PHOENIX—Seven Arizona-based research teams have been awarded $100,000 grants from the Flinn Foundation as members of the 2026 Translational Seed Grants Program cohort.
The new awardees represent six institutions — two from Arizona State University and one each from HonorHealth Research Institute, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Northern Arizona University, Translational Genomics Research Institute, or TGen, and University of Arizona.
Barrow Neurological Institute, Black Canyon Bio, Smile Train, University of California, Davis, NAU, UCLA and Ohio State University all serve as partners on the projects, which address conditions including Valley fever, epilepsy, cleft conditions, and brain cancer.
Mary O’Reilly, Ph.D., Flinn Foundation vice president, bioscience research programs, said the bar of excellence is rising in Arizona.
“This Flinn program is awarding grants to projects that are ready for translation — with the technical and commercial potential to have a positive impact on patients,” O’Reilly said. “To have nearly 90 applications, from Arizona’s universities, research institutes, and health systems, indicates the magnitude of the innovative research being done throughout the state to improve health outcomes.”
To be eligible for the program, the projects must be directed by investigators from Arizona nonprofit academic- or medical-research institutions or health systems and address significant clinical needs in the areas of devices, diagnostics, health-focused technology platforms or delivery processes, and therapeutics.
In addition to the $100,000 grant, the seven selected teams will meet quarterly, pitch for follow-on funding and participate in a new initiative to help navigate the capital requirements of commercializing.
The Foundation received 89 applications for the 2026 cohort — a record high — from 12 institutions.
Since 2013, the Flinn Foundation has committed more than $10 million to 90 research teams. The program was created by the Foundation to help advance the goals of Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, the longest-running, statewide bioscience strategic plan in the nation. One of the goals of the Roadmap is to accelerate research into impact by increasing the scale, speed, and success of commercialization of discoveries and innovations.
2026 Seed Grants
Arizona State University with Barrow Neurological Institute: EpiPrecision AI – Decoding Seizures with AI-Powered Maps
One million Americans live with drug-resistant epilepsy, a brain disorder causing uncontrollable seizures. Epiprecision is developing an AI solution, DeepXSOZ, that locates seizure onset zones using a 20-minute MRI brain scan without a hospital stay. The team has tested DeepXSOZ on 352 patients, achieving 91% accuracy compared to the current gold standard. Principal Investigators: Sandeep Gupta, Ph.D., Ayan Banerjee, Ph.D., and Shraddha Mittal.
Arizona State University with Barrow Neurological Institute: Patient-Derived Glioblastoma-on-a-Chip: Accelerating Personalized Therapeutic Discovery
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and prevalent forms of primary brain tumors. The creation of a more human-based, physiologically relevant model system would better facilitate functional and mechanistic studies. This lab has developed a next-generation, patient-derived GBM-on-a-Chip platform that closely mimics the human GBM microenvironment. They are continuing to refine this platform’s performance as a drug development tool. The goal: reduce reliance on ineffective preclinical models and significantly improve patient outcomes. Principal Investigator: Mehdi Nikkhah, Ph.D.
HonorHealth Research Institute with Black Canyon Bio: Overcoming GBM Immunoediting with SNAP™-TIL: A Next-Generation ACT Platform
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) remains a formidable clinical challenge with limited efficacy of current immunotherapies. The team has developed SNAP-TIL 101, a next-generation TIL-based therapy built on PepSeq technology. This personalized approach rapidly identifies tumor-specific targets unique to each patient by screening large libraries of peptides against the patient’s own immune system markers. This allows for more accurate selection and activation of TILs that can recognize and attack the tumor. In preclinical studies, SNAP-TIL 101 triggered more effective tumor cell killing. Principal Investigator: Raffaella Soldi, Ph.D.
Mayo Clinic Arizona: Cortalis Neuro: Guiding Precision in Brain Stimulation
For many epilepsy patients, seizure medications work imperfectly. Implantable devices are an alternative, sending electrical currents deep into the brain for seizure control. The process of tuning these devices for individual patients is currently accomplished through trial and error. Enter Cortalis: a smart, tablet-based tool that helps doctors fine-tune brain stimulation settings in just a single visit. Simple scalp sensors read brain signals and send harmless electrical “pings” through the deep brain stimulation system. These pings map how the brain reacts in real time—identifying which settings are most likely to stop seizures. Principal Investigator: Jonathon Parker, M.D., Ph.D.
Northern Arizona University with Smile Train: Addressing Speech Health Equity Issues in Arizona Using a Telehealth Game
Cleft conditions can make certain sounds hard to produce, affecting confidence and communication at home, school, and in the community. SpokeIt is a playful speech-therapy game for children with cleft lip and/or palate. It turns practice into an accessible game, while simultaneously giving clinicians tools to guide care from anywhere. As the child speaks, the app listens for cleft-specific speech errors and responds instantly with points, animations, and gentle prompts. SpokeIt helps children build clear, confident speech while easing the burden on families and clinicians. Principal Investigator: Jared Duval, Ph.D.
TGen North with UC Davis and NAU: Refinement and Validation of an Accurate Diagnostic to Improve Valley fever Detection
Valley fever is a leading cause of community-acquired pneumonia in Arizona and the greater southwestern United States. It remains underdiagnosed due to limitations of current assays, which suffer from low sensitivity. This lab has identified a panel of previously unrecognized antigens and adapted these targets into a diagnostic workflow with high sensitivity and specificity. They are targeting licensing their technology to a major Arizona-based clinical laboratory or adaptation into a lateral flow assay to allow for rapid point-of-care testing. Principal Investigator: Heather Mead, Ph.D.
University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix with UCLA and Ohio State University: Advancing a Non-invasive Endometrial Cancer Diagnostic to Commercialization
Endometrial cancer is the most prevalent gynecologic malignancy in the United States and Arizona, with incidence and mortality rates continuing to rise. Current diagnostic procedures, such as dilation and curettage or endometrial biopsy, are invasive, costly, and often inaccessible. The team is developing a non-invasive diagnostic platform leveraging cervicovaginal sampling and biomarker analysis for detection. Their custom multiplex biomarker assay optimized for clinical implementation aims to reduce diagnostic delays and improve outcomes for women. Principal Investigator: Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, Ph.D.
Follow-on funding awarded
Three projects originally selected as part of the 2023 Translational Seed Grants Program cohort have received an additional $100,000 in funding to continue their research following a pitch event before an independent review panel.
The opportunity to compete for follow-on funding is one of the benefits of the Translational Seed Grants Program.
The three projects receiving follow-on funding are:
- “A Point-of-Care Test to Guide Asthma Therapy” by Mayo Clinic. Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Jacobsen, Ph.D.
- “Novel Therapeutic to Treat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria” by Arizona State University. Principal Investigator: Tatiana Ugarova, Ph.D.
- “Inhibiting Scar Formation and Promoting Skin Regeneration Using FAKI” by University of Arizona. Principal Investigator: Dr. Geoffrey Gurtner
A bridge funding initiative
Three proposals for the new cohort of the Flinn seed grants program — one each from ASU, NAU and U of A — have been awarded $50,000 each to continue advancing toward commercialization.
The three projects receiving bridge funding are:
- “COREALERT rapid, rugged, point of care detection of internal bleeding” by Arizona State University. Principal Investigator: Rosalind Sadleir, Ph.D.
- “Proximal Vacuum Canister to Enhance Aspiration Thrombectomy,” by Northern Arizona University. Principal Investigators: Tim Becker, Ph.D., and Wyatt Clark, Ph.D.
- “Biomarkers to Diagnose Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders,” by University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix. Principal Investigators: Amelia Gallitano, Ph.D., and Tobias Jakobi, Ph.D.
Learn more:
Translational Seed Grants Program
Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap
By: Flinn Foundation | April 16, 2026 | Original Post