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Chancellor Pradeep Khosla honors top innovators at UC San Diego
Established in 2024, the Chancellor’s Innovation Awards highlight UC San Diego’s top innovators in two categories: Faculty Startup of the Year and Student/Alumni Innovator of the Year.
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Pranavi Sharma - Wed, 02, Apr 2025
- 03:34 EDT
- 192
2025 Chancellor’s Innovation Award Winners Alume Biosciences Chief Executive Officer and Founder Quyen Nguyen, MD/PhD, and Founder and CEO of Navega Therapeutics Ana Moreno (center) gather with (from left to right) Alumnus Leo Spiegel ’83, managing partner of Spiegel Capital Management and current chair of the UC San Diego Foundation Board; Associate Vice Chancellor, Innovation and Commercialization Paul Roben; Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla; and founding donor Drew Senyei, MD, who conceived the i / Regine Delossantos/University Communications
Pradeep K. Khosla, the Indian-origin Chancellor of University of California, San Diego led the university’s second annual Chancellor’s Innovation Awards on Feb.25, honoring groundbreaking research and entrepreneurial ventures. The event, held at the Design and Innovation Building, recognized faculty and student-led startups making significant strides in their fields.
“Innovation is woven into the fabric of UC San Diego,” said Khosla. “We take bold ideas and turn them into real-world solutions that change lives. These awards celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit that makes UC San Diego a global leader in research and innovation.”
Established in 2024, the Chancellor’s Innovation Awards highlight UC San Diego’s top innovators in two categories: Faculty Startup of the Year and Student/Alumni Innovator of the Year. With over 50 nominees competing for this prestigious honor, the winners exemplify the university’s commitment to advancing science and technology.
Alume Biosciences, founded by UC San Diego professor Dr. Quyen Nguyen, received the Faculty Startup of the Year award for its groundbreaking work in surgical visualization. The company has developed bevonescein, a first-in-class peptide-dye conjugate co-invented by the late Nobel Laureate and UC San Diego Professor Roger Tsien. The technology enables surgeons to precisely identify nerves during procedures, reducing the risk of inadvertent nerve damage.
"It is an incredible honor to be recognized for a discovery that emerged from the vibrant UC San Diego innovation ecosystem," said Nguyen. "UC San Diego's unwavering dedication to innovation has been the driving force behind bringing our vision for real-time intraoperative fluorescence nerve visualization to life. It’s truly inspiring that the first patient to receive bevonescein was treated at Jacobs Medical Center, just a stone’s throw away from where the idea first took shape. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to build upon the pioneering work I began with Dr. Roger Tsien here at UCSD, and to contribute to innovations that will not only elevate surgical precision but also profoundly improve patient outcomes."
Recognizing innovators
In addition to Alume Biosciences, Navega Therapeutics was recognized as the Student/Alumni Innovator of the Year. Founded by UC San Diego students and alumni, the company is pioneering gene therapies for chronic pain relief, offering an alternative to opioid-based treatments.
The event also recognized several finalists for their outstanding contributions. In the Faculty Startup of the Year category, Algenesis, founded by Stephen Mayfield, and Channel Robotics, led by Philip Weissbrod, received honors. Meanwhile, in the Student/Alumni Innovator of the Year category, Aaron Boussina, PhD ’24, was recognized for his work with Healcisio, alongside Niall O’Dowd, PhD ’21, who was acknowledged for his contributions to Phase3D.
Chancellor Khosla, an internationally recognized engineer and academic leader, has been instrumental in fostering this culture of innovation. A Fellow of the Indian Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors, and the Indian National Science Academy, Khosla has received numerous accolades for his contributions to research, teaching, and leadership, including the 2012 Light of India Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
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