Baxter Young Investigator Awards Honor Students Working to Resolve Critical Issues in Healthcare

ROUND LAKE, Ill., September 29, 2016 /3BL Media/ – As part of continued efforts to celebrate and promote innovative research that aligns with its mission to save and sustain lives, Baxter honored 17 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with the 2016 Young Investigator Awards. The Young Investigator Awards seek to stimulate and reward research applicable to the development of therapies and medical products that help resolve critical medical needs.

The Young Investigator Award, now in its eighth year, has recognized more than 60 young scientists and engineers, some of whom have gone on to participate in Baxter’s Technical Development Program – a two-year training program focused on developing high-potential, entry-level technical professionals.

“The Young Investigator Awards foster emerging scientists working in areas vital to lifesaving activities,” said Marcus Schabacker, chief scientific officer at Baxter. “Baxter is dedicated to advancing patient care worldwide, and this program connects critical research and innovative talent to the next generations of medical products and therapies.”

Young Investigator Award applicants were chosen in a variety of product categories, including renal, surgical care and fluid systems, after demonstrating their practical understanding of the therapeutic areas. The six, first-tier award winners receive a $2,000 prize and are able to showcase their projects via a presentation to Baxter employees, as well as network with Baxter scientists, at Baxter's Round Lake, Ill., research and development facility. Other award recipients receive a $500 prize.

To select the award winners, Baxter evaluates candidates based on several criteria measures, including the quality of the research itself and whether the candidates were primarily responsible for their own research that aligns with acute and critical care medical technology. Winning projects of this year’s award program include perioperative monitoring of blood coagulation to better understand the causes of hemorrhage; finding resolutions for problems associated with islet transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes; and the development of a fluorinated nanoparticle for longitudinal monitoring of cancer, among others.

2016 First-Tier Winners

• Zida Li, University of Michigan – A Miniaturized Hemoretractometer for Blood Clot Retraction Testing (Surgical Care)
• Joonyoung Park, Purdue University – Development of Carrier-Free Albumin Functionalized Paclitaxel Nanocrystals (Fluid Systems)
• Jeffrey Plott, University of Michigan – Device to Aid in Arterial Microvascular Anastomosis (Surgical Care)
• Shang Song, University of California – Silicon Nanopore Membrane for Islet Encapsulation and Immuniosolation Under Convective Transport to treat Type 1 Diabetes (Fluid Systems)
• Jaqueline Wallat, Case Western Reserve University – A Clickable-Fluorous Nanoparticle Platform for Imaging Tumors (Fluid Systems)
• Andrea Wolf, University of Minnesota  - Preclinical Characterization and Optimization of BHB/M, a Low-Volume Intravenous Resuscitation Fluid for the Treatment of Hemorrhagic Shock (Fluid Systems)

First-tier award winners will present their projects and be recognized at an award ceremony at Baxter’s Round Lake, Ill. R&D facility on October 6, 2016.

About Baxter
Baxter provides a broad portfolio of essential renal and hospital products, including home, acute and in-center dialysis; sterile IV solutions; infusion systems and devices; parenteral nutrition; biosurgery products and anesthetics; and pharmacy automation, software and services. The company’s global footprint and the critical nature of its products and services play a key role in expanding access to healthcare in emerging and developed countries. Baxter’s employees worldwide are building upon the company’s rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of healthcare innovations that enable patient care.