GCMI’s Sherry Farrugia and Mike Fisher share in the Presidents’ Award of Distinction from CTSA for translational research

Congratulations are in order! GCMI Chief Executive Officer, Sherry Farrugia, and Director for Product Development Mike Fisher, were among those recently awarded the Presidents’ Award of Distinction for Team Science from the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA).

 

In collaboration with an interdisciplinary research team led by Omer Inan, associate professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Georgia Tech, as well as collaborators from Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (Children’s), the team developed an innovative, wearable sensing-based medical device for early detection of peripheral IV infiltration and extravasation (PIVIE) events. This device has the opportunity to improve patient safety for those receiving IV therapy, especially children. 

 

Additional awardees include: 

• Kevin Maher, professor of pediatrics and pediatric cardiologist, Emory School of Medicine. 
• Samer Mabrouk, research engineer at Georgia Tech ECE. 
• Amy Parker and Lynn Pogue, registered nurses at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta 
• Zahidee (Saidie) Rodriguez, pediatric intensivist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
• Leanne West, chief engineer for pediatric technologies at Georgia Tech. 

 

“The award is presented annually to a multi-disciplinary research team for “innovative and impactful research that has, or will likely, advance clinical and translational science and positively impact human health,” according to Georgia CTSA, a National Institutes of Health-funded initiative that brings together the University of Georgia, Emory, Georgia Tech and the Morehouse School of Medicine to facilitate clinical and translational research.”

 

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“It’s very exciting that this innovative, high-functioning research team has been honored with the Georgia CTSA Presidents’ Award,” said Julia Kubanek, vice president for Interdisciplinary Research. “Because of this research collaboration between Georgia Tech, Emory, Children’s and GCMI, one of the biggest problems affecting patient safety in hospital settings might finally be solved. Georgia Tech is grateful to the Georgia CTSA to be part of this distinction and its help in accelerating the impact of our research in Georgia and beyond.”

 

The next step for the team is to implement a detection alarm with wireless communications capabilities to alert caregivers of a PIVIE event, conduct more clinical studies to demonstrate the device’s safety, effectiveness, and accurate algorithm. The team also plans to submit paperwork for 510(k) clearance from the FDA towards commercialization.

 

GCMI proudly contributed to the preclinical work required for the technology to take its next steps toward clinical trials.

 

Read on via Georgia Tech Research Horizons.

 

Congratulations all!