communities.
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Research Impact: Kelley researcher develops AI solutions for cybersecurity, mental health
Addressing society’s most critical challenges often requires interdisciplinary collaboration, something that Indiana University’sSagar Samtanihas made central to his research. Working with students and faculty collaborators from across the IU Bloomington campus, he focuses his research on building AI techniques to address issues in cybersecurity, mental health analytics and business intelligence.
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IU-led international team discovers new gene and associated genetic disorder
An international team of researchers led by the Indiana University School of Medicine has recently linked a previously uncharacterized gene to a human disorder for the first time. This breakthrough led to the diagnosis of an ultrarare neurodevelopmental disorder for a patient of the Undiagnosed Rare Disease Clinic (URDC), located at Riley Hospital for Children. "Novel gene discovery in human clinical genetics refers to identification and characterization of a gene that was already there in the genome but was previously not associated with a disorder or disease," explainedFrancesco Vetrini, PhD, MSc,the clinic’s co-director and an assistant professor of clinical medical and molecular genetics at the IU School of Medicine. "This process is complex and can take years, and it involves cutting-edge genomic technologies."
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