Innovation Program

Often considered to be “high-risk, high-reward,” basic science research has the power to transform new ideas into powerful treatments that can change medical care for people all over the world. This type of science forms the foundation of the multidisciplinary approaches within the Wanek Family Project.
 
In order to create a robust pipeline of promising research for the Wanek Family Project, we are developing a program of early-phase research that will feed current and future studies aimed at preventing and curing type 1 diabetes. 
 
This program will consist of projects that are diverse in aims, with studies identified and prioritized by the impact that seed funding can be expected to have on advancing research within the Wanek Family Project. These projects will be prioritized by placing them in one of two categories:
  • Catapult Projects: Early-stage research that will be dramatically accelerated by an influx of funding. The promise of these studies and their impact on ready-go projects within the Wanek Family Project is already fairly certain. Examples include expanding clinical trials, exploring natural interventions to correct autoimmunity by harnessing the microbiome and developing an oral salmonella-based vaccine to prevent and cure type 1 diabetes.
  • Incubator Projects: A more speculative phase of research, funding for these projects will advance critical studies to fill in gaps of understanding and determine the clinical promise of the project.