WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESS Newswire / May 11, 2026 / Today, the Bayh-Dole Coalition released its 2026 Faces of American Innovation report highlighting eight innovators who transformed early-stage research into breakthrough technologies that are improving lives globally.

"Each year, the Bayh-Dole Coalition's Faces of American Innovation report spotlights the journey of federally funded discoveries from lab to real-world impact," said Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. "This year's honorees exemplify the vision, grit, and tenacity that process requires -- and why the Bayh-Dole Act remains essential in driving American innovation, economic growth, and making lives better here and around the world."

The 2026 Faces of American Innovation report profiles:

• Dr. Eric Fossum, vice provost of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer and senior professor at Dartmouth College, and Dr. Sabrina Kemeny, co-founder of tech startup TAP Systems, Inc., who co-invented the "camera-on-a-chip" -- a foundational technology that powers modern digital imaging and video across smartphones, medical devices, automobiles, space exploration, and more.

• Dr. Colleen Scott, chemist and associate professor at Mississippi State University, who discovered a new class of shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging dyes that have potential to allow surgeons to visualize tumors with greater depth and clarity in real time, advancing precision in cancer surgery.

• Dr. Randall Bateman and Dr. David Holtzman, neurologists and professors at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, who pioneered PrecivityAD^® and PrecivityAD2^™, the first blood-based diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's disease -- enabling an earlier, more efficient, and more accessible diagnosis option for patients.

• Dr. Carmel Majidi, entrepreneur and engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who created "Thubber" or thermally conductive rubber -- a multifunctional soft, elastic, and conductive material that is transforming thermal management in robotics, electronics, and manufacturing systems.

• Dr. Robert Dannals, professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Dr. Martin Pomper, professor and chair of radiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, who developed Pylarify^®, an FDA-approved imaging agent for prostate cancer that significantly improved detection and is now used in hundreds of thousands of scans each year.

"From life-saving diagnostics to technologies that power entire industries, these innovators demonstrate the extraordinary return on investment from federally funded research," said Brian O'Shaughnessy, board chair of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. "Their work underscores why it is critical to maintain policies that promote technology transfer, protect intellectual property, and support public-private partnerships."

The eight honorees will receive the 2026 American Innovator Award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, June 3. The event will feature remarks from Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC-02) and other distinguished speakers. On Thursday, June 4, awardees will participate in a Capitol Hill briefing to discuss the new report and the future of American innovation.

Read the full report: https://www.bayhdolecoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-Faces-of-American-Innovation-Report.pdf.

To schedule an interview with 2026 recipients or Bayh-Dole Coalition Executive Director Joseph P. Allen, please contact Elaina Gonzalez at elaina@keybridge.biz.

About the Bayh-Dole Coalition: The Bayh-Dole Coalition is a group of innovation-oriented organizations and individuals committed to celebrating and protecting the Bayh-Dole Act, as well as informing policymakers and the public of its many benefits.

Press contact:
Elaina Gonzalez
elaina@keybridge.biz
202-474-4666

SOURCE: Bayh-Dole Coalition