UC Shines Spotlight on Research at Showcase 2008

All in one place and all on one day, the University of Cincinnati will display and demonstrate the best of its first-rate research in the fields of medicine, technology and business in a rare public exhibit that is open to the community from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, March 7, 2008, in UC’s Tangeman University Center.

Called Showcase 2008, the event is designed to provide the region’s business community  with the unusual opportunity to meet the researchers behind the projects that have been applauded nationally and even internationally. Projects on display have received attention in outlets ranging from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, USA Today, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, International Herald Tribune, BusinessWeek magazine, National Public Radio, CNN, MSNBC.com and many others.

The University of Cincinnati stands among the nation’s top 25 public research universities in the United States, according to the National Science Foundation. And Showcase 2008 lifts the curtain as to why.

All the projects have proven or potential commercialization value, meaning they have the potential to benefit industry within university/industry partnerships – all of which means potential economic development for the region.

For example, the sniff-magnitude test mentioned above is already in development with a Minnesota company. Another example: Also on display will be UC’s solar house. A clamping device developed by UC students in the construction of that house has a patent pending that will be jointly held by UC and an Evendale company called Aluminum Extruded Shapes.

Free and open (with free parking too,) Showcase 2008 includes displays and demonstrations that not only show the excitement and promise of how research can change and save lives, the event is also a service to the business community. In one place at one time, it offers a look at the best of UC’s first-rate research with proven commercialization success or great partnership potential.

The broad themes on exhibit during Showcase 2008 center on

• Causes and cures: Discoveries in heart health, metabolic diseases and cancer.

• Drugs and devices: The next generation of therapeutic solutions.

• Energy and environment: Sustainable engineering, advanced fuels and better uses for scarce resources.

• Imaging and sensing: Picture-perfect visualization tools combined with unusual applications.

• Next big things in nano: UC is being courted by national and international business for its nanotechnology applications in science, engineering and medicine.

• Products and design: Transformational and new applications to old problems.

• Vibrant community: Bettering the urban fabric via housing, development and medical outreach.

So, what does that mean in terms of actual projects on display? A few of the nearly 100 projects are

• A recently announced sniff test that has won attention from international media because it can provide an early indication for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other diseases. (Yes, Showcase visitors will be able to take that test.)

• A robot for conducting brain surgery.

• Robots for use in other surgeries and for use in space.

• A balance platform that shows how posture fluctuates. This has implications for the elderly and those with certain diseases like Parkinson’s. (Yes, Showcase visitors will be able to use the platform and look at a computer graphic display of individual posture.)

• Many health-related research projects and outreach programs associated with diabetes management, stroke prevention and more.

• A race track with cars powered by electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell.

• Green roof models where visitors will be able to water and help the roofs grow.

• Examples of virtual building projects and simulations, including jet propulsion simulations and the virtual recreation of this region’s Native American earthworks.

• State-of-the-art software for designing cars and other products from toys to medical devices, available thanks to UC’s PACE designation. (UC is the only school in Ohio designated as a PACE institution.)

• UC’s Live Well Collaborative for creating consumer products for the 50+ crowd.

Recap on UC’s Showcase 2008

• What: One hundred cutting-edge applied research and technology innovations + industry partnership potentials: One place. One day. UC.

• When: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, March 7, 2008.

• Where: UC’s Tangeman University Center. Parking is free: http://www.uc.edu/showcase/location_parking.html

• For more: http://www.uc.edu/showcase/