Stories of Innovation

NEOvations Bench to Bedside

The sixth annual NEOvations Bench to Bedside competition included 37 teams showcasing medical devices or technology, including seven legacy projects that have continued to be developed towards commercializa-tion since an earlier competition. The competition is presented with support from the Burton D. Morgan Founda-tion and the NEOMED Foundation.

NEOMED medical student Edward Son of the Valor PT team explains the innovation to a guest at NEOvations Bench to Bedside.

A new Kinetic Award was presented by Bounce Innovation Hub to the MatrX team of NEOMED medical student Yara Habo and mechanical engineer Alayna Cuevas. The award includes three months of support from Bounce, including mentorship, gap assessment and commercialization guidance to help move technology forward.

The MatrX team earned the first Kinetic Award.

First place ($10,000) was awarded to team Valor PT, who shared an AI-powered, single-camera platform that turns a standard iPhone or iPad into a real-time motion analysis tool measuring joint angles, range of motion and movement quality with clinical relevance. The innovation could improve access and outcomes for patients through scalable, data-driven care and remote monitoring.

Team Valor PT earned the top prize of $10,000.

Other AwardeesSecond Place ($5,000)
Naventro

Third Place ($2,500)
NEOMED MCH/Go Mama Go

People’s Choice Award ($1,000) (as voted by attendees)
FindMyOTC

Legacy Team Awards

First Place ($5,000)
FlowMo

Second Place ($2,500)
The Watchman/Zonal Coating Application System

People’s Choice ($1,000)
WrapStar

Healthcare Transformation IDEATOR

The fourth annual Healthcare Transformation IDEATOR was held Feb. 11–12, 2026, in Cleveland at the Warren E. Anderson MidTown Collaboration Center. Faculty, staff and students from NEOMED joined healthcare professionals from University Hospitals for two days of immersive collaboration centered on one of the region’s most pressing and complex challenges: environmental health.

First place was awarded to Team AIR, whose proposal introduced an Environmental Lung Screening Index (ELSI). The team designed a data-driven model that integrates lung cancer rates with environmental exposure patterns to identify geographic areas at elevated risk. Second place was awarded to Team Deep Breath, which developed a subscription-based asthma navigation service aimed at reducing environmental triggers within the home.