An artist’s rendering of the capsule depicting the drug, bevacizumab, passing through the fibrous mesh at the center of the tube into the eye. Credit: Courtesy of Katelyn Swindle-Reilly
Katelyn Swindle-Reilly’s journey to winning the Early Career Innovator of the Year award was anything but conventional. She said she always wanted to help humanity but did not expect that opportunity to come from academia.
Swindle-Reilly, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was named Early Career Innovator of the Year — recognizing Ohio State researchers who are early in their career and promote commercialization of university intellectual property — at the Research and Innovation Showcase April 13. Swindle-Reilly said the award validated her efforts to make practical use of her research.
“It made me feel like the hard work was worth it,” Swindle-Reilly said. “My ultimate goal is to help patients and get things out of my lab, into the clinic.”
Before becoming a professor in 2013 and joining Ohio State in 2016, Swindle-Reilly said her ambitions were in the private sector, as she worked at businesses such as biomedical technology company Rochal Industries. She said it was this experience that demonstrated the impact her research could have on people’s lives.
Samir Ghadiali, a professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, said Swindle-Reilly’s industry experience has been an asset to her research at Ohio State.
“She represents our discipline really, really well,” Ghadiali said. “She’s translating her technologies into clinically viable and impactful products. Not just doing the engineering, but actually translating it out into the clinic. That’s our basic mission as biomedical engineers.”
Swindle-Reilly was awarded for her work on treatments for conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and other retinal diseases, according to a College of Engineering press release.
Recently, Swindle-Reilly worked to develop a bi-layered capsule that can be injected into the eye as a substitute for current treatment for macular degeneration. She said this technology is the basis for Vitranu Inc. — a Columbus-based startup aimed at bringing the capsule to market for clinical use and where Swindle-Reilly is the chief technology officer.
Ohio State’s REACH for Commercialization program — aimed at mentoring women faculty in the STEMM disciplines to expand their research’s impact with commercialization and entrepreneurship — played an instrumental role in emboldening her to pursue commercialization for the research, Swindle-Reilly said. She said guidance she received from her REACH for Commercialization mentors convinced her to license her research with Vitranu Inc.
“I wasn’t originally planning to do any of this,” Swindle-Reilly said. “I had all these ideas, and REACH for Commercialization basically taught me how to submit invention disclosures, and it just kind of, like, took off from there.”
Caroline Crisafulli, director of entrepreneurial education at the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship and Swindle-Reilly’s REACH mentor, said her role as Swindle-Reilly’s mentor primarily involved creating a support system.
“I think for women it’s particularly important to have someone who’s an advocate for you,” Crisafulli said. “Having that sounding board and having someone who has been through similar situations to be able to ask questions like, ‘What should I expect?’ ”
Crisafulli said Swindle-Reilly’s industry experience has not only been an invaluable asset for her research, but also for her students. She said it is powerful to help students, exposing them to research opportunities, and Swindle-Reilly has done exactly that.
Crisafulli said the award could not have gone to a more deserving recipient.
“She is just a phenomenal scientist who is looking to improve the quality of life for patients, and improving the quality of education for her students,” Crisafulli said. “She’s the full package.”
