At the core of EBFI’s mission is the recognition of the funding gap that frequently stymies the progress of innovative ideas. By offering targeted capital at strategic stages of development, EBFI not only nurtures the entrepreneurial spirit within the university but also aims to attract sustainable investment returns for external funders. This initiative is not solo in its ambition; it complements other Emory-backed ventures, such as Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE) and the Emory Drug Development Fund. Together, these entities form Emory Innovations, Inc., a robust enterprise dedicated to rigorously vetting and accelerating the commercialization of discoveries with substantial market potential.

The urgency and importance of EBFI’s mission are underscored by the escalating threat of antibiotic resistance, a pressing issue that poses a growing menace to global public health. Unlike rapidly spreading diseases, antibiotic-resistant infections often develop quietly, leading to severe ramifications, especially in healthcare settings. If effective antibiotics become obsolete, commonplace medical procedures could carry far greater risks. Therefore, the timely identification and treatment of resistant infections are paramount to safeguarding public health and the integrity of healthcare systems.

Among EBFI’s initial investments is TopoDx, a MedTech startup armed with a revolutionary platform technology that focuses on rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing. This transformational innovation emerged from a collaborative effort between researchers at Emory University and Georgia Tech, specifically from the Georgia Tech Quadrant-i. The founders of TopoDx leverage their expertise in pathology, physics, and artificial intelligence to confront a significant barrier in combating antibiotic resistance: the protracted process of identifying drug-resistant infections, which can take several days and delay treatment.

Dr. David Weiss, a co-founder of TopoDx and director of the Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, highlights the antiquated nature of current testing methods. For decades, the standard approach involves processing cultures in hospital microbiology labs, often burdened with a backlog of samples, resulting in wait times of three to five days for critical results. This delay can severely compromise patient outcomes, as the window for effective treatment narrows with each passing hour. During this time, patients are at risk of receiving ineffective treatments, which not only endangers their health but also exacerbates the issue of antibiotic resistance at large.

In response to this pressing need for faster testing solutions, Weiss collaborated with Dr. Peter Yunker, a physics professor at Georgia Tech, to explore the potential of white-light interferometry. This cutting-edge technology allows for precise measurements of bacterial colonies, enabling their team to streamline the testing process. By cultivating a bacterial population on a specialized device for just a few hours, they discovered they could utilize an interferometer to visualize the samples and apply a customized algorithm to generate rapid results.

This research endeavor birthed Cosmos, an AI-driven platform designed to analyze patient samples efficiently. By delivering swift pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing results within a mere four hours, Cosmos holds the potential to revolutionize clinical practices. Dr. Yogi Patel, the CEO of TopoDx and an alumnus of both Emory and Georgia Tech, emphasizes that their innovation alleviates the pressures facing understaffed microbiology labs, expediting testing processes significantly. With initial validations conducted and foundational intellectual property secured, TopoDx is now accelerating toward clinical deployment, while forging partnerships with leading diagnostics companies.

The investment from EBFI represents a pivotal moment for TopoDx, enabling them to solidify their technological advancements and momentum. With the groundwork firmly laid, the team is now primed to embark on real-world pilot studies and hasten their path to United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance. The overarching goal is not only to create a high-value product for healthcare systems but also to enhance patient outcomes significantly in both hospital settings and beyond.

Looking ahead, EBFI envisions this initial engagement with TopoDx as the first of many strategic investments aimed at enriching the landscape of innovative health solutions. Attracting outside funding and generating revenue from proprietary technologies are integral components of EBFI’s strategy for advancing translational research. The institute’s roadmap includes streamlining its due diligence processes and expanding its platform to engage top-tier entrepreneurs and operators from diverse backgrounds.

As the Emory BioFoundry Institute positions itself at the forefront of innovation, it aims to harness the collective expertise of its network to amplify the impact of scientific research, translating knowledge and intellectual property into actionable solutions that benefit society at large. Michael Cassidy remarks on this transformative potential, asserting that EBFI stands to ignite a new era of innovation within the university, fueling the drive for clinical partnerships that prioritize patient welfare while also illuminating pathways to increased access to capital.

The commitment of EBFI extends beyond mere financial support; it is dedicated to fostering an environment where ideas can flourish and be converted into viable products that meet unmet medical needs. As Wilbur Lam, Emory’s vice provost for entrepreneurship, notes, the institute will play a crucial role in shaping the future of medical technology, empowering faculty, staff, and students to translate their visions into pioneering advancements. The collective ambition of EBFI and its associated enterprises underscores the importance of a collaborative ecosystem in driving meaningful change in the healthcare sector.

The journey has only just begun, but the implications of EBFI’s work could resonate profoundly within the medical community. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and innovative partnerships, the Emory BioFoundry Institute is sculpting a new narrative for how academic institutions can spur technological advancement and deliver substantial societal benefits. As the initiative unfolds, the eyes of the healthcare world will undoubtedly be watching closely, anticipating the transformative solutions that will emerge from this progressive inquiry.

With the Emory BioFoundry Institute paving the way toward a more innovative future, stakeholders from all walks of life can look forward to the potential breakthroughs that lie ahead. The enduring dedication to addressing challenges within public health will serve as a guiding principle as EBFI strives to enhance healthcare delivery and strengthen the innovation ecosystem built on academic excellence and collaboration.

Through initiatives like EBFI, Emory University not only showcases its commitment to pioneering medical technologies but also sets a precedent for how research institutions can align their missions with real-world impact. This alignment will be critical as the medical landscape continues to evolve and adapt to emerging health threats, ensuring that the solutions of tomorrow are ready to address the complexities of today’s challenges, ultimately fostering better health outcomes on a global scale.

Subject of Research: Antibiotic Resistance and Rapid Testing Technologies
Article Title: Emory BioFoundry Institute Launches Initiative Against Antibiotic Resistance
News Publication Date: [Insert Date]
Web References: [Insert Links]
References: [Insert Links]
Image Credits: Emory University

Keywords

Health care, Biomedical engineering, Diseases and disorders, Drug resistance

Dr. Kaplan’s career trajectory is as unconventional as it is inspiring. From a foundation in journalism to her rigorous training as a clinical psychologist, her work is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary thinking. The genesis of her research focus lies in personal observations—specifically, witnessing her mother’s journey coping with chronic pain caused by a connective tissue disorder unveiled significant limitations in clinical assessment tools. Traditional research often occurs in controlled laboratory settings, failing to capture the intricate ebb and flow of symptoms and emotions experienced in real-world contexts, a discrepancy Dr. Kaplan set out to address.

Her engagement with silent meditation retreats further galvanized her inquiry, prompting a critical question: do the transformative experiences gained in controlled spiritual environments manifest authentically in the fabric of daily living? This curiosity propelled her to pursue doctoral studies under the mentorship of Dr. Matthias Mehl at the University of Arizona, a luminary in ambulatory assessment—an approach that embraces participants’ lived realities through real-time data collection.

At Emory University, Dr. Kaplan identified a crucial methodological bottleneck. Conventional instruments for gathering experiential data leaned heavily on rigid surveys or passive audio captures, missing the spontaneity and depth of personal narratives. To surmount these limitations, she collaborated with Santiago Arconada Alvarez, Co-Director of Mobile Apps at Emory’s AppHatchery, to develop Fabla—a secure, smartphone-based application designed to collect unstructured voice narratives from participants throughout their daily routines.

Fabla’s significance resides in its capability to harvest what Dr. Kaplan describes as “voice memos for research.” Unlike scripted surveys or clinical interviews, these voice memos capture candid, unsupervised reflections that reveal how subjects internalize and process therapeutic interventions in the moment. This innovative method has transformed the scope of qualitative data, creating a rich tapestry of subjective experience that conventional technologies have failed to access.

Though initially created with psychedelic-assisted therapy research in mind, Fabla’s adaptability has led to its adoption across a variety of health disciplines. More than a dozen research initiatives now leverage the platform to explore veteran rehabilitation during substance use treatment, patient narratives in epilepsy management, and even the psychological toll of burnout among healthcare providers. This broad uptake underscores a widespread demand within clinical research for tools that preserve the complexity and authenticity of human experience.

Dr. Kaplan’s work is uniquely timely, coinciding with rapid advances in artificial intelligence, particularly generative large language models capable of analyzing speech data on an unprecedented scale. These technologies offer enormous promise for accelerating research but simultaneously introduce a host of ethical challenges. How can researchers harness AI’s computational power without diluting the relational and contextual subtleties that imbue voice data with meaning?

The ethical dimension of voice analysis forms a critical pillar of Dr. Kaplan’s current research agenda. Automated systems can now detect emotional states, cognitive patterns, and even inferred psychological conditions directly from voice recordings. However, this transformative potential is tempered by concerns regarding privacy, consent, and the risk of eroding the nuanced intersubjective qualities of human communication—those shared meanings created through relational engagement, which are particularly vital in understanding psychedelic experiences.

Psychedelic therapy exemplifies these challenges. Patients often describe ineffable shifts in perception, identity, and consciousness—phenomena difficult to codify or quantify. Dr. Kaplan questions whether algorithmic interpretation might oversimplify or misrepresent these profound transformations. Her lab emphasizes maintaining reflexivity in research methods, acknowledging the limitations of technology and advocating for an ethical framework that respects the depth of subjective experience.

This reflective stance extends into Dr. Kaplan’s scientific philosophy. She recalls guidance from her clinical training director: “When in doubt, be a human.” This ethos sharply contrasts the increasing pressure in research environments to prioritize speed and productivity at the potential cost of care and depth. Her laboratory culture fosters mindfulness and prioritizes the human element, encouraging students and researchers to resist reductive trends and honor the complexity of lived experience.

Balancing technology with contemplative practice also informs Dr. Kaplan’s personal and professional life. She maintains an adapted Shabbat ritual with her partner, a weekly 24-hour period without technology that mirrors her investigation into how moments of stillness and presence can solidify insights from therapeutic interventions into sustainable life changes. Her research seeks to unravel what enables lasting integration of transformative experiences beyond isolated sessions.

Looking forward, Dr. Kaplan envisions a future where behavioral science and artificial intelligence converge, reshaping both academic research and applied mental health care. With the proliferation of voice-enabled AI assistants and mental health applications, there is an urgent need to develop standards for ethically capturing and analyzing voice data that preserve dignity and authenticity. Her work asks poignant questions: Can voice biomarkers complement traditional clinical assessments? What safeguards must be embedded to ensure that the efficiency of automation does not eclipse the therapeutic power embedded in being genuinely heard?

The Genomic Press interview with Dr. Deanna M. Kaplan is part of the “Innovators & Ideas” series, spotlighting transformative figures at the forefront of scientific progress. By weaving professional achievements with deeply human stories, the series offers readers not only insight into cutting-edge discoveries but also into the motivations and philosophies driving today’s research revolutionaries. Dr. Kaplan’s story and her visionary work epitomize the potential for technology to both illuminate and preserve the intricacies of human experience in clinical science.

Subject of Research: People

Article Title: Deanna M. Kaplan: Listening to daily life: exploring speech data, shared meaning, and generative artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical science

News Publication Date: 3 June 2025

Web References:
DOI: 10.61373/pp025k.0023

Image Credits: Dr. Deanna M. Kaplan

Keywords: voice technology, clinical psychology, psychedelics, qualitative data, Fabla app, ambulatory assessment, artificial intelligence, ethical voice analysis, generative AI, human experience, behavioral science, mental health technology