“At University of Utah Health, research is more than discovery,” says Rachel Hess, MD, MS, associate vice president for research, health sciences. “It’s a dynamic force that cultivates leaders, drives breakthroughs, and fuels economic growth, creating a transformational pathway to a healthier, more prosperous future for Utah and beyond.
These imperatives were on display throughout 2024, showcased by impactful discoveries, robust research funding, and award-winning scientists. Health sciences research has more than doubled in size over the past 12 years, a trajectory that highlights U of U Health as a destination for leading faculty, learners, and research teams who strive to make lasting societal impact through research. Their enduring commitment ensures that today’s advances are building a foundation for a better tomorrow.
External organizations—including federal agencies, industry partners, state governments, and philanthropic groups—recognized the expertise of our research teams by investing $492.3 million in 1,876 health sciences-led projects through grants and other financial support. University-wide, $691 million funded 2,600 grants in fiscal year 2024, marking the fifth consecutive year of exceeding $600 million in research funding.
At U of U Health, some of these grants are supporting projects to explore and address disparities in oral health, research and implement ways to reduce childhood obesity in six states in the Mountain West, and carry out a multi-site clinical trial to test whether virtual rehabilitation therapy can benefit stroke patients.
The newly founded U of U Health Philanthropic Partners Group supports innovative high-risk, high-reward projects that would likely be overlooked by traditional funding sources. This year, they backed visionary research that could lead to a new breast cancer therapy, a novel technology to enhance the safety of certain brain surgery procedures, and an AI-based approach to improve genetic disease diagnoses. U of U Health’s Advancement team continues to forge new relationships and deepen existing relationships, with philanthropists who are excited about building a brighter future.
Through these efforts and more, U of U Health investigators are exploring multiple dimensions of health, driving innovation to reduce disease and elevate well-being for all.
In 2024, university research continued to draw national media and public attention. The most impactful stories highlight how our experts turn research breakthroughs into tangible benefits for society.
A 25-year-long multinational study led by investigators at U of U Health identified a genetic difference that causes spinocerebellar ataxia 4 (SCA4), a rare movement disorder, bringing answers to families and opening the door to future treatments.
Covered by 141 media outlets, including U.S. News & World Report and MSN.com.
Research found that individuals with severe endometriosis are 10 times more likely to get ovarian cancer, compared to those who do not have the disease. The results suggest that people diagnosed with endometriosis should receive counseling on ovarian cancer risk and prevention.
Covered by 182 media outlets, including CNN and National Institutes of Health.
A multinational research team, led by University of Utah scientists, discovered a component in the venom of a marine cone snail that mimics somatostatin, a human hormone regulating blood sugar levels. This toxin could aid in developing better drugs for people with diabetes and hormone disorders.
Covered by 110 media outlets, including Newsweek, Yahoo! News, and Deseret News.
Innovation is central to the mission at the U and U of U Health, with the Technology Licensing Office (TLO) playing a key role in turning ideas into practical applications and the Center for Medical Innovation’s Bench to Bedside (B2B) program inspiring students.
At the Innovation Awards 2024, TLO recognized major contributions to the U’s entrepreneurial culture. Top awards went to:
As co-director of the Digital Health Initiative and founding director of the Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab (The GApp Lab), Altizer and his teams have developed nearly 80 games and apps, including virtual reality and augmented reality tools for physical therapy, mental health, and public health education. Their research drives innovation at the intersection of health and technology.
The Utah Bionic Leg, developed by Tommaso Lenzi, PhD, and his HGN Lab team, is a motorized prosthetic for lower-limb amputees, offering enhanced power and control for walking, standing, sitting, and navigating stairs. It is now licensed to Ottobock, a leading company in the prosthetics industry.
Investigator on the Rise
English developed the VEGAS (Viral Evolution of Genetically Actuated Sequences) platform for directed protein evolution in mammalian cells, revolutionizing G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling studies and drug discovery. He founded Evolution Bio to commercialize his lab's technologies, leading to four issued and pending patents.
Mentoring Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs
U of U Health’s B2B program mentors Utah students as they engage in health care innovation and apply their skills to improve care for members of our communities. At Competition Night 2024, B2B innovation teams showcased their hard work from the previous year with team C-Blu earning the grand prize.
B2B Grand Prize Winner
The team’s blue light colposcope enhances cervical cancer screening by using fluorescent properties of cancerous cells to improve lesion detection and reduce false negatives. In 2024, the B2B program mentored 136 student competitors from four Utah academic institutions who formed 32 competing teams. Altogether, the teams filed 21 patents.
U of U Health creates a nurturing environment where researchers can thrive, enabling senior investigators to build distinguished careers and early career investigators to launch programs that will shape the future. Notable awards in 2024 that recognize past accomplishments and future potential are:
- Amy Barrios, PhD, professor of medicinal chemistry, and H. Joseph Yost, PhD, former professor of neurobiology and anatomy, were both elected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- The HIV drug lenacapavir, which was based on research by Wesley Sundquist, PhD, professor and chair of biochemistry, and developed by Gilead Sciences, was named Breakthrough of the Year by Science Magazine.
- Yue Lu, PhD, assistant professor of molecular pharmaceutics, earned a National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award for her forward-thinking research that aims to develop a technology that measures environmental impacts on health with a simple blood draw.
- A Searle Scholarship awarded to Tyler Starr, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry, will support his research examining how viral evolution can lead to infectious disease.
