Faculty receive Tufts innovator awards

At the recent 2024 Tufts Annual Inventor Recognition Event, Tufts honored two faculty members with School of Engineering affiliations as notable innovators. Fiorenzo Omenetto, Frank C. Doble Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was recognized as Distinguished Innovator of the Year. Associate Professor Gili Naveh of Tufts Dental School, who holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was named the Rising Innovator of the Year.

Omenetto was chosen for the distinguished innovator award based on his prolific research contributions including invention disclosures, provisional patents, issued US patents, commercial deals with industry, and spinouts. The award acknowledges his significant impact beyond the university as well as his internal efforts to build a strong community within the university through collaboration and mentorship.

In addition to his primary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Frank C. Doble Professor Fiorenzo Omenetto holds secondary appointments in the Department of Physics and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He previously served as special advisor to the Provost and as Dean of Research for the School of Engineering. He is the director of Tufts’ Silklab, which reimagines natural materials to advance technology, global health, and the planet’s future.

His research interests are at the convergence of technology and biologically inspired materials, and the natural sciences with an emphasis on new transformative approaches for sustainable materials and planetary science. These discoveries have found use in photonics, optoelectronics, nanotechnology, semiconductors, new sensors, food safety and preservation, global health, nanotechnology, art, and design. He is co-inventor on more than one hundred disclosures on these subjects that have been either licensed by major corporations and/or have led to the formation of multiple startup companies. Omenetto was formerly a J. Robert Oppenheimer Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratories, a Guggenheim Fellow, a Tällberg Foundation Global Leadership Prize recipient, and is a Fellow of Optica (formerly Optical Society of America), the National Academy of Inventors, and of the American Physical Society. His research has been featured extensively in the press with coverage in the most important media outlets worldwide. 

The rising innovator award acknowledges a Tufts researcher’s ambitious entrepreneurial spirit and proactive approach to innovation. Associate Professor Gili Naveh was selected for her work with CaviSense, a pH-based toothpick that changes color when it detects tooth demineralization. Her efforts to bring this innovation to the marketplace on an expedited timeline demonstrates her commitment to advancing new technologies.

Naveh, both a clinician and a scientist, joined Tufts in 2021 and began her secondary appointment in the School of Engineering in 2022. The Naveh Lab is an interdisciplinary research group focused on studying the 3D structure and function of the periodontal ligament and extracellular matrix. The lab is focused on basic science research, however also aims its research strategy to enable translation into clinical practice. CaviSesne is an example of the powerful combination of scientific innovation with understanding clinical needs. In the Naveh lab, researchers combine different modalities of imaging, 3D image analysis, mechanical testing, and tissue composition analysis. Naveh’s approach focuses on understanding the micro and mesoscale to achieve macroscale functional understanding and tissue control that can be translated to the clinical setting. In addition to her research, she was selected for her passion for mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

This Distinguished and Rising Innovator awards honor exceptional entrepreneurial spirit and outstanding service to the university. "Professor Omenetto's and Professor Naveh's dedication to mentoring, collaboration, and partnership has set a remarkable example, and their contributions to advancing science and innovation at Tufts are truly commendable," said Vice Provost for Research Bernard Arulanandam regarding their research and character.

Tufts University is committed to supporting dynamic and innovative research that will enhance the well-being of society. Naveh and Omenetto’s awards demonstrate exceptional research and notable contributions to the Tufts community. The awards commend their passion and motivation to translate their ideas into products that will benefit society.

Learn more about the Tufts Annual Inventor Recognition Night.