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Washington Research Foundation awards 12 three-year postdoctoral fellowships

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Early-career researchers will complete projects in natural sciences and engineering at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, the University of Washington and Washington State University to address areas of urgent public need

SEATTLE, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Washington Research Foundation (WRF) has awarded three-year postdoctoral fellowships to 12 early-career researchers to enable them to solve important problems in the natural sciences and engineering. The incoming cohort of WRF Postdoctoral Fellows will complete projects of their own design at Fred Hutch Cancer Center (Fred Hutch), the University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU), working in areas that include biomedical sciences, renewable energy and crop sustainability.

“Our goal is to improve a fundamental bottleneck in biological research—accurate and accessible assembly of many DNA sequences, which can accelerate discovery efforts in fundamental biology to therapeutic development.” David Mai, Ph.D.

WRF is currently supporting 35 Fellows and has awarded a total of 90 fellowships since it launched the program in 2018. Fellowships include three years of salary, benefits and expenses support to enable researchers to carry out investigations that aim to significantly advance scientific knowledge in their fields. The long-term goal is that the Fellows’ work will contribute to the creation of new products, services and practices that will improve lives.

In addition to financial support, WRF provides Fellows with networking and professional development opportunities, including participation in an annual symposium to showcase their research and learn from their peers. Alumni have progressed to a range of positions in academia and industry. Norma Morella, Ph.D., and Caleb Stoltzfus, Ph.D., who completed fellowships that began in 2020 and 2019, respectively, now serve as members of the program’s selection committee.

The incoming cohort of WRF Postdoctoral Fellows will begin their projects in 2025.

    David Brenes earned his Ph.D. in bioengineering from Rice University. During his WRF fellowship at UW Mechanical Engineering, he will develop an AI-driven light-sheet microscope for intraoperative margin assessment to help surgeons achieve complete tumor removal during breast-conserving surgeries.    Ethan Campbell completed his Ph.D. in oceanography at UW. As a WRF Fellow at UW’s Applied Physics Laboratory, he will explore how snowfall and storm events in the Southern Ocean impact the release of ocean heat and the future trajectory of sea ice around Antarctica.    Alexandra (Allie) Cheney earned a doctorate in biochemistry at Montana State University. In the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutch, she will use fluorescent microscopy, metabolomics and genomics approaches to investigate the role of the enteric nervous system in sensing infectious microbes in the gut.    Faris Horani completed his doctorate in chemistry at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology. In the University of Washington’s Department of Chemistry, he will advance the colloidal synthesis of lead-free iodide elpasolite (double perovskite) semiconductor nanocrystals, focusing on their unique structural, electronic and magneto-optical properties for a range of medical and consumer applications.    Zukai Liu earned his Ph.D. in genetics and developmental biology at UConn Health Center and The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine. In the UW Department of Genome Sciences and Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, he will continue to utilize stem cell-based models to study human early embryonic development and dissect the genetic basis of birth defects.    Alina Lorant completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Immunology at the University of Washington. At Fred Hutch, she will work to determine the role of myeloid cells in educating immune tolerance in early life.    David Mai earned a doctorate in bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. At Fred Hutch, he will develop new technologies for assembling large libraries of longer DNA sequences to advance research in fundamental biology to therapeutic discovery.    Jacob Pitt completed a Ph.D. in ecology at Colorado State University. At the WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, he will use electrical circuitry-based techniques to identify insect feeding and mating behaviors that contribute to transmission of a plant pathogen affecting cherry trees.    Pooja Srinivas earned her Ph.D. in pharmacology at Emory University. In the UW Department of Microbiology, she will be probing regulation of differentiation in ultrasmall bacteria using novel genetic techniques.    Sara Sunshine completed her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. In the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutch, she will develop a high-throughput assay to simultaneously quantify neutralizing antibody titers to a spectrum of human viruses.    Danyang Wang earned her Ph.D. in reproductive biology at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. In the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington, she will investigate a new stem cell-based therapy for primary ovarian insufficiency, a significant cause of female infertility, and explore the mechanisms underlying it.    Xiaodi Wang completed her Ph.D. in medical entomology at the University of Florida. In the UW Department of Biology, she will use behavioral and neurophysiological assays, along with genetic modification techniques, to understand molecular and neural bases underlying mosquito host-seeking and blood-feeding behaviors upon malaria parasite infection.

Aimée Dudley, Ph.D., of the Pacific Northwest Research Institute and Daniel Slichter, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, co-chair the national committee that selected the Fellows.

“By supporting this group of innovative, dynamic young scientists, WRF is investing in the future,” Slichter said. “The WRF Postdoctoral Fellowship program is designed to support the brightest and most talented scientific minds early in their careers, enabling them to establish themselves as leaders in industry, academia and public service, and strengthening the scientific ecosystem of Washington and beyond.”

“This group of intelligent, innovative and collaborative scientists was chosen from a large and incredibly competitive pool of applicants,” Dudley said. “These early-career scientists represent a diverse set of expertise, research interests and life experiences. I’m excited to see what they accomplish, both individually and collectively.”

David Mai, Ph.D., will carry out his fellowship at Fred Hutch, focusing on the discovery of new technologies that could improve the development of therapeutics.

“Our goal is to improve a fundamental bottleneck in biological research—accurate and accessible assembly of many DNA sequences, which can accelerate discovery efforts in fundamental biology to therapeutic development,” Mai said. “Support through the WRF allows us to fully tackle this ambitious methods development project even though most research efforts are directed toward exploring new biology or creating new medicines.”

“WRF is proud to support this exceptional group of postdoctoral Fellows as they embark on projects addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time,” said Clarisse Benson, manager of student and postdoctoral programs at WRF. “Their innovative approaches, collaborative efforts, and dedication to advancing science and engineering hold immense promise for driving impactful solutions and creating a brighter future for our communities and beyond.”

The application for WRF Postdoctoral Fellowships beginning in 2026 will open in May 2025.

About Washington Research Foundation:

Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research and scholarship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.

WRF was founded in 1981 to assist universities and other nonprofit research institutions in Washington with the commercialization and licensing of their technologies. WRF is one of the foremost technology transfer and grant-making organizations in the nation, having earned more than $445 million in licensing revenue for the University of Washington and providing over $160 million in grants to the state’s research institutions to date.

WRF Capital, the investment vehicle for Washington Research Foundation, has backed 132 local startups since 1996. Returns support the Foundation’s investment and grantmaking programs.

For more information, please visit wrfseattle.org.

Media Contact

Dale Wadman, Washington Research Foundation, (206) 336-5600, dale@wrfseattle.org, https://www.wrfseattle.org/ 

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AI Governance Leader ModelOp Experiences Significant Growth in 2024 with Customer Expansion and Multiple Prestigious Awards

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December 18, 2024

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From completing its $10 million Series B equity financing to being awarded the 2024 AI Breakthrough Award for “Best AI Governance Platform” and achieving inclusion on Inc.’s Best in Business List, it was a year of continued momentum for the leading AI Governance software company for enterprises.

CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The leading AI Governance software for enterprises, ModelOp, announced today it experienced an exponential increase of platform usage in 2024 through new customer acquisition, generative AI adoption, and expanding need for its AI portfolio intelligence and governance capabilities. For the second consecutive year, the company achieved massive, continued growth in the financial services, healthcare, and CPG sectors with customers that include Fidelity Investments, FINRA, and Bristol Myers Squibb.

ModelOp’s excellence was well-recognized this year. It won the prestigious 2024 AI Breakthrough Award for “Best AI Governance Platform”, an award series that celebrates the world’s most innovative companies, technologies, and products in the artificial intelligence industry with more than 5,000 applicants globally this year. The firm also was named to Inc.’s 2024 Best in Business List in the AI & Data category, an award that celebrates the exceptional achievements and contributions of companies that have made a profound impact on their industries and on society at large. In addition, Polaris Market Research & Consulting named ModelOp a key player in the rapidly growing Model Operations market. MMC Ventures named ModelOp a “Who’s Who in Responsible AI” and a leader in AI Governance.

ModelOp also completed its $10 million Series B Equity financing led by Baird Capital. With the new capital, ModelOp is actively building upon its market-leading AI portfolio intelligence and governance capabilities that establish visibility into AI initiatives and value, and enforce policies consistently to help organizations stay compliant even as regulations evolve rapidly.

This investment follows the new release of ModelOp version 3.3, the third-generation of its software. It enables enterprises to manage AI as a portfolio and provide  “Minimum Viable Governance” (MVG), which allows companies to apply just enough governance to protect the business while accelerating AI innovation.

Version 3.3 also includes the world’s first AI Governance Score, a standardized metric that measures risk across diverse AI initiatives. ModelOp’s new AI Governance Score provides executives with real-time visibility into all AI initiatives — including generative AI, in-house, third-party, and embedded AI systems — and their risks across the entire enterprise, even as global regulations evolve. ModelOp helps Chief AI Officers (CAIOs), CDAOs, CIOs, CISOs, AI leaders, and Governance teams responsibly accelerate AI innovation and keep their organizations safe through a comprehensive AI Governance inventory, automated controls, and streamlined reporting capabilities.

“Unlike other solutions, only ModelOp’s software provides executives unprecedented visibility into the AI being used across their organizations,” said Pete Foley, CEO of ModelOp. “This enables enterprises to deliver transformational and responsible AI systems. ModelOp 3.3 allows executives to manage their AI use cases and models as a portfolio and track KPIs including revenue, costs, savings, cost avoidance, and ROI. Additionally, ModelOp enables AI and legal teams to stay on their front foot as regulations like the EU AI Act and US state and federal agency rules take effect. It was a remarkable year for ModelOp and our new capital is enabling us to accelerate our expansion. Looking forward to 2025, we are excited to introduce new capabilities, and continue our rapid growth as the leading AI Governance software.”

Also of note this year, ModelOp partnered with CDO Magazine to produce the 2024 Responsible AI Benchmark Report that revealed a growing gap between the rapid adoption of AI and the implementation of responsible AI Governance practices. The survey of nearly 150 executives across diverse industries provides insights on AI adoption, use cases in production, governance capabilities, and top risks. The free report clearly shows growing risks with enterprise AI strategy.

About ModelOp
ModelOp is the leading AI Governance software for enterprises and helps safeguard all AI initiatives – including generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), in-house, third-party, and embedded systems – without stifling innovation. Through automation and integrations, ModelOp empowers enterprises to quickly address the critical governance and scale challenges necessary to protect and fully unlock the transformational value of enterprise AI – resulting in effective and responsible AI systems. To learn more visit https://www.modelop.com or follow ModelOp on LinkedIn.

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EXPLR ANNOUNCES TOP STUDENT INNOVATORS NAMED NATIONAL STEM CHAMPIONS

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December 18, 2024

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106 students will receive expense-paid trips to the National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C.
EXPLR is founded by Jenny Buccos and co-founded by Kari Byron (former Discovery Channel Mythbuster) and Andrew Zimmern (Bizarre Foods)

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — EXPLR announces the 106 students whose outstanding projects have earned them the title of National STEM Champions. These students will be recognized at the National STEM Festival in Washington, D.C., March 19-22, 2025.

Each student and a guardian will receive an expense-paid trip, including lodging and travel, to attend the Festival and showcase their projects to the public and business and government leaders. In addition, each National STEM Champion will receive free access to EXPLR’s educational streaming video and curriculum platform for the teacher of their choice.

EXPLR invited students in grades 7-12 from across the U.S. and its territories to conceive and submit STEM innovations, inventions, and research across six categories: Aerospace Innovation, Environmental Stewardship, Future Food, Health and Medicine, Powering the Planet, and Tech for Good.

“Congratulations to all the students selected as National STEM Champions! EXPLR created the National STEM Festival to spotlight the next generation of innovators—students who are bold thinkers, dynamic leaders, and creators with the power to make a real impact. I’m incredibly excited to welcome our STEM Champions to the Festival this spring, where their ideas will inspire us all,” said Jenny Buccos, Founder & CEO of EXPLR and Co-Director of the National STEM Festival.

In addition to being selected as National STEM Champions, select students were also recognized for the following special awards:

The AISES Indigenous Ingenuity Award recognizes the creativity, ingenuity, and technical prowess of the first scientists by honoring Indigenous students from North American tribes or the Pacific Islands who have developed research projects that answer burning questions or address real-world challenges from their communities.The Congressional Innovation Award recognizes the creativity, ingenuity, and technical prowess of students who have developed outstanding mobile and web applications that address real-world challenges.EXPLR Catalyst Award recognizes an outstanding entrant who demonstrates exceptional ingenuity and a commitment to solving real-world problems through innovative solutions. This award honors an individual whose project relentlessly pursues practical applications to address significant societal challenges with creativity and innovation.The Autodesk Design & Make Champion Award honors one 2025 National STEM Champion for exceptional creativity and innovation in completing a project that demonstrates outstanding skills throughout the entire design and make process.

The following students were named National STEM Champions:

ALABAMA
Aanchal Behara (Birmingham), Ashu Anand (Birmingham)

ALASKA
Sara DeVolld (Soldotna)

AMERICAN SAMOA
Amelie Chen (Pago Pago)

ARIZONA
Humberto Gil Villalobos (Yuma), Akshay Karthik (Chandler), Carmen Martinez (Yuma)

ARKANSAS
Harshith Guduru (Bentonville), Bennet Chen (Little Rock)

CALIFORNIA
David He (San Diego), Shriya Nedumaran (San Jose), Joanna Deng* (Orinda)
*Joanna Deng is also a recipient of the Congressional Innovation Award

COLORADO
Alexander Zhang (Boulder), Anirudh Rao (Highlands Ranch)

CONNECTICUT
Snigtha Mohanraj (New Haven), Tyler Malkin* (Greenwich)
*Tyler Malkin is also the recipient of the Alumni Award

DELAWARE
Cailyn Pan (Wilmington), Riddik Sri Satya Neetipalli (Wilmington)

FLORIDA
Carson Granese (St. Petersburg), Gabriella Weiner (Melbourne), Rudra Patel (Tampa)

GEORGIA
Daniel Li (Suwanee), Hannah Coley (Conyers)
From the NASEF Farmcraft team from Brookwood High School in Snellville: Nakariana Jones, Evie Moore, Sydney King, Indus Lewis, Layla Young, Wren Hall, Ella Foghis Myers

GUAM
Mitekshi Ghosh (Chalan Pago)

HAWAII
Liam Chattergy* (Honolulu), Jinghao Li (Kapolei)
*Liam Chattergy is also a recipient of the Congressional Innovation Award

ILLINOIS
Manaal Siddiqui (Naperville), Sammit Chidambaram (Dunlap)

INDIANA
Sophia Fu (Carmel), Rohan Bhosale (Carmel), Tara Kim (West Lafayette)

IOWA
Amal Eltayib (Iowa City), Ritvik Gupta (Johnston)

KANSAS
Elizabeth Barnes (Overland Park), Mahi Kohli (Olathe)

KENTUCKY
Lucy Teng (Louisville),  Vallabh Ramesh (Louisville)

LOUISIANA
Abigail Qi (Baton Rouge),  Gyeongyun Min (Lake Charles)
From the NASEF Farmcraft team from University View Academy in Baton Rouge: Alanna Piper, Elison Hebert, Diego Santana, Charles Steele

MAINE
Gabriel Kirmani (Limestone)

MARYLAND
Megan Yeager (Hanover), Bryan Hijam (Baltimore)

MASSACHUSETTS
Nichelle Thinagar (Shrewsbury), Sarah Wang (Andover)

MICHIGAN
Chikanma Okoisor (Midland), Elliot LeClair (Midland), Tanay Panja* (Ann Arbor)
* Tanay Panja is also a recipient of the Congressional Innovation Award

MINNESOTA
Tyler Clair (Minnetonka), Kevin Qiu (Plymouth), Surjosnato Dhar (Plymouth)

MISSISSIPPI
Celia Lane (Ridgeland), Pranav Reddy (Ridgeland)

MISSOURI
Elizabeth Saleeby (Saint Louis), Anikait Rawat (Manchester)

MONTANA
Akira Lanes (Bozeman)

NEBRASKA
Dakota Sage (Central City), Thanvi Bhat (Omaha)

NEVADA
Jordan Chong (Reno), Jayna Kim (Las Vegas)

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Viktor Osadsky (Exeter), Jiaxuan Dai (Exeter)

NEW JERSEY
Ishaan Kunwar (Edison), Krithik Alluri (Medford)

NEW MEXICO
Steven Xu (Roswell), Natashia Anderson*  (Farmington)
* Natashia Anderson is also the recipient of the AISES Indigenous Ingenuity Award

NEW YORK
Tristan Burchett* (Brooklyn),  Mai Tran (New York City), Isabella Wissa (Lincolndale), Chase Ende (Harrison)
*Tristan Burchett is also the recipient of the EXPLR Catalyst Award

NORTH CAROLINA
Sakhyata Gurram (Cary), Swayam Shah (Raleigh), Keertana Ramars Jillella Venkata*  (Raleigh)
* Keertana Ramars Jillella Venkata is also a recipient of the Congressional Innovation Award

NORTH DAKOTA
Fatemeh Saeedi (Grand Forks)

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Misha Kim (Northern Mariana Island, Saipan)

OHIO
Deepthisri Paruchuri (Columbus), Anuki Mudalige (Delaware)

OKLAHOMA
Caytie Couch* (Quapaw), Emma Zhang (Jenks)
* Caytie Couch is also the recipient of the AISES Indigenous Ingenuity Award

OREGON
Anisha Dhoot (Portland), Liam Aranda-Michel (Lake Oswego), Nidhi Yadalam (Portland)

PENNSYLVANIA
Aadi Deshmukh (Bethlehem), Audrey Rozea (West Chester), Dharunish Yugeswardeenoo (Warrington)

PUERTO RICO
Shanti Isaac (Guaynabo)

RHODE ISLAND 
Jimin Shon (Portsmouth)

SOUTH CAROLINA
Karthik  Arumugam (Mauldin), Sydney Poliakoff (Charleston)

SOUTH DAKOTA
Kambria Tamayo* (Lower Brule),  Lila Vanderlei (Avon),  Steven Swallow (Porcupine)
* Kambria Tamayo is also is also the recipient of the AISES Indigenous Ingenuity Award

TENNESSEE 
Benjamin Taylor (Memphis), Shashank Lahoti (Mount Juliet)

TEXAS
Hasini Leo Jayaraj (Leander),  Adel Sisy* (Manvel)
* Adel Sisy is also a recipient of the Congressional Innovation Award

UTAH
Aadhi Umamageswaran (Salt Lake City), Ian JakeKim (Salt Lake City)

VIRGINIA
Ashrita Gandhari (Alexandria), Ani Nishanian (Chantilly), Linda Pistun (Alexandria)

WASHINGTON
Lakshmi Agrawal (Bellevue), Matthew “Jerry” Yao* (Walla Walla)
*Matthew Yao is also the recipient of the Autodesk Design & Make Champion Award

WISCONSIN
Aditi Muduganti* (Onalaska), Ritisha Dey (Shorewood)
*Aditi Muduganti is also a recipient of the Congressional Innovation Award

WYOMING
Padmalakshmi Ramesh (Laramie), Teagan Thomas (Greybull)

The National STEM Festival, presented by EXPLR, is able to offer inspiring and engaging experiences to participants, both in Washington, D.C. and online, thanks to the support of co-presenting sponsors Autodesk and Broadcom Foundation, in addition to a number of supporting organizations that share a commitment to advancing innovation and STEM education. A full list of sponsors and supporters can be found on the National STEM Festival website.

For media and interview requests or inquiries about National STEM Festival coverage, please contact Skai Blue Media at teamexplr@skaibluemedia.com.

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Wunderdogs Unveils Report on the Next Generation of Climate Tech Startups, in Collaboration with True Ventures, Wireframe Ventures, Planeteer Capital, Activate and Prelude Ventures

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December 18, 2024

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SEATTLE, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – Wunderdogs, a brand consultancy and digital studio, announced the release of a report, Climate Compass. The report, produced in collaboration with investors and industry experts from True Ventures, Wireframe Ventures, Planeteer Capital, Activate, Prelude Ventures, Limelight Steel, SOSV, The Nature Conservancy, and The Ad Hoc Group, offers a look at the next generation of climate technology startups driving the shift to a decarbonized, resilient, and sustainable future.

“This report represents a major step in understanding the evolving climate tech space,” said Daria Gonzalez, Wunderdogs‘ co-founder. “By bringing together insights from leading venture capital firms and industry experts, we’re helping to shape a view of what lies ahead for the next generation of climate-focused startups.”

The report is the result of a collaborative effort between Wunderdogs and a network of forward-thinking investors and entrepreneurs across the climate tech space. Over the past several months, Wunderdogs worked closely with venture capital firms and experts to research, design, and compile insights into the most promising startups and technologies that are shaping the future of climate tech.

The full report is available to view here: climatecompassreport.com.

About Wunderdogs

Since its inception in 2017, Wunderdogs has been at the forefront of brand and digital strategy for the technology sector, collaborating with over 140 technology firms and 30 investment companies. Wunderdogs combines strategy, design and technology to create award-winning brands and digital platforms aimed at making a lasting impression.

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