WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (June 9, 2025) — Des Moines University (DMU) Medicine and Health Sciences recently hosted its inaugural Innovation Tank, a new competition designed to spark creative thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration in tackling real-world health care challenges.
Organized by the Office of Research, the team-based event brought together six interdisciplinary groups of students, faculty, and staff across DMU's colleges. Each team pitched a "best idea" to a panel of DMU judges and an audience of more than 100 attendees. Teams were evaluated on creativity, collaboration, and communication, with audience members voting for their favorite project.
"The event is about cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary teamwork," says Pravin Mishra PhD MBA, executive director of research. "These are the environments where breakthrough solutions in health-care begin."
While the innovations remain confidential as teams explore patent protections and next steps, winning participants earned funding, services, and support to continue developing their ideas into marketable solutions.
Winning Teams
First Place: Co-led by students Collier Maruska DO ('28), and Isaac Lambert DO ('28), the team received a package valued at more than $10,000 in software, services, and funding. Other team members include Josh Clawson, DO ('28); Payton Fleming DPM ('28); Jake Mathews DO ('28); and Sarah Parrott DO ('02) FAACP CS, a physician at DMU Clinic — Family Medicine and chair and associate professor of osteopathic clinical medicine.
Second Place: Co-led by Kay Rudnitsky OTD OTR/L CLT, assistant professor of occupational therapy, and Diana Feldhacker PhD OTD OTR/L BCPR, chair of the occupational therapy program, the team received $5,000 to pursue their project. Other team members are Dennis Culver MS, instructional design and education assessment specialist in the College of Health Sciences; Joshua Devine PharmD PhD, assistant professor for the Master of Public Health program; and Nicole Kuhl OTD OTR/L CBIS, capstone coordinator and assistant professor of occupational therapy.
Audience Favorite: The team earning the highest number of audience votes included Maria Barnes PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and nutrition; Philip Blumberg MHA, executive director of DMU Clinic; and Heather Garvin-Elling PhD, professor of anatomy.
Updates will be available as these teams work toward securing patents and product development with support from their Innovation Tank awards. DMU plans to host Innovation Tank annually.
Participating Teams
Lauren Mach PT DPT ATC, head athletic trainer and physical therapist at DMU Clinic — Physical Therapy; Shane McClinton PT DPT PhD OCS FAAOMPT CSCS, physical therapist and professor of physical therapy; Audra Ramsey DO, assistant professor of osteopathic clinical medicine; Seth Quam DO, assistant professor of osteopathic clinical medicine and a physician at DMU Clinic — Family Medicine; and Kyle Zelenski DO ('28).
Ratnesh Kesineni DO ('28); Parik Suda DO ('28); Muhammad Spocter PhD, director and professor in the Master of Science in Anatomy program; and Andrew Brittingham PhD, chair and professor of microbiology, immunology, and pathology.
Vanja Duric PhD, professor of physiology and pharmacology; Justin Boge DO, assistant professor of specialty medicine; Mark Lambert PhD, assistant professor of behavioral medicine, medical humanities, and bioethics; Kara Werth DO ('26); and Lane Mulder DO ('28).
Located in West Des Moines, part of Iowa's capital metro, Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences offers ten graduate-level professional-degree programs in anatomy, biomedical sciences, health-care administration, occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician-assistant studies, podiatric medicine, and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' scores on national examinations, pass-rates on board certifications and match-rates for medical residency programs are consistently higher than national averages and rates at peer institutions.
