SPARK
Funded Partner
SPARK has a special focus on the often-neglected diseases, including those in the area of Child and Maternal Health. Thanks to funding from the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, 18 projects in this area have reached the clinic or commercial sectors.
SPARK is a unique partnership between the University and industry experts. Building upon Stanford’s tradition of technological innovation and entrepreneurship, Chemical and Systems Biology Professor, Daria Mochly-Rosen, founded the SPARK program, and joined by Professor Kevin Grimes later in the first year, to provide a cost-effective model to generate proof of concept using out-of-the-box academic approaches combined with industry standards.
SPARK provides access to specialized knowledge and technical expertise regarding drug and diagnostic development, dedicated core laboratory facilities, and sources of funding to support translational efforts.
FY 2023 Awards
Eric Appel, PhD, Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Kevin Grimes, MBA, MD, Professor, Chemical and Systems Biology
Study Title: Intranasal Sertraline for the Treatment of Antenatal Depression
Alexander Dunn, PhD, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
Possu Huang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Bioengineering
Study Title: Development of a Sensative and Robust Malaria rapid Diagnostic Test Using De Novo Designed Antigen Binders
Nima Aghaeepour, PhD, Associate Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine (Adult MSD)
Lance Prince, MD, PhD, Professor, Neonatology
Study Title: Precision Nutrition for Premature Newborns
Justin Sonnenburg, PhD, Professor, Microbiology & Immunology
Sean Spencer, MD, PhD, Instructor, Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
Study Title: Treatment of Pediatric Food Allergy Using Novel Fermented Food-Derived Therapeutics
David Cornfield, MD, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor, Pediatrics (Pulmonary, Asthma and Sleep Medicine)
Study Title: Novel Tocolytic Therapy to Treat Preterm Labor and Prevent Prematurity