Iowa Office of Innovation GAP Pitch Competition

The Office of Innovation GAP Pitch Competition is a competitive showcase of faculty-led, early-stage healthcare inventions emerging from across the University of Iowa, designed to accelerate the translation of research into startup or licensing opportunities.

The event will feature two categories—Therapeutics and Medical Devices—with teams pitching pre-company concepts to a panel of venture capitalists and industry leaders from the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical device sectors.

The competition will award up to $25,000 in non-dilutive funding per category, highlighting the university’s continued commitment to entrepreneurship, commercialization, and translational impact.

Therapeutics Pitches:

• James Byrne, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
• Ashley Cooney, Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
• Adam Mailloux, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
• William Thiel, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine–Cardiovascular Medicine

Medical Device Pitches:

• Martha Carvour, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine–Infectious Diseases
• Christopher Hogden, Assistant Professor of Endodontics
• Maddie Mocchi, Iowa Neuroscience Specialty Program in Research Education Postdoctoral Fellow
• Kamel Shibbani, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics–Cardiology

The teams pitching at this event were awarded Fall 2025 Innovation GAP Funding and have participated in required programming, including monthly sessions and dedicated pitch preparation, to advance their technologies and prepare for additional investment.

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Disability Accomodations
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Amber Cardona in advance at [email protected].

Info: During the break between pitches, stop by the gallery walk to get to know more about Office of Innovation programs and services, including Protostudios, Iowa MADE, Iowa Nurse Innovators, and the University of Iowa Research Park.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

University of Iowa College of Pharmacy - Room 210, 180 South Grand Avenue, Iowa City, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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