INDIANAPOLIS - Dr. D. Wade Clapp, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and physician-in-chief at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, has been named the inaugural senior associate dean for entrepreneurial research and commercialization for the IU School of Medicine. In this role, he will serve as a scientific lead for Indiana University Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, known as IU LAB.
Dr. D. Wade Clapp. Photo courtesy of the IU School of Medicine
"Throughout his long and accomplished career, Dr. Clapp has extensive experience working with industry partners, including Cook Medical and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute," said Dr. Jay L. Hess, dean of the IU School of Medicine and executive vice president for university clinical affairs at IU. "In addition to cancer research, Dr. Clapp's work has increasingly focused on biomedical engineering for pediatric applications with multiple industry and university partners. Coupled with his collaborative and innovative leadership skills, he is the ideal person to take on this important role."
Clapp will begin in this role effectively immediately, while continuing to serve as chair of the Department of Pediatrics. He will work closely with faculty in the IU School of Medicine, the associate vice president for innovation and commercialization, and the president and CEO of IU LAB. Clapp's role is critical to the success of the IU School of Medicine Strategic Plan, which seeks to accelerate discovery and clinical translation.
He will focus on speeding up the translation of IU School of Medicine discoveries into commercial products and ventures. He will enhance infrastructure for generating intellectual property, collaborating directly with faculty to develop best practices for increasing disclosures and patents, and foster closer partnerships between academic researchers and industry leaders.
Working closely with David Rosenberg, president and CEO of IU LAB, Clapp will play a pivotal role in establishing research priorities; developing strategies; and uniting IU researchers, entrepreneurs and industry partners to ensure the continued success and growth of IU LAB as a key strategic priority for the university.
"Dr. Clapp is a distinguished physician, scientist and entrepreneur; his work epitomizes IU LAB's focus on translational research, the startup ecosystem and industry partnerships," Rosenberg said. "We are excited to see the immense benefit Dr. Clapp's expertise will bring to the students, faculty and companies that will call IU LAB home."
A $138 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. will fund construction of a state-of-the-art facility for IU LAB that will integrate education, research and development, and business incubation and acceleration at the 16 Tech Innovation District in Indianapolis.
Clapp, a neonatologist and physician-scientist, is a leader in translational research, particularly in childhood cancer. With NIH grant support, his work focuses on genetic diseases linked to cancer in children, including neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1. In 2008, Clapp and his team discovered the first effective therapy for previously untreatable tumors in children with NF1. He is also the former director of the M.D./Ph.D. program at IU, now an NIH-designated Medical Scientist Training Program.
"Throughout my career, I've seen firsthand the transformative power of commercialization in advancing research and turning ideas into real-world solutions," said Clapp, who has been with the IU School of Medicine since 1991. "I look forward to collaborating with the incredible talent at IU and fostering partnerships that will drive meaningful impact for the state of Indiana and beyond."
