Innovation Center Events

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NJ Med-Tech Showcase and NJ SDOH Challenge 2025

The Cooper Innovation Center was abuzz with energy and ideas as the 2025 NJ Med-Tech Showcase and NJ Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Challenge brought together innovators, clinicians, and community leaders to spotlight the future of health care in Camden and beyond. The NJ SDOH Challenge celebrated community-driven solutions to health disparities, with a spotlight on local ingenuity and compassion. 

NJ Med-Tech Showcase

The Med-Tech Showcase featured 45 posters highlighting insight into groundbreaking projects emerging from Cooper University Health Care and Rowan University took center stage. Among the highlights was Upstream Access, a startup founded by Cooper surgeons Dr. Katherine McMackin and Dr. Jeffrey Carpenter. Their team unveiled a next generation, multi-directional vascular access device designed to revolutionize endovascular procedures. This balloon-anchored sheath and steerable catheter system enables clinicians to treat blood vessel disease from any direction - potential reducing complications and improving outcomes for patients with peripheral artery disease.

NJ SDOH Challenge

THE SDOH Challenge took place over four weeks, with multidisciplinary teams engaged in virtual workshops and mentoring sessions to develop innovative solutions addressing social determinants of health. The program culminated in the in-person pitch event where nine teams presented strategies to improve access to care and advance health equity. 

First Place:
Team: Voices for Wellness
Members: Raaha Kumaresan, Rhea Sharma, Vani Bhagat, Meghan Merenich (all CMSRU students)
Presentation: Camden Anchor – A one-stop shop app and website for individuals experiencing housing insecurity, homelessness, or domestic violence, offering real-time shelter availability, online bed booking, and access to food, healthcare, and hygiene resources.

Second Place:
Team: +Pouch
Members: Ryan Wilkinson, Zac Carcanague, Braeden Twomey (all Rowan University students)
Presentation: +Pouch – The world’s first electrolyte oral pouch utilizing the buccal pathway to deliver electrolytes directly to the bloodstream. Designed for athletes and being tested for implications with POTS.

Third Place:
Team: StickerRX
Members: Shruti Dalwadi (Rowan-Virtua SOM)
Presentation: StickRx – A smart sensor sticker for medication containers that provides audio and visual reminders to improve adherence, especially for caretakers and individuals with limited English proficiency.
All three winning teams also pitched their innovations to an audience at the NJDV HIMSS Fall Conference in Atlantic City, highlighting South Jersey’s commitment to bold ideas that improve health.

All three winning teams also pitched their innovations to an audience at the NJDV HIMSS Fall Conference in Atlantic City, highlighting South Jersey’s commitment to bold ideas that improve health.

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Innovation Symposium

Leading physician innovators presented their creative technologies at the Cooper Innovation Center's Cardiovascular and Thoracic Innovation Symposium held February 27, 2024. Each innovative technology was created with the intention of enhancing patients' cardiovascular and thoracic treatments. Prior to the presentations, a panel of our partners joined us to discuss their part in the process to move our providers innovative technologies forward. View the video below where the physicians present their technologies.

Presenters

Innovative Therapies for Mental Health Disorders and Pain Management

The Cooper Innovation Center hosted a screening event of the ESPN documentary “Peace of Mind” featuring Riley Cote, former NHL player. Following the screening, our panel of experts discussed in-depth innovative neuromodulation therapies for mental health disorders and pain management.

Presenters

Team

From left: B. Pradhan, M. Sabia, N. Lemon, K. Walker, J. Tracy, R. Cote, M. Kirchhoff