Carilion Biomedical Institute Medical Director Wins Technology Council Award

 

Andre Muelenaer, M.D. recognized by the NewVa Corridor Technology Council with High Tech Leadership Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:  Cheryl Valentine
540 581 0127
www.biomedicalinstitute.com

 Roanoke, VA (May 9, 2005)  The Carilion Biomedical Institute (CBI) is pleased to announce that Andre Muelenaer, M.D., CBI Medical Director, has been recognized by the NewVa Corridor Technology Council (NCTC) with the High Tech Leadership Award for 2005.  The award was presented at NCTC’s Technite 6.0 awards banquet last Wednesday.

“We are thrilled that Andy has received this honor.  His work epitomizes the exciting, high-tech, entrepreneurial environment that CBI and others are fostering here in the Roanoke and New River Valley Region.  As a physician, he is a real asset to early stage companies because he provides invaluable expertise and guidance that is difficult to find and can be costly for a new organization”, states Daniel Barchi, President of CBI.

            As the Medical Director of CBI, Dr. Muelenaer assists physicians and inventors in the region to refine and develop new biotechnology products and services.  He also works in business development and assists inventors, entrepreneurs and new companies to connect with major players in the medical industry and to the right resources at the Carilion Health System.  He is the co-inventor on several biotechnology projects and is the co-owner of a technology company that monitors infant apnea.  He has helped to develop and promote a magnetic targeting device for distal nail placement in the repair of long bones and a smart bed to monitor patients and caregivers in the nursing home environment.

            At the Carilion Biomedical Institute, Dr. Muelenaer has worked extensively with regional industrial partners, the Carilion Health System, the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech.  At Virginia Tech he has worked with the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, the School of Architecture Industrial Design, and the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  In working with the universities he not only brings real life projects to professors and students, but also leverages the exceptional assets that reside at Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia for the benefit of early-stage companies. He has also utilized talent from local high schools to introduce students to biomedical engineering and to complete projects in an economical fashion.

            In addition, Dr. Muelenaer also promotes established regional businesses for economic expansion.  He continually seeks out new ways to leverage NewVa industrial assets by working with organizations such as Accellent (formerly Noblemet), ADMmicro, Keltech, Plastics One, Soft Solutions, Techlab and others. 

            Dr. Muelenaer has organized a team that won a $1.8 million congressional plus-up grant to develop a rapid intravenous access device.  He sits on several boards of directors in the region including the Child Health Investment Partnership and the American Cancer Society.  Dr. Muelenaer is also working with others in the region to develop a pediatric medical devices consortium.  He believes that this project will encourage development of sorely needed pediatric medical devices and will bolster NewVa’s growing biomedical foundation that he hopes will soon be a burgeoning center for biotechnology expansion.  Dr. Muelenaer has worked with the US Agency for International Development to bring much needed medical education and donated medicines to the people of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia.  He believes that this could potentially raise the national prominence of the Carilion Biomedical Institute and the region as an area replete with medical expertise. 

            “I am honored to win this award.  It is truly an exciting time to be part of CBI and this award validates the work that we are doing.  I look forward to many more successful projects and to welcoming any new biomedical start-up that is interested in calling Roanoke home and leveraging the great resources that we have here”.

            Dr. Muelenaer’s motivation to drive prosperity in the NewVa region stems from his desire to make this the best place that it can be with regard to living and working. He states that he wants to build a better place for his children, neighbors and patients and believes that by fostering economic development, jobs will be created and his children will be able to come back to Roanoke to live and work.

 Carilion Biomedical Institute (www.biomedicalinstitute.com) is dedicated to improving the health and lives of people worldwide by partnering with scientists, researchers, and the medical and business communities to create major advances in healthcare. CBI fosters biomedical research at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech and brings promising technologies to market through rigorous medical, financial, operational and market analysis.  CBI also connects early-stage companies to venture capital, strategic real estate, management talent, manufacturing partners and healthcare customers.  Start-up biomedical companies, entrepreneurs and inventors with a business plan or biomedical concept that are interested in working with CBI should contact the Carilion Biomedical Institute.