In NEOMED’s NEOvations Bench to Bedside competition, students and professionals collaborate to develop medical innovations from concept to prototype. Open to all disciplines, this journey culminates in a showcase for judges and investors. Top teams earn prizes ranging from $10,000 to $1,000 to invest in their innovations.
NEOvations Bench to Bedside
An annual competition in which teams collaborate to develop medical innovations
Nurture your entrepreneurial mindset
Our seven-month NEOvations Bench to Bedside competition unites students, medical professionals, industry experts and investors to address patient needs through medical technology design. Teams collaborate to take innovative concepts from idea to real-world application, gaining hands-on experience in every phase of development.
Turn bold ideas into tangible solutions
Participants don’t just brainstorm; they engage in the full process of medical technology development. Students from diverse disciplines—medicine, engineering, business and other fields —work together, identifying patient needs and developing solutions. With guidance from mentors in law, business and health care, teams move from concept to prototyping, intellectual property protection and market evaluation.
Project showcase on April 22
The competition culminates in a showcase where teams present their projects to a panel of judges, including industry leaders and venture capitalists. This final event pushes participants to refine their concepts, offering the chance to win funding or support for future development.
This year’s showcase will take place from 3:30-7 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in the NEW Center Ballroom at NEOMED. The event is free and open to all.
Reserve a spot to attend the showcase: Sign up as an individual or as a team
Who can participate in Bench to Bedside?
- Students: Bench to Bedside is open to undergraduate and graduate students in any discipline from any college or university. No prior experience is required Participants can join as individuals or teams. Introductory sessions allow students to interact and form their teams. Early involvement allows for more time to develop a prototype. Express interest by completing this form.
- Teams in recent years have come from Northeast Ohio Medical University, Kent State University, University of Akron, Youngstown State University, Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve University, University of Utah, among others.
- Professionals: Clinicians, lawyers, engineers and entrepreneurs are invited to participate as mentors, advisors or judges. Interested professionals can contact Dr. Fayez Safadi at fsafadi@380cebbe0d.nxcli.io for more details.
Events
2025-26 competition cycle
We are posting about all events on our LinkedIn page. Join us there!
Participant toolkit
Looking for templates, the participation-agreement document and more? Go to our participant toolkit.
Recent winners
Congratulations to the 2025 NEOvations Bench to Bedside awardees!
First place | $10,000
Wrap Star
Wrap Star is a reversible, color-changing gauze and wrap that senses humidity to enhance wound care monitoring.
Team members: Sarah Kassis, Ramah Kassis, Falasha Mahdevia, Sofia Perez, Surbhi Srinivas, Emma Dang and Sarah Mirza.
Mentor: Deepak Kurian Ozhathil, M.D., MUSC Children’s Health.
Wrap Star also won the People’s Choice Award and $1,000 more.
Second place | $5,000
Ignite Recovery
Ignite Recovery Burn Dressing Outer Covering is a covering for burn wound dressings developed to reduce pain and maximize patient comfort.
Team members: Andrew Martin (University of Akron), Hailey Essinger (UAkron) and Matt Flaker (UAkron)
Mentors: Justin Baker, Ph.D., Ohio State College of Medicine, and Nicole Bernal, M.D., Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Third place | $2,500
NeoFlow
NEOFlow is a device to improve flow in dialysis.
Team members: Adam Grden, Sameer Parashar and Nafees Sathik.
Mentors: James Keszenheimer, Ph.D., M.B.A., NEOMED, and Rupesh Raina, M.D., NEOMED and Akron Children’s Hospital
Legacy Team Award | $1,000
AccessiChart (pictured)
Team members: Kayla Johnson, Brigid Devine, and Morgan Smith
Mentor: Katherine Wolfe, D.O., FACOG, Akron Children’s Hospital
The Wound Reel
Team members: Meredith Farrell, Abigail Schwenk, Yena Kong, Varun Raja and Jack McCarthy
Mentors: Fayez Safadi, Ph.D., NEOMED, and Adam Goodwill, Ph.D., NEOMED
Thank you!
We thank our sponsors and partners for their continued support and participation.
Sponsors
- Burton D. Morgan Foundation
- GAR Foundation
- Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation
- NEOMED Foundation
- Summa Health Foundation
Clinical partners
- Akron Children’s Hospital
- Akron General Cleveland Clinic
- Cleveland Clinic
- Summa Hospital System
- University Hospitals
Academic partners
- Cleveland State University
- Kent State University
- Northeast Ohio Medical University
- Ohio State University
- University of Akron
- Youngstown State University
Contact
NEOvations Bench to Bedside
Phone: 330-325-6619
Email: NEOvationsB2B@380cebbe0d.nxcli.io
Address: 4209 State Route 44, Rootstown, Ohio 44272