Congratulations to Cleveland FES Center investigator Tina Vrabec, PhD. Vrabec is among seven Case Western Reserve University researchers named to the National Academy of Inventors’ 2024 class of Senior Members.
Vrabec is also one of 124 emerging inventors selected by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) to its 2024 class of Senior Members.
The honor recognizes researchers from NAI member institutions who have demonstrated “remarkable innovation-producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society,” the organization says.
Vrabec, an assistant research professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and MetroHealth Medical Center, has studied the use and development of waveforms and electrodes used as an electrical nerve block that can be integrated with other methodologies to control the nervous system. Her work includes applying high-frequency and direct-current nerve block to treat cardiac arrhythmia.
Several product development efforts are underway in connection with Vrabec’s work, including a Small Business Technology Transfer-funded project to develop a direct current nerve-block device as well as an open-source device under the Human Open Research Neural Engineering Technologies funding mechanisms.
The six other CWRU faculty members selected as NAI Senior Members are Abhinav Acharya (School of Engineering), James Basilion (School of Medicine, School of Engineering), Agata Exner (Department of Radiology), Hatsuo Ishida (School of Engineering), Anirban Sen Gupta (School of Engineering), and David Wilson (School of Engineering, School of Medicine).
NAI, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, says its Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI member institutions who have growing success in patents, licensing and commercialization, while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors, according to NAI.
The Academy reports that this year’s class of NAI senior members is the largest to date and represents 60 NAI-member institutions across the nation. Class members are named inventors on more than 1,000 U.S. patents, with 344 of those being licensed technologies and commercialized products. The 2024 class also showcases the shared commitment to celebrate the diversity of the academic ecosystem, with half of this year’s Senior Members being outstanding female and/or underrepresented academic inventors.
The 2024 class of Senior Members will be celebrated at the Academy’s annual conference in June in Raleigh, North Carolina.
