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The IU Impact: We are advancing bioscience research and innovation, commercialization, industry collaboration and workforce development to grow Indiana’s life sciences economy and improve lives across the state.
Indiana is a thriving hub of bioscience innovation, recognized globally as a leader in areas like drug discovery, orthopedics, medical devices, radiopharmaceuticals and neuroscience research. At the center of this momentum is Indiana University, where faculty, staff and students are harnessing IU’s $1 billion research enterprise to strengthen Indiana’s booming $99 billion life sciences economy.
In 2023, IU President Pamela Whitten announced a historic investment to accelerate bioscience innovation and improve human health. That commitment was further cemented in 2024 with the launch of the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences. Supported by a $138 million Lilly Endowment Inc. grant, IU LAB is a first-of-its-kind academic-industry initiative aimed at making IU and Indiana a global leader in bioscience innovation, talent development and commercialization.
“Indiana is leading the future of biotechnology and life science innovation, and Indiana University is proud to work alongside some of the state’s largest employers to grow Indiana’s research and innovation ecosystem, train the next generation of bioscience leaders, and deliver economic vitality for the state,” IU LAB President and CEO David Rosenberg said. “IU LAB connects IU faculty and students with these partners, who are helping turn our ideas into innovations that will improve health and ultimately strengthen Hoosier communities.”
Even before construction began at its future home in the 16 Tech Innovation District, IU LAB was delivering impact. In its first year, it has mobilized Indiana’s bioscience ecosystem, built partnerships with industry, supported translational research and entrepreneurship, and developed hands-on, real-world opportunities for IU students.
Connecting talent, research and industry
IU is redefining how higher education can support a state’s business ecosystem, with IU LAB serving as its front door to industry. Through collaborations with Indiana’s top employers, IU LAB sparks bioscience discovery and innovation, nurtures the state’s growing life sciences workforce, and meets critical technology needs of Indiana employers.
At the root of this work is IU’s extensive bioscience research strengths and interdisciplinary research institutes. IU LAB takes a multidisciplinary, cross-campus approach, bringing together IU’s brightest minds to tackle five critical disease areas: diabetes and obesity, neuroscience, rare diseases, cancer, and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. And a new “All Services” model for industry partnerships is making it easier than ever for IU researchers to connect with industry to translate their research.
A five-year agreement between IU and Cook Medical, one of Indiana’s largest employers, brings together all services and all campuses to address real-world problems and bolster Indiana’s economy and workforce. This streamlined all-services model is a dynamic partnership thatremoves administrative barriers for researchers and schools to collaborate directly with Cook. The agreement covers a full range of projects and services, with innovations that can be utilized from the classroom and lab to the workplace.
A new $40 million agreement with Eli Lilly and Company — IU’s largest single industry-sponsored research agreement ever — will leverage IU’s clinical research expertise and Lilly’s leadership in biopharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing to expand access to clinical trials and the latest innovative treatments for Hoosiers. The agreement focuses on creating a best-in-class system for clinical trial innovation, strengthening Alzheimer’s disease clinical care and research, and developing the future scientific and clinical talent for Indiana’s growing life sciences sector.
“IU LAB is uniquely positioned to bridge industry’s most critical needs with Indiana University’s world-class research capabilities to help maximize the university’s vast potential to make a global impact,” said Vince Wong, president and CEO of BioCrossroads. “IU LAB’s impact is already being felt through the new collaborations it is enabling between IU and industry partners, and it will continue to advance Indiana’s life sciences economy, grow the workforce and drive discoveries that matter to Hoosiers and the world.”
Supporting startups to power Indiana
IU LAB is attracting bioscience startups to Indiana and retaining them through collaborations with national companies and Indiana’s bioscience leaders. Their focus: mentoring and training startup founders to help their companies grow.
The IU Health Incubator at IU LAB helps human health startups grow into major companies. Its pre-accelerator, powered by gener8tor’s gBETA program, provides tailored support to entrepreneurs of early-stage companies that are commercializing breakthrough technologies. Five companies participated in its inaugural cohort last year.
The Life Tech Accelerator, powered by Plug and Play and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, is working with 12 high-potential startups. The companies are developing new therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices to confront some of our biggest health challenges.
One of those companies, OsseoLabs, is led by CEO and co-founder Vikram Ahuja, an IU graduate and visiting assistant professor in the IU Kelley School of Business. His company is revolutionizing surgical procedures through the integration of cutting-edge 3D-printing technology and artificial intelligence.
“The IU LAB LifeTech Accelerator provides rare access to expertise, connecting us directly with the clinical and strategic partners needed for global scale,” Ahuja said. “Every session and mentorship interaction with Plug and Play is purposeful, driving tangible improvements in our commercial roadmap. This program proves that IU LAB is the engine driving Indiana’s growth as a powerhouse in medtech and life sciences.”
Training Indiana’s future life sciences leaders
IU LAB is partnering with schools across IU to align programs with workforce needs, establishing cutting-edge degrees and providing industry-focused credentials that will meet the needs of Indiana’s top employers.
Faculty are identifying innovative educational experiences to be offered in IU LAB’s Academic Gateway, including multidisciplinary curriculum and credentials. Several new bioscience degrees have already been approved at IU.
IU LAB’s future home in the 16 Tech Innovation District will provide students with unparalleled access to industry partners, IU LAB’s programs and advanced research cores. It will house the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, which draws on areas like biology, chemistry, math, engineering and medicine to improve human health. In the fall, IU LAB collaborated with the program’s graduate-level capstone courses to highlight how important industry engagement is to their success.
As an IU Indianapolis undergraduate working in IU’s Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Andrew Christensen has developed a breath-based diagnostic system to standardize the way breath samples are collected across the field. He said IU LAB will support students like him in translating their academic research into real-world impact.
“The transition from a prototype to something that actually reaches patients and stakeholders is where most student research stalls, particularly when the technical work is ahead of the pathway to deployment,” Christensen said. “By expanding access to mentorship and startup resources, IU LAB will help students gain real-world career experience and progress their academic projects toward viable innovation.
