Reátegui is associate professor and innovation scholar in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the College of Engineering and a member of the Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics Program in the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“This is a deep honor for me and particularly for the past and current members of my lab,” he shared. “They are the driving force behind all these different innovations in terms intellectual property that we develop in my lab.”
Reátegui’s research integrates micro-technologies, biomaterials and molecular imaging strategies for high-throughput sorting and molecular profiling of circulating disease biomarkers. He is also known for developing infection/inflammation on-a-chip devices for the biophysical and molecular characterization of immune cell interactions with pathogens. The long-term goal of his lab is to develop clinically relevant devices that provide complementary data to diagnose and treat cancer and infectious diseases more effectively.
Harris is a senior working toward degrees in Aerospace Engineering, Astrophysics and Astronomy and Physics and two minors in Nuclear Engineering and Mathematics. He will begin his doctorate work this fall in Nuclear Engineering at Ohio State.
“It's been a very exciting journey, working on this technology, building it out, and especially working on the company side with my brother,” Harris said. “And with research and development, it is easy to forget that you're not in it alone. You always have that group of people to help build you up and support you through the tough times and that's why I just want to say thank you.”
Harris is the chief technology officer and co-founder of SPAERO Systems, a startup company he founded with his brother Nikolas. The space venture is working to create sustainable technologies for use in space and on the ground. The first product is derived from his undergraduate research with plasma for microbial sanitation. The venture placed first in the BOSS Space Ventures competition and went on to earn $50,000 in funding through the President’s Buckeye Accelerator program through the Keenan Center for Enterpreneurship. Harris has also served as a student assistant at the Starlab Ground Location at Ohio State.
Peter J. Mohler, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge, also shared highlights of the year in research and innovation at the event.
“What a year it has been with impactful research and exciting commercialization advancements. And since we are in the heart of the innovation district let’s start here,” he said, reviewing upcoming developments in the district, including naming Tishman Speyer as lead for the next phase of development as well as a new building,which is currently under design, the Timashev Innovation Center.
Another highlight Mohler noted is a new oral drug, discovered and developed at Ohio State with support from the National Institutes of Health. The drug targets cancer by stopping a key enzyme involved in the cellular process that enables cancer to grow and spread. Working with partners across campus, Jabez Biosciences licensed the drug last year.
“And just earlier this month they announced that the first patient has been successfully dosed in its Phase 1 clinical study right here at Ohio State,” added Mohler. “This represents the first human testing of a drug discovered and developed at Ohio State.”
The event also featured spotlight talks, which featured researchers and innovators telling their own stories of discovery at the university. Featured speakers included:
- Vihaan Vulpala and Trevor Gerald, Transforming the Classroom Experience with Gen AI Case Study Generation
