The UVA Patent Foundation announced the 2010 Edlich-Henderson Inventors of the Year last night in a ceremony in the Dome Room of the Rotunda. In addition to University recognition, the honorees received a $10,000 cash award.
Professors Kevin Lynch and Timothy Macdonald were recognized for their work in the intersection of chemistry and biomedicine. Lynch and Macdonald work with two of the body’s molecules—sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), which regulates the immune system, and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a lipid in the bloodstream. These molecules can influence cell growth and, according to a release from the UVA Patent Foundation, could be beneficial in the study of cancer, fibrosis and immunity disorders.
The inventors began working with these molecules in 1992 and have received the first research grant of its kind from the National Institutes of Health in 1994. Lynch and Macdonald discovered that, by creating molecules that either block or copy S1P and LPA, they could find solutions to certain diseases.
More after the photo.
Kevin Lynch (at the podium) thanks his colleage Timothy Macdonald (right) for years of groundbreaking work.
"We didn’t know at that time why this lipid was there," said Lynch. "We didn’t know how it was made, we didn’t know how cells sensed it and we didn’t know how it was destroyed. It turned out to be a terrific area to work in."
Macdonald is the first inventor to win a second award. He was named Inventor of the Year in 1997 along with Richard Guerrant for their work on malnutrition in children in undeveloped countries.
Miette Michie, interim director and CEO of the UVA Patent Foundation, updated those present on changes that the foundation has undergone or that will soon take place. Changes include the addition of a non-UVA member to the board of directors, and the creation of an advisory panel comprised of local community members and UVA faculty members charged with analyzing the feasibility and legalization of patents.
The third and most significant change, however, is the imminent addition of a new position—Executive Director of Tech Transfer—which will work within the office of the Vice President of Research Thomas Skalak.