University of Chicago Innovation Fund to Support Genomic Prescribing System

The University of Chicago Innovation Fund, which invests in proof-of-concept and early business development work for new ventures created by University of Chicago faculty, students and staff, has awarded Mark Ratain, MD, and Peter O’Donnell, MD, $100,000 to support their work on the Genomic Prescribing System (GPS), a software system and database that allows physicians to take a patient’s genetic information into account when prescribing medical treatments.

GPS was one of four UChicago-affiliated projects that received a total of $314,300 in venture funding this spring. Other awardees include Melissa Gilliam, MD, and the Ci3’s Game Changer Chicago Design Lab to use game design to teach teenagers about sexual health, and Alex Langerman, MD, to develop the ExplORer Surgical Information System to improve workflow in the operating room.

GPS is based on the 1200 Patients Project, a clinical study managed by O’Donnell that creates a database of how patients with particular genetic profiles react to specific drugs, and then puts that information online for physicians in the clinic to use and compare against, with support from the University’s Center for Personalized Therapeutics.

Read more about the Innovation Fund and other award winners at the University of Chicago News site.