VCU startups give Virginia lawmakers a look at university innovation in action
An IV treatment that could buy trauma patients more time. A fingerstick test that could spare patients repeated trips to a lab. A cleaner way to recover minerals critical to national defense.
Virginia lawmakers got an up-close look at technologies and startup companies emerging from Virginia Commonwealth University last week at the inaugural VCU Startup Showcase. Faculty researchers, entrepreneurs and investors gathered at the Virginia State Capitol for a look at what state and federal investment in university innovation can produce — namely, new companies that bring lab discoveries to market.
Two VCU-born startups win state grants to move healthcare innovations toward human trials
Two companies built on Virginia Commonwealth University research have each received $800,000 from Virginia Catalyst, and the grants could advance a surgical hydrogel and a trauma resuscitation drug on the path toward testing in humans.
Pascal Medical Corp. and Perfusion Medical were among three companies awarded in Virginia Catalyst’s latest, $2.4 million funding round, announced in July by Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Founded in 2013, Virginia Catalyst invests in life sciences throughout the state, and it is funded by the General Assembly and five member institutions: VCU, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, George Mason University and Old Dominion University.
VCU pioneer in Lyme disease puts another tick-borne menace in his sights
Building off his groundbreaking work in diagnosing and treating Lyme disease, a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher is targeting another tick-borne illness that has quietly emerged as a significant public health concern.
Caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells, babesiosis can produce symptoms ranging from flu-like illness to life-threatening complications, particularly in older adults and immunocompromised patients. Yet despite its increasing prevalence, diagnosing babesiosis remains slow, expensive and unreliable in many clinical settings – raising concern that the disease may be significantly underdiagnosed in humans as well as animals.
Richard T. Marconi, Ph.D., a professor in the VCU School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology, is working with his laboratory team to deliver a faster, more accurate diagnostic tool for babesiosis. The innovation could fundamentally improve not just how the disease is detected but how it is managed.
Michael McClure still has a ways to go, but after more than a decade working on a novel regenerative therapy for severe muscle injuries, the Virginia Commonwealth University biomedical engineer says his team is closer than ever to bringing the trauma-repairing technology to human patients.
McClure, Ph.D., an associate professor in the College of Engineering’sDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, has been developing a method to regenerate muscle tissue lost to traumatic injuries. The approach relies on decellularization, a process that removes living cells from donor muscle while preserving the underlying biological structure that tells new tissue how to grow.
VCU College of Engineering's Christina Tang, Ph.D. is developing “smart fabrics” that can sense temperature, monitor healing and even change color, blending fashion with biomedical innovation. Her work explores how advanced materials could transform clothing into functional health and sensing tools.
Researcher’s invention could make Hollywood-grade 3D scanning more accessible for movies, video games and more
For Hollywood movie makers and “AAA” video-game designers to capture the tiny details that make an animated human look real — skin texture, pores, wrinkles and subtle surface contours — it requires a massive, expensive setup of lights and advanced optics.
Ernesto Rodriguez Cruz has found a better way.
The assistant professor of communication arts at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts has developed what he calls the “Box Stage,” a far more compact, lower-cost system designed to capture highly detailed 3D surface information without the heavy, complex setups long associated with traditional “light stage” technology.
VCU aims to be ‘not just a national, but an international hub’ for research, VP Rao says in annual address
During the annual State of the Research event, P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University, not only detailed VCU’s robust research growth in recent years but also shone a spotlight on an ambitious new goal for the university: reaching $1 billion in sponsored research funding.
“I’m sure in a short time frame, VCU is going to not just be a national, but an international hub for research and innovation,” Rao said.
ICU device for fecal management finds industrial partner
What started as an idea during a night shift at a VCU Health intensive care unit is well on its way to hitting the medical device market.
Skil-Care Corp. is working with the VCU College of Engineering’s Casey Grey, Ph.D., to move a fecal management system flow positioning device he co-developed toward commercialization. The device, originally conceived by former VCU Health ICU nurse Emma Necessary, is now undergoing small-batch clinical testing at VCU Medical Center.
“It’s nice to have a partner who has played this game for a long time,” said Grey, a postdoctoral research associate who helped Necessary translate the original bedside concept into a functional prototype. “The consistent quality of Skil-Care’s products has made us more confident about the results of the clinical trials, which Skil-Care also helped facilitate.”
VCU again among nation’s top 100 universities for patents
For the third time in four years, Virginia Commonwealth University has been named one of the nation’s top 100 universities for utility patents granted in 2025, according to new rankings by the National Academy of Inventors.
Rare earth elements, joint pain and addiction treatment are highlighted in VCU faculty research receiving new awards
Rare earth elements, joint pain and addiction treatment are highlighted in VCU faculty research receiving new awards. Five VCU faculty-led research projects have received new support from VCU's Commercialization Fund, a twice-yearly funding opportunity that aims to accelerate development of campus projects to improve their chances of being licensed and brought to market.
At-home calcium testing device could have wide-ranging impact in health care
Tralyte Health is in the early stages of commercializing VCU chemistry researcher Xuewei Wang’s creation of a portable, at-home calcium monitoring device for people living with hypoparathyroidism, or hypopara. The company’s option agreement, facilitated by VCU TechTransfer and Ventures, allows Tralyte to evaluate the technology and prepare for commercialization before converting to a full license.
VCU research project competes for national title in STAT Madness
VCU research project competes for national title in STAT Madness A research collaboration led by VCU to advance aerosol therapy for newborns has been selected for STAT Madness, a national bracket-style competition in which the public votes for the best innovation in biomedical research of 2025.
Hosted by STAT, a news organization covering health, science and medicine, the virtual tournament highlights the most impactful and important scientific breakthroughs published during the previous year. The competition includes 64 research endeavors from 50 universities.
National Academy of Inventors honors VCU’s Shunlin Ren as a fellow
National Academy of Inventors honors VCU’s Shunlin Ren as a fellow The NAI honor acknowledges Ren’s pioneering work in lipid biology and cellular-stress signaling. His research has led to a new class of therapeutic compounds that his lab — and a pharmaceutical giant — are exploring to treat a wide range of inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Ren has filed more than 70 international patents, including 12 in the United States.
National Academy of Inventors welcomes five VCU College of Engineering researchers
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) recently inducted five VCU College of Engineering researchers as senior members. Chosen for their innovative engineering contributions, the honorees are recognized as visionary inventors whose groundbreaking research and patented technologies are driving meaningful societal and economic advancements across the national innovation landscape.
To provide additional therapeutic support to those struggling with addiction, Reisweber, Psy.D., an affiliate assistant professor of psychology at VCU, developed a program that allows patients to slip on a VR headset and enter a calming virtual space any time they need it. The program has drastically improved recovery rates for veterans all over the country.
At VCU, impactful innovation follows multiple paths
At Virginia Commonwealth University, there’s a saying: Every Ram’s a researcher.
But it takes hard work to get faculty discoveries from the lab into the world, where those inventions can benefit society in meaningful ways.
Researchers across VCU’s campuses are increasingly building new business ventures, forming partnerships with companies, licensing technologies and collaborating with industry and government agencies in ways that directly shape patient care, public health, advanced manufacturing and even national security.
“Our faculty innovators are not only challenging the conventional way we look at the world, but they’re doing it in service of improving our communities and the world at large,” said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., VCU’s vice president for research and innovation. “That dual purpose of breakthrough and impact increasingly defines the culture of research at VCU.”
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