Elizabeth Brisbois
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has selected five University of Georgia researchers – including a professor in the College of Engineering – as 2024 NAI Senior Members, the largest single induction for the university in its history. UGA now has 16 Senior Members overall, including five faculty members from the College of Engineering.
NAI Senior Members recognize faculty, scientists, and administrators for their ability to innovate and commercialize new technologies. UGA’s 2024 inductees are Elizabeth Brisbois (pictured), David Crich, Qingguo “Jack” Huang, Paul Raymer, and Ralph Tripp.
“We’re thrilled to congratulate these five inventors and congratulate them on their election to the nation’s most prestigious organization for recognizing invention, impact-oriented research, and translation ambition,” said Karen Burg, vice president for research. “Their tireless effort in connecting the outcomes of their work into public benefit exemplifies the best of UGA and its land-grant research mission.”
Brisbois is an associate professor in the College of Engineering. Her research focuses on the design and development of novel therapeutics and medical device materials using molecules that exist in our bodies to enhance compatibility and reduce complications. This research is applied in various ways—for example, creating nitric oxide-releasing coatings for medical devices like catheters, which have high infection rates.
She is listed as an inventor on five patents, several of which are licensed to Nytricx, Inc., a biotech company she co-founded. Nytricx is pursuing preclinical development for deployment in various implanted medical devices to prevent infection and thrombosis. The company has obtained several million dollars in Phase 1 and 2 SBIR funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health.
Previously, four other University of Georgia College of Engineering faculty members have been named NAI Senior Members: Keshav Das, Mark Eiteman, Hitesh Handa, and Leidong Mao.
NAI Senior Members will be formally inducted at the NAI annual meeting on June 16-18 in Raleigh, N.C. A full list of NAI Senior Members is available on the website.
Read the full article on the UGA Research website.
By Brandon Ward, UGA Research Communications
