Universities are hubs of discovery, and research shows innovative health interventions developed with commercialization in mind reach patients faster. A Virginia Tech Health Sciences and Technology initiative aims to equip trainees with the skills to identify the market potential of commercial ideas based on discoveries in their labs. 

The Fralin Health Sciences and Technology Commercialization Fellows Program launched in 2018 to bridge the gap between laboratory discovery and real-world impact. Since its inception, the program has helped dozens of participants turn promising research into startup companies and licensed technologies that address urgent healthcare needs. 

Applications for the 2026 program are now open. Virginia Tech doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and research assistants or associates who conduct health sciences and technology-related research are eligible to apply. Up to five fellows are accepted each year. The program equips the next generation of innovators with the skills to transform their discoveries into solutions that improve human and animal health.

Applications are due before 5 p.m. on Feb. 25, 2026. 

Meet the 2025 fellows

Jessica Gannon
Jessica Gannon conducts research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering under mentor Eli Vlaisavljevich. Photo by Peter Means for Virginia Tech.

Focused ultrasound for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer claims over 50,000 lives annually in the U.S. It has a five-year survival rate of just 12 percent. Current treatments often involve invasive surgery or aggressive chemotherapy. These approaches exact a tremendous toll on already-weakened patients. Jessica Gannon, a Virginia Tech graduate student and 2025 Fralin Fellow, is developing a minimally invasive focused ultrasound system that would target tumors directly through the stomach wall with no incisions required.

Harsimran Kaur, Ph.D.
Harsimran Kaur conducts research in the Department of Biological Sciences under mentor Bryan Hsu. Photo courtesy of Harsimran Kaur.

Scalable solutions that meaningfully improve menstrual and reproductive health

“As I work on improving menstrual health through a biomaterial-based formulation, this experience has helped me see the bigger picture of what it takes to translate research into a viable product,” said Harsimran Kaur, a Virginia Tech postdoctoral associate and 2025 Fralin Commercialization Fellow. Millions of tons of period products enter landfills each year. Kaur’s research aims to introduce a new class of high-performance menstrual products developed from naturally derived biomaterial-based formulations. The innovation addresses urgent consumer demand for safer, greener alternatives without compromising functionality.

Eun-Hye Kim, Ph.D., in a lab
Eun-Hye Kim conducts research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC under mentor DaeYong Lee. Photo by Clayton Metz for Virginia Tech.

Moving discovery-driven science closer to translation

Many cancer patients don't respond to current immunotherapies. Side effects can be severe when the immune system attacks healthy tissue. Eun-Hye Kim’s research is focused on developing a novel immunotherapy platform using engineered therapeutic polymers. The technology could provide more precise control over immune activation and targeting. Kim said participating in the Fralin Commercialization Fellows program helped her ask herself, “’Who will this help, and what would it take to get there?’ because a technically impressive solution is not enough unless it fits real-world constraints.”

Hrishikesh Kulkarni
Hrishikesh Kulkarni conducts research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering under mentor Shima Shahab. Photo courtesy of Hrishikesh Kulkarni.

A platform that integrates smoothly into clinical workflows

Neurological and psychiatric conditions affect over 1 billion people worldwide. Yet cutting-edge brain therapies remain confined to elite medical centers because the equipment costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Kulkarni, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering and Fralin Fellow, is developing a portable, affordable and highly precise ultrasound neuromodulation system. He aims to bring relief to patients with depression, Parkinson's disease and chronic pain who currently have nowhere to turn. “Through the Fellowship program, I learned how to connect my technical work to real clinical needs and pressure-test ideas through customer discovery rather than assumptions,” Kulkarni said. “A surprising ‘aha’ moment for me was realizing how often a solution fails not because the physics don’t work, but because it doesn’t fit the clinical workflow or customer-centric needs.”

Lauren Ruger, Ph.D.
Lauren Ruger conducts research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering under mentor Eli Vlaisavljevich. Photo by Peter Means for Virginia Tech.

A veterinary-specific histotripsy system

Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs and cats over age 10. Virginia Tech postdoctoral associate Lauren Ruger joined the Fralin Fellows program to explore the commercial potential of a cancer therapeutic technology designed for four-legged family members. The system uses a technique called histotripsy, a focused ultrasound therapy that uses acoustic cavitation to ablate superficial tumors. Ruger and her husband have three cats: Chloe, Bean, and Tiki.

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