A report released by MIT startup Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) shows that one in four drivers were using a smartphone just before an accident occurred, reports The Boston Globe’s Matt Rocheleau. Prof. Samuel Madden, founder and chief scientist at CMT, explains that the study shows “people are using their phones a lot, and that’s playing a role in the accidents.”
Reporting for the PBS NewsHour, Nsikan Akpan highlights a new study co-authored by MIT researchers that examines how many NIH grants lead to new patents and medications. Prof. Pierre Azoulay explains that the study, “provides evidence that the research done in the public sector is useful — it’s relevant for the research done by private-sector firms.”
Newsweek reporter Jessica Wapner writes about a new study by MIT researchers that provides evidence that NIH funding contributes to a large number of patents in the field of biomedicine. The findings indicate that NIH-funded research “is not being done in an ivory tower,” explains Prof. Pierre Azoulay. “Companies use it as input in their own discovery efforts.”
Nature reporter Elie Dolgin writes about Prof. Pierre Azoulay’s new research that shows NIH funding has a significant impact on innovation in the field of biomedicine. Azoulay explains that from an economic standpoint the U.S. is “under-investing overall” in biomedical research.
Los Angeles Times reporter Melissa Healy writes that a new study by Prof. Pierre Azoulay examining the impact of NIH-funded research shows that NIH funding, “fuels the kinds of innovations that drive the U.S. economy.” Azoulay explains, “NIH public funding expenditures have large effects on the patenting output of the private sector.”
A study by Prof. Pierre Azoulay demonstrates the significant impact of NIH funding on biomedical patents, reports Carolyn Johnson for The Washington Post. Azoulay explains, “if your view was that the research done by academics...[has] no ramifications for the real world and the development of new medicines — well, that view is not correct.”
WBUR reporter Asma Khalid reports on how The Engine could help the Boston-area innovation ecosystem. Katie Rae, president and CEO of The Engine, explains that The Engine will support startups focused on tough technologies, which “take longer than most venture capital firms want to take bets on."
Katie Rae, president and CEO of The Engine, speaks with Meghna Chakrabarti of Radio Boston about her new role and why The Engine is aimed at addressing the gap between science and commercialization. Rae explains that The Engine will be focused on “investing very early into the translational stage for science-oriented startups.”
Writing for The Washington Post, Prof. Maria Zuber, MIT’s vice president for research, outlines how the U.S. can reduce coal emissions without “declaring war on coal communities.” Zuber argues that the U.S. must “commit to helping the workers and communities that are hurt when coal mines and coal plants reduce their operations or shut down.”
Oscar Williams of The Huffington Post writes that MIT researchers have designed a coating that allows liquids to slid out of containers, which could cut down on food waste. “In packages there are about 40 billion packs with material stuck in packages so the technology has the potential to significantly reduce waste,” says MIT alumnus and LiquiGlide co-founder David Smith.
In this article and video, BBC reporter Pallab Ghosh examines how MIT researchers have developed a coating that makes it possible to squeeze every drop of ketchup and toothpaste out of a container. “Because the coating is a composite of solid and liquid, it can be tailored to the product,” explains Prof. Kripa Varanasi.
Katie Rae, CEO and president of The Engine, speaks with Boston Globe reporter Scott Kirsner about the new venture, which is aimed at supporting startups focused on “tough tech.” Rae says The Engine is “a very hopeful project in my mind — investing in important ideas over the long-term.”
In this video, USA Today highlights Tiera Guinn, an MIT student who is working on designing rocket components for NASA while she completes her senior year at MIT. Guinn explains that her parents always told her that "others don’t declare the fate of your destiny. It’s up to you to achieve the dream you set in the first place.”
BBC reporter Lorelei Mihala highlights DriveWell, an app developed by Profs. Hari Balakrishnan and Sam Madden, aimed at addressing the problem of distracted driving. “We wanted to show that smartphones could be used to make drivers better,” says Balakrishnan.
During a trip to Rome to renew MIT’s partnership with Eni aimed at accelerating clean energy technologies, President L. Rafael Reif spoke with Alessia Rastelli of Corriere della Sera about MIT’s Climate Action Plan, the Campaign for a Better World and bringing world-changing ideas to the marketplace. Reif explains that MIT researchers want to “have an impact on a global scale.”