Top 10 innovations from UIC researchers

UIC has been recognized as a top-tier research university since 1987, but contributions from the research done at the university date back farther than that.

From the first infant incubator to election ballot designs, UIC professors and researchers have left their legacy in many beneficial ways. For example, the TICE BCG cancer treatment was developed while searching for a vaccine through UIC’s Institute for Tuberculosis Research.

Overall, UIC researchers and professors have amassed more than 750 patents held by the university in technology, medicine, dentistry, pharmaceuticals and more. The following 10 are just a few that have impacted daily life as we know it.

Infant Incubator, Pediatrics, Julius Hess (1934)

Julius Hess was a pediatrician, professor and head of pediatrics in the College of Medicine while he studied babies with low birth weight. He researched how to keep younger babies warm immediately after birth while providing necessary nutrition. His infant incubator, introduced in 1934, also had additional means to administer oxygen. He was also among the first pediatricians to work with the obstetrics unit and created a Premature Infant Station at Sarah Morris (later Michael Reese) Hospital in Bronzeville.

Neural Networks, Engineering, Warren McCulloch (1943)

Neural networks are the foundation for contemporary artificial intelligence and machine learning. In 1943, Warren McCulloch, a neuroscientist in the College of Medicine, joined Walter Pitts, a logician at the University of Chicago, to create the first mathematical models for neural networks. These mathematical models and algorithms built the base for how computers learn from data input to develop patterns for AI output.

TICE BCG, Oncology, Sol Roy Rosenthal, et. al (1994)

For nearly 50 years, UIC’s Institute for Tuberculosis Research worked toward identifying a TB vaccine under director Sol Roy Rosenthal. As part of that work, researchers identified that the immunotherapy drug can treat and prevent certain forms of bladder cancer. Named TICE BCG, it works by stimulating the body’s immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells in the bladder lining. As a well-established, noninvasive treatment in pill form, TICE BCG plays a key role in reducing cancer recurrence and progression.

Prezista, Infectious Diseases, Arun Ghosh (2006)

In patients with HIV, a protease is an enzyme that the virus needs to mature and survive. Former UIC professor Arun Ghosh and researchers from the National Institutes of Health developed darunavir, a type of drug which is known as a protease inhibitor, or it stops the protease from multiplying. Darunavir came to the market as Prezista, which is prescribed to HIV-positive patients and prevents HIV from multiplying in the body. It is also used to prevent drug-resistant mutations.

Design for Democracy: Ballot & Election Design, Graphic Design, Marcia Lausen (2007)

The 2000 presidential election left Americans with new words in the lexicon, like “hanging chad” and “butterfly ballot.” The problem was paper punch-card ballots were misunderstood and confused voters. UIC graphic design professor Marcia Lausen joined the American Institute of Graphic Arts to solve the confusion using design principles of typography, color use and image placement.

Shingrix, Infectious Diseases, Abbas Vafai (2017)

Adults who had chicken pox have the Varicella Zoster virus living in their bodies, and 33% of Americans suffer from shingles, the painful condition caused when the virus resurfaces. Dr. Abbas Vafai was an associate professor of microbiology in the College of Medicine when he perfected the vaccine now known as Shingrix. As a vaccine, it has been 98% effective in preventing shingles outbreaks in the first year after the drug is taken and 85% effective over three years.

CATCH-IT, Mental Health, Benjamin Van Voorhees (2018)

CATCH-IT, an acronym for Competent Adulthood Transition with Cognitive Behavioral Humanistic and Interpersonal Training, was developed as an online intervention aimed at preventing depression in adolescents and teens. With 15 self-guided modules for teens and five for parents, the program teaches coping skills grounded in cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal therapy techniques. Teens learn strategies like managing negative thoughts, identifying emotional triggers and solving problems in stressful situations

Phexxi, Obstetrics, Donald Waller (2020)

Many women who use birth control or oral contraceptives are asked to take a pill on a strict regimen or implant an intrauterine device (IUD). Instead of traditional contraceptives, Phexxi is a nonhormonal, prescription gel that regulates the pH levels in the vagina to make it inhospitable to sperm. It is hormone-free and is used only when needed, appealing to people looking for a more natural alternative to daily or long-term contraceptives.

VivaDent, Dentistry, Alexander Yarin (2024)

Many common dental procedures use low- and high-speed hand tools that generate aerosol and produce water spray. During these procedures, patients can be sprayed or experience discomfort because of the aerosol. UIC Distinguished Professor Alexander Yarin and his team developed VivaDent, a water-soluble gel system that reduces aerosols and promotes safety for both the patient and the dentist.

Smart/Scalable Amplified Group Environment (SAGE3 & SAGE2), Computer Science, Luc Renambot and Jason Leigh (2025)

To think more clearly, ideate more creatively and reach decisions with speed, accuracy and confidence, people need help working collaboratively and making sense of complex information. SAGE3 provides an intuitive framework that integrates state-of-the-art AI technologies with applications, workflows, smart visualizations and commercial collaboration services to help teams — both local and remote — access, share, explore and analyze their data. SAGE3, the successor to SAGE2, creates a unified platform, whether using laptops, tiled display walls or rooms with projection technology.

This story first appeared April 28, 2025 on UIC Today. For more information please contact Hillary Bird.