Duke-Coulter Translational Partnership

Accelerating Promising Bioengineering Research

For nearly 20 years, Duke’s partnership with the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation has improved health care by supporting engineer-clinician teams working to develop new commercial products.

Sunset behind a Gothic collegiate chapel

Since 2006

$15.1M

in grants awarded

70

projects supported

17

companies founded

$1.24B

in follow-on funding

Duke-Coulter Contacts

Wallace Henry Coulter

Inventor Wallace H. Coulter’s philosophy of “science serving humanity” continues through pioneering programs that create new products that help patients.

In 2005, Duke BME was among the first to receive a $5 million translational partnership award from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation.

Wallace Coulter

Oversight Committee

Through project selection and review, and periodic assessment of the program, the Oversight Committee ensures the quality of translational projects and the sustainability of the Translational Partnership.

The independent Oversight Committee, chaired by the Duke BME department chair, includes members from Duke, industry and venture capital.

  • The roles of the Oversight Committee are:

    1. Assist with team and proposal solicitation and development
    2. Review and select individual translational research projects for funding
    3. Assess periodic reports for the projects and the program
    4. Evaluate project portfolio
    5. Provide mentoring to teams
    6. Provide regular feedback to the program PI, Co-PI and CPD about the program
    7. Provide updates to the senior University administration as needed or requested
  • Committee members include:

    • Dani Bolognesi, PhD, Professor, Surgical Sciences
    • Ashutosh Chilkoti, PhD, Acting Chair and Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering; Coulter Translational Partnership Grant PI
    • Ed Field, President, BioLabs NC
    • Allan Kirk, MD, Chair and Professor, Duke Department of Surgery
    • Jeffrey Lawson, MD, PhD, Adjunct Professor, Department of Surgery
    • Barry Myers, MD, PhD, MBA, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Duke-Coulter Program Director
    • Robin Rasor, MS, CLP, Associate Vice President, Duke Office of Commercialization & Translation
    • John Schilling, MD, Partner, TPG Capital
    • John Sundy, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Seismic Therapeutics
    • Scott Weiner, President, Elsivian Consulting