22/6/2015
IntendedforUSaudiencesonly(change)
Home HealthcareProfessionals
HOME
Pressroomhomepage
PRESSRELEASES
Seeourrecentpress
releases.
FEATURES/NEWS
Readaboutnoteworthy
events,profilesandother
initiatives.
MEDIACONTACTS
Findoutwhotocontactif
youareamemberofthe
media.
FACTSHEETSAND
INFORMATION
RESOURCES
Seeadditionalresources
forthemediasuchasfact settingswithlooseregulationsorlimitedresources,wherechallengescan
sheets,presskitsand
otherinformation.
POSITIONS/POLICIES
Readourpositionson
varioustopics.
SUSTAINABILITY
ReadourSustainability
Reportandthelatestnews
aboutourinitiatives.
INVESTORSRELATIONS
Readourannualreport,
proxystatementsand
otherfinancialinformation.
http://www.baxter.com/press_room/features/2014/baxter_young_investigator_awards_2014.html
BaxterShinesaSpotlightonInnovativeandLifeChangingResearchfromYoungScientists
Sitemap Contactus GO
Patients&Caregivers Partners&Suppliers Careers Investors News&Media AboutBaxter
>PressRoom>Features>2014
FeatureStory A A
Sendtoafriend
BaxterShinesaSpotlightonInnovativeandLife
ChangingResearchfromYoungScientists SocialBookmarking
Print
Sometimesthekeytosolvingacomplexhealthproblemcanbefoundin
somethingassmallasanotecard.
That'swhatAbigailWeaverhasbeenprovingthroughthedesignofapaper
basedanalyticaltoolthatcombinescolorproducingchemicalreactionswith AbigailWeaver,agraduatestudentat
papertomakeaninexpensive,portabletestforpharmaceuticals.Thesetest theUniversityofNotreDame,
cardsareabletogeneratea"colorbarcode"thatcanquicklydetermine presentsonherworkindevelopinga
whetherasampleisanauthenticpharmaceuticalorcounterfeit.Testingtakes paperbasedanalyticaltoolthatcan
onlysixminutes,requiresnolabequipment,andtodatehergrouphas serveasaninexpensive,portable
producedcolorbarcodesfor40differentpharmaceuticalingredients. testtodeterminewhethera
pharmaceuticalsampleisauthenticor
"Poorqualitydrugstendtomaketheirwayintocountriesinturmoil,orin counterfeit.
includeunreliableaccesstopowerandlackoftrainedpersonnel,"explained
Weaver,agraduatestudentattheUniversityofNotreDame."Wefeelthatthere
arewaystobringchemicalanalysisoutofthelabtomeetrealworldproblems
wheretheyexist."
WeaverisoneofsixemergingscientiststhatBaxterrecentlyrecognizedas
recipientsoftheBaxterYoungInvestigatorAward,createdtostimulateand
rewardresearchapplicabletothedevelopmentoftherapiesandmedical
productsthatsaveandsustainpatients'lives.Theawardees,whoeachreceive
a$2,000cashprize,wereinvitedtoBaxter'sRoundLake,Ill.,campusto HangRen,JooKang,Ph.D.,Michael
VanNiewenhze(onbehalfofErkin
presenttheirresearchtoBaxterscientistsandexecutivesandtoberecognized
attheawardsceremony. Kuru),PratikRanderia,Abigail
WeaverandShudiptoDishari,Ph.D.
"Ms.Weaver'sapplicationwasimpressiveonanumberoflevels,"shared wererecentlypresentedwithBaxter's
DennisJenke,oneofBaxter'sDistinguishedScientists,whohasabackground YoungInvestigatorAwardsfortheir
inthefieldofplastic/solutioncompatibility."Shewasabletosimplifythe researchrelatedtothedevelopment
oftherapiesandmedicalproducts
complex,developapplicabletechnologiesthatsupportanappropriatelevelof
thatsaveandsustainpatients'lives.
medicalcarethroughouttheglobalcommunity,andusethosetechnologies
duringherextensivefieldtestinginKenya.Thisaccomplishmentembodies
Baxter'sownprioritiesandcommitmenttoexpandingaccesstocare."
Toselecttheawardwinners,Baxterevaluatescandidatesbasedonseveral
criteria,includingthequalityoftheresearchitself,whethertheindividualhas
publishedhisorherworkinareputablejournalasafirstnamedauthor,has
scientificmediacoveragecommendingthework,orhasmadesignificant
stridesingoingbeyondtheconfinesofpriorworkoftheirresearchgroupby
novelcollaborationsorintroductionsofnewperspectives.
"Withthisaward,we'relookingforknockyoursocksoffinnovationthathasthe
potentialtoimpactclinicaltherapeutics,"saidBarrettRabinow,oneofBaxter's
DistinguishedScientists,whohasabackgroundindrugdelivery,
pharmaceuticalmodelingandnanotechnology,andspokeattheawards
ceremony."Itprovidesanavenuetoidentify,meet,reward,andpotentially
recruittheoutstandingtalentresponsibleforthisresearch.Anditprovidesan
enrichingeducationalopportunityforourownscientificcommunity."
Otherwinnerspresentedonadiversearrayofprojects.JooKang,Ph.D.,
HarvardUniversity,presentedonanextracorporealbloodcleansingbiospleen
forsepsistherapyShudiptoDishari,Ph.D.,PennsylvaniaStateUniversity,
focusedherresearchonunderstandingvirusretentionbehaviorofvirus
filtrationmembranesandErkinKuru,IndianaUniversity,wasrecognizedfor
researchintoapplyingdesignermoleculestobacterialsurfacesthatenable
themtobecomeflorescentandmoreeasilyobserved.HangRen,Universityof
Michigan,presentedonanelectrochemicalnitricoxidereleasesystemthat
improveshemocompatibilityandreducesbacterialbiofilmformationon
biomedicaldevices,addressingtheissueofcatheterrelatedbloodstream
infectionsthatcanresultinasmanyas28,000deathsandincreased
healthcarecostsofupto$2.3billionperyear.PratikRanderia,Northwestern
University,investigatedhowtopicallyappliedsphericalnucleicacid(SNA)
goldnanoparticleconjugatescanhelpincreasewoundhealinginthosewith
1/2
22/6/2015 BaxterShinesaSpotlightonInnovativeandLifeChangingResearchfromYoungScientists
diabetes.

"Thisaddressesabigproblemthereareapproximately20millionpeoplein
theU.S.whohaveType2diabetes,whoseskintakesmuchlongertoheal
whenwounded.In2010,morethan70,000amputationsintheU.S.alone
neededtobeperformed,"saidRanderia,agraduatestudentwithinChad
Mirkin'slaboratoryatNorthwestern."Ourapproachshoweddramatically
acceleratedwoundhealinginmice,andinadditiontopossiblybenefitting
thosewithdiabetes,wefeelthatSNAshavepotentialinavarietyofdifferent
skindisorders."

RabinownotesthatRanderia'sresearchissignificantasitaddressesamajor
medicalneed."Thisisanovel,practicalwayforgettingDNAtypetherapies
intothecell,potentiallypavingthewayforanexcitingeraofawholenewclass
ofpromisingdrugs,"hesaid.

Inadditiontothesixfirsttierwinners,11youngscientistswereselectedas
secondtierwinnersandawarded$500each(seefulllisthere).Theirresearch
alsopertainedtoinstrumentalandanalyticalsciences,lifesciences,medical
deviceengineering,orpharmaceuticalsciences,withemphasisonthe
potentialoftheresearchtosaveandsustainlives.Throughtherecognition
program,Baxterhopestohelptheseupandcomingresearchersadvance
theirprojectsandcareersandcontinuedownapathofscientificdiscoverythat
canultimatelyleadtoaddressingimportanthealthcareneeds.

"Ifwecanidentify,encourageandnurturepromisingyoungscientistsearlyin
theircareer,thenweincreasethelikelihoodthatthesehighachieverswill
realizetheirfullpotentialandproduceoutcomesthataretrulysignificantfor
mankindandwhichimprovethehumancondition,"saidJenke."It'smyhope
thatoneday,aYoungInvestigatorwillgoontoadistinguishedcareerinthe
sciencesthatculminatesinbecomingaNobelLaureate."

Copyright2015Baxter.Allrightsreserved Legaldisclaimer Privacy Linkingdisclaimer

http://www.baxter.com/press_room/features/2014/baxter_young_investigator_awards_2014.html 2/2