Weining Lu, an associate professor in the Boston University School of Medicine, was named BU’s Innovator of the Year Thursday for his work developing a new medicine for chronic kidney disease.
The Innovator of the Year award, now in its 10th year, is given to a BU faculty member for an invention or idea that is intended to benefit humanity, according to its website.
Karen Antman, the dean of BUSM, wrote in an email she believes Lu’s award is well-deserved.
“We definitely are delighted that our faculty member has gotten this well-deserved recognition for his innovations,” Antman wrote.
Candidates can be nominated by BU faculty, staff or students, or can nominate themselves, according to the Innovator of the Year website. The selection process was based on the candidate’s connection to BU and what impact a candidate’s work could have.
Michael Pratt, the managing director of the BU Office of Technology Development, said the medicine Lu has helped develop could have major benefits once it is completed.
“It’s a potential treatment for an important disease,” Pratt said. “It’s not there yet. It still has to go through its processes, but it’s certainly come a long, long way from just basic research. It’s closer to a potential product or service that could help people.”
Lu’s new drug passed phase 1 of the Food and Drug Administration’s drug development criteria, and is now going through phase 2, Lu said. Lu partnered with pharmaceutical company Pfizer on the medicine’s development.
“We are also in collaboration with the Pfizer Centers for Therapeutic Innovation,” Lu said. “And we [have been able to] research and discover and develop a novel drug target.”
Lu primarily researches kidney and urinary tract development and disease, he said. Lu said he will continue to conduct research at BU while his drug is in development.
“My primary interest is on kidney and urinary tract development and urinary tract disease,” Lu said. “We are interested in the biological function of the disease and the mechanisms of the kidney and urinary tract birth defect gene and their function after birth and also their role in common kidney disease.”
James Wright, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he wants BU to do more to promote innovation on campus.
“I think BU should promote more awards like this,” Wright said. “It motivates people to produce more projects and research that can get them an award and the recognition that they want while also focusing on bettering health.”
Tiana Catala, a sophomore in the College of Communication, said she appreciates BU taking the time to recognize its faculty’s achievements.
“I think it’s important that BU is acknowledging the significant benefit this professor is doing for the community,” Catala said. “Mostly because this encourages other people to want to achieve such expectations.”
Correction: A previous version of this article said Lu worked with the “Pfizer Center for Social Innovation,” but it is actually called the “Pfizer Centers for Therapeutic Innovation.” The current version reflects these changes.
