Driving Innovation Forward: Vanderbilt CTTC’s 2026 Annual Publication

Explore breakthrough research, startups, and impactful partnerships.

Explore Vanderbilt's exceptional achievements in research and innovation in fiscal year 2025. Read how VU and VUMC researchers are transforming research into real-world impact, driving economic growth locally and improving quality of life globally.

VU and VUMC leadership have cultivated an unprecedented environment to support innovation and entrepreneurship. CTTC is doing its part to ensure the moment is not missed.

We have streamlined our processes and launched new programs specifically designed to expand innovation capacity across campus, prepare entrepreneurs for success, and grow internal and external partnerships.

Some examples of these programs are described in this publication, please visit our website or reach out to us to learn more about any of these eﬀorts and how our faculty can take advantage of them.

Sincerely,

Abhishek Dubey is Vanderbilt University College of Connect Computing’s dynamic Associate Dean for Research, Chancellor Faculty Fellow, and Director of SCOPE lab. As the co-founder of MobiusAI, Dubey remains committed to bridging academia and industry, ensuring that his innovative AI research translates into tangible societal advancements.

In FY25, CTTC experienced growth in technology disclosures, licensing transactions, industry-sponsored research, and startups launched.

View key achievements

Partnering through initiatives like the Nashville Innovation Alliance, Vanderbilt supports Nashville's transformation into a thriving innovation hub.

View transformative partnerships.

By strategically aligning industry needs with Vanderbilt's research strengths, the Industry Collaborations team is enhancing R&D efforts across diverse fields, from automotive to defense tech.

View collaborations benefiting academia and industry.

Since its inception in 2023, the Innovation Catalyst Fund (ICF) has made remarkable impact on advancing innovations toward commercialization.

View faculty with promising innovative projects across various fields.

In FY25, Vanderbilt University celebrated an impressive milestone by launching 16 startups, marking a record-setting year for campus entrepreneurship. These ventures are dedicated to advancing Vanderbilt-invented technologies across diverse fields such as biotechnology, digital health, and artificial intelligence.

Craig Lindsley, Executive Director of the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery (WCNDD) and Christopher James, CEO and Founder of Kifa Therapeutics, have partnered to develop innovative treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Under the guidance of Lindsley, Kifa’s Scientific Founder, the collaboration focuses on advancing highly selective CNS-kinase inhibitors.

Licenses & Options*: 199
MTAs: 771
CDAs: 27
Invention Disclosures: 199
U.S. Patents Issued: 48

* includes end-user software and materials licenses along with conventional technology licenses

A virtual event where founders and researchers pitch space-enabled ventures, across advanced materials, manufacturing, biotech, energy, and AI.

About Space-Edge: A national, university-led initiative exploring how space-based environments, data, and infrastructure are shaping the next generation of research and commercialization.

12,564,580 – “Mitochondria-Targeted Isoketal/Isolevuglandin Scavengers and Uses Thereof” (Sergey Dikalov, Venkataraman Amarnath)
12,569,481 – “Methods of Treatment for Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders” (Jill Pulley, Rebecca Jerome, Dawn Beaulieu, Jana Shirey-Rice)
12,575,742 – “Non-Invasive Venous Waveform Analysis for Evaluating a Subject” (Kyle Hocking, Colleen Brophy, Susan Eagle, Grant Hocking)
12,577,227 – “WDR5 Inhibitors and Modulators” (Taekyu Lee, Changho Han, Jonathan Mills, Kevin Teuscher, Jianhua Tian, Kenneth Meyers, Somenath Chowdhury, Stephen Fesik)
12,577,234 – “Antagonists of the Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor M4” (Craig Lindsley, P. Jeffrey Conn, Darren Engers, Julie Engers, Kayla Temple, Aaron Bender, Logan Baker)
12,583,895 – “Polypeptides for Restoring Endothelial Function and Methods of Use Thereof” (Joyce Cheung-Flynn, Colleen Brophy)
12,589,170 – “Devices and Methods for Radiopharmaceutical Synthesis” (H. Charles Manning, Michael Nickels, Xin Zhang, Leon Bellan)
12,590,935 – “Bio-Identification Using Low Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry” (Trevor Glaros, Phillip Mach, Richard Caprioli, Jeremy Norris)
12,590,965 – “Palmitoyl Protein Biomarkers in Purified Extracellular Vesicles for Early Identification of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer” (Dolores Di Vizio, Wei Yang, Javier Mariscal Avila, Tatyana Vagner, Sungyong You, Andries Zijlstra)