DMU Launches Innovation Think Tank to Spark Health Care Breakthroughs

by Jody Gifford

West Des Moines, IA (06/09/2025) — Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences recently hosted its inaugural Innovation Tank, a new competition designed to spark creative thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration in tackling real-world health care challenges.

Organized by the Office of Research, the team-based event brought together six interdisciplinary groups of students, faculty and staff across DMU's colleges. Each team pitched a "best idea" to a panel of DMU judges and an audience of more than 100 attendees. Teams were evaluated on creativity, collaboration and communication, with audience members voting for their favorite project.

"The event is about cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary teamwork," says Pravin Mishra, Ph.D., M.B.A., executive director of research. "These are the environments where breakthrough solutions in health care begin."

While the innovations remain confidential as teams explore patent protections and next steps, winning participants earned funding, services and support to continue developing their ideas into marketable solutions.

Winning Teams

First Place: Co-led by students Collier Maruska, D.O.'28, and Isaac Lambert, D.O.'28, the team received a package valued at more than $10,000 in software, services and funding. Other team members include Josh Clawson, D.O.'28; Payton Fleming, D.P.M.'28; Jake Mathews, D.O.'28; and Sarah Parrott, D.O.'02, FAACP, CS, a physician at DMU Clinic - Family Medicine and chair and associate professor of osteopathic clinical medicine.

Second Place: Co-led by Kay Rudnitsky, O.T.D., OTR/L, CLT, assistant professor of occupational therapy, and Diana Feldhacker, Ph.D., O.T.D. OTR/L, BCPR, chair of the occupational therapy program, the team received $5,000 to pursue their project. Other team members are Dennis Culver, M.S., instructional design and education assessment specialist in the College of Health Sciences; Joshua Devine, Pharm.D., Ph.D., assistant professor for the Master of Public Health program; and Nicole Kuhl, O.T.D. OTR/L, CBIS, capstone coordinator and assistant professor of occupational therapy.

Audience Favorite: The team earning the highest number of audience votes included Maria Barnes, Ph.D., associate professor of biochemistry and nutrition; Philip Blumberg, M.H.A., executive director of DMU Clinic; and Heather Garvin-Elling, Ph.D., professor of anatomy.

Updates will be available as these teams work toward securing patents and product development with support from their Innovation Tank awards. DMU plans to host Innovation Tank annually.

Participating Teams

Lauren Mach, P.T., D.P.T., ATC, head athletic trainer and physical therapist at DMU Clinic - Physical Therapy; Shane McClinton, P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D., OCS, FAAOMPT, CSCS, physical therapist and professor of physical therapy; Audra Ramsey, D.O., assistant professor of osteopathic clinical medicine; Seth Quam, D.O., assistant professor of osteopathic clinical medicine and a physician at DMU Clinic - Family Medicine; and Kyle Zelenski, D.O.'28.

Ratnesh Kesineni, D.O.'28; Parik Suda, D.O.'28; Muhammad Spocter, Ph.D., director and professor in the Master of Science in Anatomy program; and Andrew Brittingham, Ph.D., chair and professor of microbiology, immunology and pathology.

Vanja Duric, Ph.D., professor of physiology and pharmacology; Justin Boge, D.O., assistant professor of specialty medicine; Mark Lambert, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral medicine, medical humanities and bioethics; Kara Werth, DO'26; and Lane Mulder, DO'28.

Located in West Des Moines, part of Iowa's capital metro, Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences offers 10 graduate-level professional degree programs in anatomy, biomedical sciences, health care administration, occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, podiatric medicine and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' scores on national examinations, pass rates on board certifications and match rates for medical residency programs are consistently higher than national averages and rates at peer institutions.

Ratnesh

Kesineni