The 2nd annual Yale Faculty Innovation Awards honor Yale scientists and their significant discoveries that target the world’s most pressing challenges.

This year, Yale University has recognized fourteen members of their faculty with Yale Faculty Innovation Awards. The recipients were honored for bringing their discoveries to market and launching Yale innovation into the world.

Yale faculty continually develop innovative technologies and launch startups to address global challenges. From drug delivery platforms and new therapeutics to mental health treatments and novel imaging techniques, these faculty-founded ventures — many of which are headquartered in New Haven — are built upon breakthrough discoveries that are poised to change the world. The annual Yale Faculty Innovation Awards recognize the exceptional contributions of faculty investigators whose inventions were licensed to startup companies and funded during fiscal year 2023.

“Yale’s mission calls us to improve the world for this and future generations,” said Yale President Peter Salovey. “These fourteen Yale faculty members advance that mission through their work and inspire others to do the same. They push the boundaries of scientific discovery for the benefit of humanity and demonstrate how we can translate research into beneficial products, services, and social ventures.”

The faculty awardees will be recognized on October 5 during a ceremony with Yale President Peter Salovey, Provost Scott Strobel, the Deans of several schools and other university leadership.

This year’s awardees are:  

• Joerg Bewersdorf, PhD, Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Cell Biology, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Professor of Physics; Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Cell Biology / Company: Panluminate  
• Pramod Bonde, MD, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery (Cardiac) / Company: Pirogon Inc  
• Mike Caplan, PhD, MD, C.N.H. Long Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and Professor of Cell Biology; Chair, Cellular and Molecular Physiology / Company: Estuary  
• John Deacon, PhD, Associate Research Scientist / Company: Cytosolix  
• Jon Ellman, PhD, Eugene Higgins Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Pharmacology / Company: Onsero  
• Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Dermatology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and of Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases); Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute / Company: Xanadu Bio, Inc
• Yong-Hui Jiang, MD, PhD, Professor and Chief of Medical Genetics  / Company: Couragene, Inc
• Mark Mamula, PhD, Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) / Company: Therajan, LLC  
• Aaron Ring, PhD, Associate Professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center / Company: Stipple Bio, Inc.
• Mark Saltzman, PhD, Goizueta Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and of Chemical Engineering / Company: Xanadu Bio, Inc
• Yossi Schlessinger, PhD, William H. Prusoff Professor of Pharmacology; Co-Director, Cancer Biology Institute / Company: Atias
• Nenad Sestan, MD, PhD, H Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Neuroscience, and Professor of Comparative Medicine, of Genetics and of Psychiatry; Executive Director, Genome Editing Center / Company: Bexorg  
• Joseph Vinetz, MD, FACP, FIDSA, FASTMH, BS, Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Anthropology, and Epidemiology (Microbial Diseases) / Company: Luna Bioscience
• Jiangbing Zhou, PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery / Company: Couragene, Inc

This year's Faculty Innovation Awards were generously sponsored by Wiggin & Dana, an ecosystem parter and strong supporter of fueling innovation at Yale and in Connecticut. The Yale Faculty Innovation Awards recognize the potential to translate Yale research — from improving human health, to addressing climate change, to building the future of quantum computing — into beneficial products, services, and social ventures. For more information about the award recipients, biographies, and ventures, visit Yale Faculty Innovation Awards.  For more information about entrepreneurial activity across Yale, visit the Yale Ventures Annual Report.

About Yale Ventures  

Launched by Yale University in 2022, Yale Ventures seeks to foster and accelerate a vibrant entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem that increases support, resources, and opportunities for Yale’s faculty and student innovators as they translate their ideas and discoveries into new ventures that will positively impact the world's greatest challenges.