Message from the Director
Medical innovations – drugs, devices, and digital health technologies – create novel solutions to complex diseases and healthcare issues. Now, more than ever, the ability to conduct pivotal proof of concept and preclinical testing is a vital force in developing state-of-the-art products and services that can be approved for human clinical trials.
The Drug Dynamics Institute is a collaborative center, bringing together extensive scientific expertise and experience across industry, academia and global partners. The development of pharmaceutical and medical technologies is a rigorous and highly specialized process. The Drug Dynamics Institute has created a variety of ways to help industry, start-ups, and academic researchers move ideas from the lab to human clinical trials on the path to commercialization via preclinical evaluation and development (TherapeUTex), experiential innovation preparation (UT Advance), and wet lab incubator facilities (UTech Dorm Room). We look forward to working with you and your team in bringing new innovations to patients.
About the Drug Dynamics Institute (DDI) - Accelerating Health Innovations
Vision
The Drug Dynamics Institute will be recognized as the global partner of choice for developing health technologies and preparing students, innovators, and companies to solve problems with creative solutions that improve healthcare outcomes.
Mission
The Drug Dynamics Institute provides novel approaches and solutions for promoting the development of technologies, facilitating bioscience startups, and cultivating interdisciplinary technology readiness utilizing state of the art translational research tools, laboratory facilities, and educational approaches. The Drug Dynamics Institute applies its extensive scientific expertise in seamless collaboration with academic, industry, and government partners to foster and facilitate advancement of health innovations to commercialization.
Core Values
- Scientific innovation and problem solving
- Integrity and professionalism
- Client-focused
- Collaborative partnerships with scientists, organizations and the community
- Excellence in research and education
The Drug Dynamics Institute is comprised of three focus areas:
TherapeUTex
Along with our academic, industry and community partners, TherapeUTex uses its scientific expertise to assist UT faculty, university investigators, startups, and small businesses in the preclinical development of therapies and devices. TherapeUTex also works with clinicians and basic science investigators to strengthen grant proposals by adding translational elements to their submission. Our core lab works with academic researchers and companies around the world and has developed an outstanding reputation for its high standards and work product.
UT Advance
The Drug Dynamics Institute takes an interdisciplinary approach for preparing students, researchers, and emerging entrepreneurs. Advanced methods, including the flipped classroom, online training (Take Your Medicine), and 1-day startup sessions provide hands-on opportunities to experience health innovation development. Participants learn how to identify and develop ideas for novel products and services, perform market validation analyses, conduct customer discovery interviews, assess the competitive landscape, develop prototypes, and apply skills for effectively working in teams. The Lester Entrepreneurial Scholars, based in the College of Pharmacy, and the Innovating for Health certificate program have produced motivated entrepreneurs who have gone on to write successful SBIR grants, win power pitch competitions, obtain prestigious fellowships/residencies, and be invited to participate in local, national, and global follow on programs.
UTech Dorm Room
The UTech Dorm Room (UTDR) is wet lab research space designed to provide startup company entrepreneurs with facilities for developing bioscience technologies and evaluating commercialization potential. Located in the College of Pharmacy, UTDR is the result of community collaborations. The College of Pharmacy donated the lab space and The City of Austin made the initial grant to assist in the purchase of equipment and preparation of the space. The early success of UTDR led to its expansion to approximately 5,000 ft2. Subsequently, the City of Austin and St. David’s Foundation provided grants for refurbishing and other improvement. The UTDR facilities are open to bioscience startup companies in Austin.
