Riley leader named scientific lead for IU LAB
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The physician-in-chief at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health in Indianapolis has been named the inaugural senior associate dean for entrepreneurial research and commercialization at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
D. Wade Clapp, chair of the school’s Pediatrics Department, also will serve as a scientific lead for IU LAB, a planned state-of-the-art facility to help drive advancements and commercialization in biosciences.
“Throughout his long and accomplished career, Dr. Clapp has extensive experience working with industry partners, including Cook Medical and the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute,” medical school Dean Jay Hess said in a news release. “In addition to cancer research, Dr. Clapp’s work has increasingly focused on biomedical engineering for pediatric applications with multiple industry and university partners. Coupled with his collaborative and innovative leadership skills, he is the ideal person to take on this important role.”
In his new role, Clapp will focus on accelerating the commercialization of IU School of Medicine discoveries, collaborate with faculty to increase patents, and foster closer partnerships between academic researchers and industry leaders, the release said.
He also will work closely with David Rosenberg, president and CEO of IU LAB, to establish research priorities and strategies.
The IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, or IU LAB, was announced in December after the university received a $138 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The university said the initiative will enhance Indianapolis’ growing human health innovation sector and will collaborate with the IU School of Medicine, 16 Tech, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, BioCrossroads, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Health.
The IU LAB will be housed in a six-floor, 150,000-square-foot facility at the 16 Tech Innovation District that is expected to open in 2027.
Clapp, a neonatologist and physician-scientist who has been with the IU medical school since 1991, is considered a leader in translational research, particularly in childhood cancer.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of commercialization in advancing research and turning ideas into real-world solutions,” Clapp said in the news release. “I look forward to collaborating with the incredible talent at IU and fostering partnerships that will drive meaningful impact for the state of Indiana and beyond.”