Tulsa Innovation Labs unites Oklahoma universities through new virtual health commercialization program

STILLWATER, Okla., Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Oklahoma State University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa and Tulsa Innovation Labs have announced the launch of Canopy Healthtech, a new multi-year initiative to accelerate the commercialization of virtual health innovations from Oklahoma universities.

The program will catalyze start-up growth and improve health care outcomes by supporting the development of critical virtual health technologies that address regional health care delivery gaps. 

This unique multi-university partnership leverages the strengths of each institution to develop technologies which will expand health care access to traditionally underserved patient populations, such as rural, indigenous and inner-city communities. 

"Oklahoma innovators have developed technologies with the potential to positively impact human health via emerging virtual and hybrid in-person care models," said Shawna Khouri, director of the Virtual Health portfolio at Tulsa Innovation Labs and architect of the Canopy Healthtech program. "To reach their potential, these technologies need business, regulatory and marketing expertise. Canopy will surround clinical and technical faculty members with the necessary funding as well as the expertise that's critical to bridging these innovations from bench to business." 

The partnership among the universities is a key feature of the program. 

"Through the vision and leadership of OSU's Center for Health System Innovation, OU's Tom Love Innovation Hub and the University of Tulsa — as well as the support of the George Kaiser Family Foundation — we will catalyze startup formation across the state," Khouri said. 

"We are excited to see where this new partnership will take us," said Ron Van Der Busche, senior associate vice president for research at OSU. "OSU's land-grant mission means serving our communities in the state and Canopy will be a catalyst to move OSU virtual health technology into the real world."

The program is modeled on the principles of the Coulter Translational Program and includes three arms: 

1. Canopy PREP, a series of educational workshops on the commercialization pathway for virtual health technologies and curated conversations around pertinent clinical challenges and opportunities; 
   
   
2. Canopy FUND, $400,000 for competitive non-dilutive awards to translate academic intellectual property at the seed and concept level into commercially viable virtual health technologies; and 
   
   
3. Canopy COMMENCE, which offers exclusive access to industry experts and ecosystem assistance to accelerate the translational success of Canopy Fund awardees. 

The program is led by Executive Director Rachel Lane, Ph.D., R.D., a senior staff member of the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business Tom Love Innovation Hub and former CEO of BIO Alabama. 

She earned her doctorate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Lane began her career in clinical dietetics, working closely with clinicians to provide evidence-based nutrition to acute care patients. 

She has a track record of success in founding and leading organizations, including the Oklahoma Association for Women in Science Affiliate Group, which she established to promote the professional success of women in STEM. 

Lane has the clinical, research and entrepreneurship experience to facilitate seamless collaboration between academic labs, health care systems and industry to transform Oklahoma research into virtual health companies that will create jobs and increase equitable health care access across the state. 

"The funds and mentoring Canopy provides inventors will support startup formation from Oklahoma ideas. As these companies choose to stay and grow in Oklahoma — fortified by a supportive environment that Shawna Khouri, Tulsa Innovation Labs and the George Kaiser Family Foundation have built — we will gain a critical mass of business and workforce that uniquely differentiates and desirably distinguishes our industry with a competitive economic edge," Lane said. 

Faculty, researchers, post-docs, students and all clinicians, such as nursing, allied health and veterinary professionals, are invited to apply for this chance to transform research into clinic-ready technologies. Applications for project proposals are live and must be submitted by 5 p.m., March 1. 

To learn more about the application process, click here. Canopy Healthtech will meaningfully impact health and economic outcomes in Oklahoma and beyond. For more information about Canopy Healthtech, visit www.canopyhealth.tech or contact [email protected]. 

PHOTO: https://flic.kr/p/2occYwN 

MEDIA CONTACT: Mack Burke | OSU Associate Director of Media Relations | 405.744.5540 | [email protected] 

Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 33,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 25,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and more than 100 nations. 

Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 275,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world. 

For more information visit https://go.okstate.edu. 

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. 

For more information visit www.ou.edu. 

Founded in 1894, The University of Tulsa is Oklahoma's top-ranked private college. TU provides educational opportunities to 4,000 students in the arts and humanities; social and natural sciences; business; engineering and technology; nursing and applied health sciences; and law. 

For more information, visit https://utulsa.edu. 

Recognizing that the jobs of the future are rooted in a thriving innovation economy, the George Kaiser Family Foundation pioneered Tulsa Innovation Labs (TIL) to develop a city-wide strategy that positions Tulsa as a tech hub and leader in the future of work. Through a diverse coalition of public and private partners, TIL creates economic and workforce development initiatives within four industry areas — Virtual Health, Cyber and Data Analytics, Advanced Mobility, and Energy Tech — to make Tulsa the nation's most inclusive tech community.

For more information visit www.tulsainnovationlabs.com. 

SOURCE Oklahoma State University