Spring is shaping up to be a time of transformation for Partners HealthCare Innovation, formerly known as Partners Research Ventures & Licensing (RVL).

The department, which supports medical innovation and inventions across Partners institutions, is introducing a new brand and new name.

“The new department name, Innovation, reflects a broader vision of the opportunity and requirements of creating new products based on the breakthroughs of thousands of Partners employees—in the clinic, the lab and all aspects of providing care,” said Innovation Vice President Chris Coburn. “It captures a promise to engage innovators—old and new—in every aspect of the Partners organization and to work collaboratively with them to improve care through the commercial application of their creativity.”

Branching Into a New Space

In addition to a new moniker, the team recently opened two satellite offices at BWH and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)—on the third floor of One Brigham Circle and at MGH’s Simches Research Center, respectively. These new offices serve as permanent spaces for Innovation staff to work with BWH and MGH innovators. Licensing managers and members of the department’s Transactional Affairs Group are there to brainstorm, problem-solve and answer general questions regarding the Innovation office and the innovation process.

Inaugural Innovation Development Grants

Innovation also recently named the inaugural recipients of its Innovation Development Grants (IDG) program. Partners established this $1 million grant program to accelerate the creation of new products and foster innovation across the community. Seven BWH researchers were selected to receive IDG grants, out of a total of 20 recipients. The grant value is up to $50,000 each, and recipients were selected from a pool of nearly 350 applications.

Below are this year’s BWH winners:

Biotherapeutics for Vein Graft Disease
Masanori Aikawa, MD, PhD
Cardiovascular Division

Novel Treatments for Kidney Diseases
Joseph Bonventre, MD, PhD
Renal Medicine

Pulmonary Embolism Readmission Prediction System
Raul San Jose Estepar, PhD
Radiology

Epidural Catheter With Anchor
Ronald Hurley, MD
Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine

Portable Magnetic Resonance Lung Density Monitor for ICU
Samuel Patz, PhD
Radiology

A New Method for Identifying Antigens for Vaccines
Gerald Pier, PhD
Infectious Disease

Nonsurgical Alternative to Gastric Bypass for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Ali Tavakkoli, MD
Gastrointestinal and General Surgery

The IDG program is open to Partners faculty and employees in clinical and research fields, as well as other important areas such as finance, human resources and information systems. Ideas that can lead to the development of a medical device, drug, diagnostic, software or other product that can ultimately improve the health of patients were eligible for submission.

The goal of the program is to accelerate the commercialization of Partners innovations, draw out new innovators, identify areas of strength, and improve patient health.

Learn more about Partners HealthCare Innovation.