OPT Visionary - Summer 2014

PAGE 22 Three NSU reSeArcherS receive PATeNTS Three NSU professors from three different colleges recently secured patents for their innovations. Appu rathinavelu, Ph.D. , associate dean for institutional planning and development at the College of Pharmacy and executive director of NSU’s Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, received a Japanese patent for developing a novel cancer treatment. The small organic molecule called JFD that he and his team discovered is anti- angiogenic, meaning it starves tumors and other cancer cells by pre- venting blood flow that supplies the tumors with oxygen and nutrients that would otherwise help them to grow and survive. This molecule is less expensive to manufacture, stable in storage, expected to be less toxic, and is more effective against solid tumors. It is specifically de- signed to battle breast, ovarian, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers. Jeffrey Thompson, Ph.D. , professor of prosthodontics and director of the Biosciences Research Center in NSU’s College of Dental Medi- cine, secured a U.S. patent for developing a surface modification tech- nology to promote chemical bonding between high-performance ceramic materials like alumina and zirconia and biological materials, such as tooth structures, and synthetic materials, such as dentures and crowns. The research was conducted with a team of researchers from RTI International in Durham, North Carolina, and funded by a National Institute of Health/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Re- search grant. Joseph harbaugh, LL.M. , professor of law and dean emeritus at NSU’s Shepard Broad Law Center, has received a U.S. patent for de- veloping a computer-based system called AAMPLE®—the Alternative Admissions Model Program in Legal Education. The program reviews students’ outcomes in a small number of classes to predict their likeli- hood of excelling in law school and passing the state bar exam. This differs from the widespread practice of heavily weighing students’ LSAT scores and GPAs to determine admission to law school. AAMPLE is an alternate method to understand students’ abilities to think critically and succeed in law school and as professionals. NSU Overview Pictured (from left) are George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D., NSU president and chief executive officer, Dr. Rathinavelu, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Harbaugh, and Gary Margules, Sc.D., NSU vice president for research and technology transfer.