On Monday, September 15, the Eye & Ear Foundation hosted a distinguished reception in Pittsburgh to honor the recipients of the Bruce and Barbara Wiegand Entrepreneurial Research Awards. The event welcomed Bruce and Barbara Wiegand, Department chairs, and this year’s awardees—two pioneering companies developed by the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC clinical and research teams.
The awards, established by the Wiegands, are designed to support translational research with commercial potential in the fields of ophthalmology and otolaryngology–head & neck surgery. Uniquely structured as venture philanthropy investments, the awards are given directly to companies, reflecting the donors’ intent to accelerate innovation and impact. Importantly, any return on investment from these ventures will be reinvested into the Foundation’s mission—fueling future research, innovation, and discovery. This structure was deeply important to Bruce and Barbara Wiegand, who envisioned a sustainable cycle of innovation where philanthropic dollars could generate lasting impact.
Earflo, Inc.
The company was founded by a team of biomedical engineers and ENT specialists, including Dr. Peter Santa Maria, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of Translational and Clinical Research. Earflo is a pediatric-focused medtech startup addressing otitis media with effusion, a common and costly condition affecting millions of children annually. Traditionally treated with surgical ear tube placement, Earflo offers a non-invasive, at-home alternative that has shown strong efficacy in clinical studies. Earflo is currently in the final stages of product development and has earned international recognition for its innovation.
NetraMind Innovations, Inc.
A spinout from the Department of Ophthalmology, NetraMind is developing AI-powered tools for multimodal image analysis to diagnose and monitor age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR)—two leading causes of blindness. NetraMind’s platform enables early detection and precise monitoring through advanced imaging analytics.
The company was founded by four faculty members from the Department of Ophthalmology: Dr. Jay Chhablani, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Director of Clinical Research at the UPMC Vision Institute, and Vice Chair of Clinical Trials; Dr. Kiran Kumar Vupparaboina, PhD, Research Assistant Professor; Dr. Sandeep Bollepalli, PhD, Research Assistant Professor; and Dr. José-Alain Sahel, MD, Distinguished Professor and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology.
Their AI-driven solution includes both clinical and research-focused platforms and is designed to be cost-effective and scalable. NetraMind is preparing for pilot trials and FDA submissions in the coming year.