Ohio State researchers selected for National I-Corps to advance cancer biopsy technology

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Two researchers from The Ohio State University have been selected for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program, a competitive initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that helps scientists turn their research into real-world solutions. Their project focuses on developing a novel biopsy system to improve how physicians diagnose and stage upper tract urothelial carcinoma, an aggressive cancer affecting the kidney and ureter.

“This is a unique chance to learn something new,” said Rajvi Goradia, a research fellow in the Department of Urology. “We worked hard in the local program, and now that we’ve been selected for the national program, we have the opportunity to build on what we’ve learned, push our research further, and hopefully make a real impact.”

Akshay Sood, PhD,  assistant professor in the Department of Urology, and Goradia completed Ohio State’s local NSF I-Corps program before earning a spot in the national program. Their selection provides $50,000 in NSF funding and access to commercialization mentorship to help bring their technology closer to clinical use.

“The NSF I-Corps program at Ohio State is offered three times a year,” said Caroline Crisafulli, director of entrepreneurial education at the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship. “Teams completing at least 20 customer discovery interviews are eligible to apply for the competitive NSF I-Corps National Teams training program.”

“It feels great,” Goradia said. “I think we worked hard in the local program, and then it was nice to have the opportunity to apply and get selected for the national program because I think it will benefit our research a lot.”

Their research addresses a major limitation in diagnosing upper tract urothelial carcinoma. While current biopsy methods can confirm cancer, they often fail to determine how advanced the disease is, making it difficult for doctors to choose the best treatment.

“We can diagnose cancer, but what’s difficult is for us to be able to tell them how bad or what stage the cancer is,” Sood explained. “The reason is that the way we do the biopsy, because it’s in a very thin organ, is what we call a surface biopsy. But what we really need to know is how deep the cancer goes.”

The team’s innovation is a core biopsy system, designed to extract a full-thickness tissue sample, allowing doctors to see how far the cancer has spread.

“Right now, we never get that information,” Sood said. “But with this new biopsy system, we are trying to change that.”

Their selection for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program means the team will expand on their work by conducting extensive customer discovery and refining their commercialization strategy.

“This program is really good because, as physicians, we focus on patient care and research, but we don’t always know how to take an idea and make it a reality,” Sood said. “The national I-Corps program helps guide us. It teaches us what kind of evidence we need to generate, what regulatory pathways we need to take, and what documents we need to prepare.”

Goradia emphasized that the program’s business and commercialization training has been particularly valuable.

“It’s harder for doctors and physicians to understand the business side of things,” she said. “Even if they come up with a good idea, it’s still hard to figure out how to sell or advertise a product—not even advertise, but just figuring out a commercial strategy. That’s where I-Corps has been really beneficial.”

Another key takeaway from I-Corps has been recognizing the broader impact of their research.

“When we started talking to experts, we realized that our device could have much more impact than we initially thought,” Sood said. “Many of the most common cancers—colorectal, lung, pancreatic, and gynecologic cancers—occur in luminal or pipe-like organs. If our device works as intended, it could be adapted for diagnosing multiple types of cancer, not just urological cancers.”

Their national I-Corps team includes undergraduate researcher Max Rojanasakdakul. They are also working with engineers from Ohio State’s Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) to refine the biopsy device.

“This program is broad—it helps validate your ideas, but also makes you step outside of your field and understand the larger ecosystem,” Sood said. “It forces you to ask, ‘Is there a real need for this? How does it fit into the bigger picture?’ And I think that’s been incredibly helpful.”