In a recent letter to the St. Cloud Times, Dr. Jakub Tolar, vice president of clinical affairs and dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School, thanked Minnesotans for their investment over the years in the University's biomedical research infrastructure.
This support, he notes, made it possible for researchers to quickly develop tools and technologies to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these technologies are now available for licensing.
Thanks to core and philanthropic support, our innovative faculty and students were catalyzed to develop smart and effective tools to meet COVID-19 health needs, as well as new modes of teaching and responses to education and patient care equity.
For example, our rapid response grants spurred development of a low-cost ventilator, dubbed the Coventor, with blueprint plans now available globally on the web; augmented mask supplies for health care workers, due to a collaboration between College of Design students and College of Science and Engineering faculty; and, a plexiglass protective shield for patients on ventilators developed by anesthesiology faculty in collaboration with engineering students.
Read the full letter was published in the January 11, 2021 Opinion section of the St. Cloud Times.