The University of Iowa has opened two new facilities intended to support startups at different stages of growth: the Medical Innovation Launch Lab (MILL), operated by the Office of Innovation, and a new downtown Iowa City incubator operated by the Tippie College of Business’ John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC).

An Iowa City-based biotech startup has created a non-invasive medical device the company hopes is capable of treating chronic diseases, including certain cancers, at the source.

When Mukundan Kasturirangan enrolled at Iowa, he had a clear goal: gain real-world, industry-relevant experience. That ambition led him to Iowa MADE, a student run manufacturing and e-commerce marketplace facilitating the growth of MedTech innovation in Iowa.

On the first day of the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows program, Ashley Cooney introduced herself as a lung biologist. Optometrist Christine Sindt wasted no time: “I want to talk to you.” That conversation led to a breakthrough for patients with severely dry eyes.

The event awarded $25,000 in non-dilutive funding in each of two categories: Therapeutics and Medical Devices.

UI postdoc Maddie Mocchi’s research examines pupil as indicator of depression severity

Doctoral student Winter Philibert analyzes the physical properties of mucus and how the lungs clean themselves in both healthy and diseased models.

Johnson & Johnson has completed the acquisition of Atraverse Medical, a privately-held medical device company pioneering next-generation left-heart access and radiofrequency technology.

James Byrne named a finalist for the 2026 BioInnovation Institute & Science Prize for Innovation

After announcing the partnership on Feb. 10, the first event in the series was held at the Prairie Lights Cafe with UI associate professor Robert Cargill.