CSU and Akron General Medical Center have signed an agreement to establish a cooperative program aimed at enhancing their contributions in the field of bioengineering through testing, evaluation, development and improvements of products and systems used in the healthcare field.

Under terms of the agreement, the two institutions will work together in the promotion of research and development activities in bioengineering, including:

• Collaborative research activities, including a joint Institutional Review Board approval process for Edwin Shaw Rehab in the areas of neuroscience and rehabilitation medicine, and the Akron General Medical Center for wound care, biosensors and imaging;
• Joint testing, evaluation and development of medical systems and products, such as an improved force dispersion pad for minimizing body injuries and bone fractures;
• Collaboration over a broad range of resident and contract research orthopaedic projects requiring design, analysis, testing and evaluation;
• Exchange of lectures, talks and project planning and review in the biomedical area including the development of a joint Clinical Education Program involving residents and graduate students;
• Generation and exchange of publications in fields of interest to both Cleveland State and Akron General, including joint state and federal grant opportunities.

“This agreement brings two major northeastern Ohio institutions together with the intent of generating advances in the field of bioengineering, which helps reinforce our region as a leader in discovery and innovation,” said Alan J. Bleyer, President & CEO of the Akron General Health System.”

"Our new partnership with Akron General promises to hasten the advancements of science and technology in the critically important areas related to bioengineering and healthcare and will strengthen and deepen the capabilities of both institutions through collaborative work with a singular focus. It aligns well with the priority the leaders of our state are placing on science, technology and healthcare initiatives as the means toward the goal of a competitive Ohio with an increasingly educated population," said Mary Jane Saunders, Ph D., Cleveland State University Provost.

“This agreement provides a wide range of research opportunities for our physician researchers, residents and other hospital-based researchers and healthcare professionals,“ said James M. Dougherty, MD, FACEP, Chairman of Medical Research and Education at Akron General Medical Center and head of its Office of Technology Transfer, Commercialization and Innovation Office. “In addition, this collaboration seamlessly interfaces with the vision of the BioInnovation Institute in Akron, adding to the effort to make the region a powerhouse for biomedical innovation and research.”

This term of this cooperative agreement is five years.

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Cleveland State University is committed to providing high quality, affordable education to students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, interests and needs. Located in downtown Cleveland with extended campuses in Westlake and Solon, CSU offers degrees in hundreds of undergraduate and graduate programs and law, and professional development programs. Approximately 15,500 students attend Cleveland State.

Akron General Health System is a not-for-profit healthcare organization with the mission of improving the health and lives of patients and the community. Akron General Health System includes: Akron General Medical Center, a 511-bed teaching and research medical center, and Edwin Shaw Rehab, the area's largest provider of rehabilitation services; Akron General Partners, which includes Partners Physician Group, the Akron General Health & Wellness Centers, Lodi Community Hospital, Community Health Centers and other companies; Akron General Community Health Ventures, which includes Visiting Nurse Service and Affiliates, the largest and most comprehensive provider of home healthcare services in Ohio, and Rose Lane Health Center; and Akron General Development Foundation. For more information on Akron General Health System, log on to www.akrongeneral.org.

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