Innovation and Entrepreneurship

At the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine, progress is fueled by a collaborative network that bridges research, clinical care, and innovation, advancing discoveries from the laboratory to patients and transforming ideas into lasting impact. By bringing together researchers, clinicians, engineers, and entrepreneurs across disciplines, UVA accelerates breakthroughs that advance science, improve patient care, and shape the future of medicine.

Innovation at UVA is powered by an integrated infrastructure spanning research programs, translational institutes, venture resources, and strategic partnerships that accelerate the path from discovery to patient benefit.

A leading example is focused ultrasound, advanced through partnership with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and UVA leadership, where researchers have pioneered incisionless, noninvasive therapies transforming treatment for neurological disease, cancer, and other complex conditions. Also central is the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, which accelerates breakthrough science into scalable therapies through integrated discovery, development, and clinical collaboration.

These efforts are strengthened by UVA Cancer Center translational research programs and interdisciplinary initiatives across engineering, data science, and biomedical research that accelerate cross-disciplinary innovation across the University.

UVA faculty have a long track record of translating pioneering research into transformative clinical care. Breakthroughs include:

• Focused ultrasound — Pioneered at UVA in partnership with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, this technology moved from early clinical trials on Grounds to FDA-cleared, incision-less treatment for neurological and oncologic conditions.
• The artificial pancreas — Research from the UVA Center for Diabetes Technology produced the closed-loop insulin delivery system now approved for use in patients as young as two.
• Brain-targeted drug delivery — UVA researchers have advanced techniques for crossing the blood-brain barrier, opening new pathways for treating Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions.

Each of these began as early-stage discoveries at UVA. The infrastructure described below is what moved them forward.

The School of Medicine provides an integrated infrastructure to support research translation and commercialization. Key resources include the UVA Licensing & Ventures Group (LVG), the Enterprise Studio and UVA Innovates, which offer expertise in intellectual property protection, technology assessment, new venture creation, commercialization strategy, and industry engagement.

Targeted internal funding programs—including the LaunchPad for Diabetes, the Ivy Biomedical Innovation Fund, and the UVA Cancer Center Accelerating Innovation Fund, support early-stage development, proof-of-concept studies, and preparation for licensing, and company formation.

Translation is further supported by UVA’s clinical research and clinical trials infrastructure, which enables investigators to advance discoveries into first-in-human studies and later-phase clinical evaluation. Through coordinated regulatory support, study design expertise, and access to diverse patient populations across UVA Health, researchers can efficiently move discoveries from preclinical development into clinical testing.

UVA actively supports biomedical entrepreneurship through infrastructure and partnerships that launch and scale new companies.

Biomedical ventures benefit from integrated expertise across the School of Medicine, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Darden School of Business, combining clinical insight, engineering excellence, and venture strategy.

The UVA Seed Fund provides early-stage, milestone-based funding to de-risk promising discoveries and support the formation of new biomedical startups emerging from UVA research. Learn about the UVA Seed Fund.

The Commonwealth BioAccelerator at North Fork Discovery Park provides specialized wet-lab space and startup resources for early-stage life sciences ventures as they grow toward commercialization.

Together, these capabilities strengthen a growing regional community and accelerate the translation of UVA discoveries into commercially viable therapies and technologies.

Collaborations with industry partners are a key component of UVA’s translational research strategy. Master research agreements enable efficient, sustained collaboration with partners such as AstraZeneca, supporting preclinical discovery while providing clear frameworks for shared research, data use, and development pathways.

Innovation leadership is recognized through awards such induction to the National Academy of Inventors, which celebrates visionary inventors whose groundbreaking research and patented technologies are driving meaningful societal and economic advances across the nation. The UVA LVG Edlich-Henerson Innovator of the Year Award, which honors faculty whose work demonstrates excellence in translational research and meaningful impact on health and society.