BioVentures is now accepting applications for the third cohort of the AR Health Ventures Accelerator (ARHVA), a program designed to accelerate promising therapeutic and health-related innovations developed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
BioVentures has established the Dr. Samir Jenkins Innovation Travel Award to honor an exceptional scientist, mentor, entrepreneur, and friend whose work and vision left a lasting impact at UAMS and beyond. Dr. Samir Jenkins, Ph.D., combined rigorous scientific research with a deep commitment to translating discoveries into meaningful applications. Through his work in cancer nanomedicine, he advanced nanoparticle-based therapeutics, contributed to commercialization efforts with BioVentures, and inspired colleagues with his creativity, generosity, energy, and entrepreneurial drive. Created in his memory, the award supports UAMS researchers, faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and instructors who share Samir’s passion for innovation and technology translation. Funding may be used to attend conferences or training opportunities focused on commercialization, entrepreneurship, innovation, or moving research discoveries toward practical use. By helping participants gain new knowledge, develop valuable connections, and strengthen their commercialization skills, the award is intended to accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to real-world impact, and continue the work Samir cared deeply about. Applicants are invited to submit a brief proposal identifying the conference or training opportunity they wish to attend and explaining how the experience will support the translation of their research into practice. Apply for the Dr. Samir Jenkins Innovation Travel Award.
A technology developed at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and licensed through BioVentures is continuing its path toward the clinic as NanO₂, an investigational oxygen therapeutic being developed by NuvOx Therapeutics for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The underlying innovation was discovered by William C. Culp, M.D., Robert D. Skinner, Ph.D., and Evan C. Unger, M.D. and is based on dodecafluoropentane emulsion (DDFPe), a technology designed to enhance oxygen delivery to tissues affected by ischemia. During an ischemic stroke, blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, depriving brain tissue of the oxygen needed to survive. Early research at UAMS demonstrated the potential of DDFPe to support oxygen delivery to vulnerable brain tissue in preclinical models of ischemic stroke. These findings led to the development of intellectual property covering the use of DDFPe for stroke and ischemia, which was subsequently licensed to NuvOx Therapeutics through BioVentures. Since licensing, the technology has continued to advance through both preclinical and clinical development. UAMS investigators evaluated intravenous DDFPe in an early randomized, controlled, dose-escalation clinical trial involving patients with acute ischemic stroke, generating data that supported continued clinical investigation. Today, NuvOx is evaluating NanO₂ in NOVEL, a Phase IIb clinical trial in the UK with 150 patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion. The study is investigating NanO₂ in combination with standard reperfusion therapy and is designed to evaluate its ability to reduce brain infarct size by improving oxygen delivery to tissue at risk. While NanO₂ remains an investigational therapy and has not yet been approved for general medical use, its progress illustrates how discoveries made within academic research institutions can evolve into promising therapeutic candidates through intellectual property protection, licensing, and industry partnership. BioVentures is proud to support the commercialization of innovations that have the potential to improve patient care while translating groundbreaking university research into real-world impact.
BioVentures recently welcomed the fourth cohort of participants in the Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship Honors Track (MIEHT), a four-year honors program that introduces medical students to health care innovation, intellectual property and technology commercialization.
BioVentures has released a new podcast episode featuring Dr. Marie Burdine, a member of the most recent AR Health Ventures Accelerator cohort. In the episode, she discusses her team’s research on a drug designed to reduce delayed graft function (DGF), a complication that can occur following kidney transplantation. DGF affects approximately 30% of kidney transplant recipients and is often associated with damage to donor kidneys during transport. Dr. Burdine’s team is evaluating whether adding the drug to organ preservation solutions can reduce injury and improve recovery after transplantation using a preclinical pig transplant model. According to the discussion, early findings indicate faster recovery of kidney function and reduced tissue injury. The research aims to improve transplant outcomes and increase the number of donor organs suitable for transplantation.
Newly issued patent enables patient-specific coronary CTA imaging by predicting cardiac motion to improve image quality and accuracy.
Dr. Anthony Gunderman discussed how engineering and robotics can help address clinical needs during a recent UAMS Research & Innovation seminar.
Join BioVentures Innovation Day 2026 to connect, explore healthcare innovation, and turn discoveries into real-world impact at UAMS.
The UAMS team, connected to the Medical Innovation and Entrepreneurship Honors Track (MIEHT), earned both the Biodesign Competition award and the People’s Choice Award for ARGUS, a project designed to better protect physicians during image-guided procedures.
Badge Bandit is a respiratory therapist multitool created by Tristan Saunders to improve clinical efficiency, streamline workflows, and support faster care in demanding healthcare settings.
