Northeastern’s Center for Research Innovation (CRI) is proud to announce the Fall 2024 Spark Fund awardees. This cohort represents the cutting edge of innovation, showcasing projects with the potential to drive commercial impact across diverse fields, from intracellular chemistry to advanced robotics and climate resilience.
What is the Spark Fund?
The Spark Fund is a vital program that helps bridge the gap between early-stage research at Northeastern University and commercialization in industry. By providing grants of up to $50,000, the program empowers Northeastern researchers to refine their inventions, build commercially ready prototypes, generate in vivo data, and develop solutions that address industry needs. Each cycle, awardees present their projects to a panel of industry experts who evaluate their commercial viability.
“Each Spark Fund awardee represents the best of innovation at Northeastern, and we are thrilled to support these researchers as they translate their groundbreaking ideas into real-world solutions,” says Jennifer Boyle-Lynch, Executive Director of the CRI.
Since its creation, the Spark Fund has provided $2.35M across 42 teams and generated $3.5M in external capital resulting from the creation of 10 spinout companies and 18 licensed/optioned projects.
Meet the Fall 2024 Awardees
Sara H. Rouhanifard, Ph.D.
Project Title: InCu-Click: A Breakthrough Intracellular Click Chemistry Reagent
Dr. Sara Rouhanifard, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, is tackling a key limitation in intracellular biomolecule labeling. Traditional methods require high concentrations of copper, which can harm live cells. Her project, InCu-Click, leverages a novel ligand to reduce toxicity while enabling precise and efficient intracellular labeling.
Impact:
- Overcomes toxicity challenges in live-cell labeling
- Enables precision targeting for DNA, RNA, proteins, and other biomolecules
- Preserves cell health during labeling, improving research accuracy and outcomes
With InCu-Click, Dr. Rouhanifard aims to transform live-cell imaging and molecular biology workflows.
Max Shepherd, Ph.D.
Project Title: A Variable Stiffness Prosthetic Ankle for Community Ambulation
Dr. Max Shepherd, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, Human Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, is addressing the needs of over one million Americans with lower-limb amputations. His innovative prosthetic ankle adjusts its stiffness in real-time, improving comfort and functionality for users.
Impact:
- Dynamic stiffness adjustment enhances mobility and usability
- Reduces discomfort caused by fixed-stiffness prosthetics
- Provides a powerful yet lightweight solution for daily activities
This AI-driven ankle represents a breakthrough in wearable robotics, offering amputees greater independence and ease of movement.
Jeffrey Ian Lipton, Ph.D.
Project Title: Northo: Improving Access to Custom Orthotic Insoles
Dr. Jeffrey Lipton, Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, is revolutionizing the production of custom orthotic insoles. His project, Northo, enables podiatrists to produce high-quality, customized orthotics in-house within 24 hours.
Impact:
- Reduces the time required for custom insole production
- Increases accessibility for patients suffering from foot pain or mobility issues
- Streamlines processes for healthcare professionals
With Northo, Dr. Lipton addresses the challenges of foot pain and mobility, improving the quality of life for millions of Americans.
Jack Watson
Project Title: InfRA-DST: Infrastructure Resilience Analysis Decision Support Tool
Led by Ph.D. candidate Jack Watson of the Sustainability and Data Sciences Laboratory (SDS Lab), this project focuses on improving the resilience of critical infrastructure systems to natural and manmade hazards. The InfRA-DST software suite offers advanced modeling and visualization tools to help municipalities, enterprises, and populations plan for disasters and adapt to climate change.
Impact:
- Simulates the cascading effects of infrastructure failures
- Provides actionable insights for disaster response and adaptation planning
- Reduces economic losses and enhances system resilience
InfRA-DST is poised to play a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of extreme weather and ensuring sustainable urban infrastructure.
The Power of the Spark Fund
The Spark Fund continues to fuel innovation at Northeastern by supporting researchers as they bridge the gap between academia and industry. Each of the awardees exemplifies the program’s mission to drive groundbreaking solutions toward commercialization.
For more information about the Spark Fund and details on the next application cycle, visit the CRI website.
Written by Elizabeth Creason