Dr. Jamal Lewis, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and his graduate student, Clinton Smith, have been honored with UF Tech Licensing’s 2024 Invention of the Year award for their pioneering drug delivery platform for brain disorder treatment. Selected by one of UF Innovate’s six licensing teams, the technology stood out among 372 new ideas disclosed by UF innovators in fiscal year 2024 for its transformative potential.

The project uses the fungus Cryptococcus to deliver drugs directly to the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier—a major obstacle for existing treatments. Lewis’s lab has engineered biomaterial particles that can be loaded with therapeutic drugs, which, when attached to these fungi, can navigate the body and release treatments where they are needed most.

“Our goal is to utilize fungi to deliver drugs precisely where they’re needed,” said Lewis. “This platform could open doors to more effective treatments for brain conditions that have been challenging to manage with traditional approaches.”

This recognition, part of UF Innovate | Tech Licensing’s annual Standing InnOvation event, celebrates the impactful research of University of Florida innovators whose discoveries hold promise for wide-reaching societal benefit.