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Science & Tech
Three technological solutions for societal challenges are poised for market transition
© 2020 Feinknopf Photography / Brad Feinknopf
Initiatives aimed at cardiovascular health, data requirements, and quantum computation earn Grid Accelerator honors
Three innovative research initiatives that confront significant societal issues — heart health, escalating data needs, and the potential of quantum computing — have been awarded honors from the Harvard Grid Accelerator.
The Grid Accelerator provides financing, guidance, and practical venture development to assist academic projects in steering new technologies towards market readiness. The recipients of the 2025 awards:
Assist in regulating blood pressure
A research group under Professor Katia Bertoldi — headed by postdoctoral researchers Adel Djellouli and Giovanni Bordiga — is creating an innovative soft, stent-like apparatus that could assist in managing hazardous surges in blood pressure. Engineered to respond to fluctuations in the vascular system, this device represents a viable option for individuals dealing with hypertension, who frequently find it challenging to cope with sudden and erratic blood pressure changes.
Transforming data networks
In Professor Kiyoul Yang’s laboratory, a research team led by postdoctoral scholar Tianyi Zeng is working on a compact optical circuit switch and amplifier — a technology that promises to enhance the speed and efficacy of AI data centers. This innovation not only tests hardware limits at a data center level, broadening internet traffic capacity and facilitating high-performance computing, but also diminishes these functionalities to a size suitable for upcoming miniaturized devices.
Enabling scalable quantum processing
Yang’s lab is also partnering with Professor Mikhail Lukin’s team on a venture that could set the groundwork for quantum computers significantly more powerful than those currently utilized. Directed by postdoctoral fellows Brandon Grinkemeyer and Shankar Menon, the group is advancing sophisticated optical interconnect technology — ultra-high-bandwidth links that will allow numerous individual quantum processors to operate as a single, cohesive unit.
The Grid Accelerator builds upon a well-established success record of the Office of Technology Development Physical Sciences and Engineering Accelerator. Since 2013, projects backed by the Grid/OTD Accelerator have led to the inception of 19 startups that have jointly secured nearly half a billion dollars, alongside technology licenses to established firms and research sponsorship agreements. The Harvard Grid was initiated as a collaborative effort by the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and OTD.
“These recognitions highlight Harvard’s dedication to converting academic research into innovations with extensive, real-world significance,” remarked Isaac Kohlberg, senior associate provost and chief technology development officer at Harvard. “By backing promising technologies at this crucial phase, the Grid Accelerator aids in closing the gap between discovery and substantial societal advantage.”
SEAS Dean David Parkes also stressed the importance of the program. “At SEAS, we are devoted to advancing translational research and entrepreneurial thinking. Innovation necessitates the capacity to seek out solutions that inspire meaningful change. The Grid Accelerator empowers our scholars to convert ambitious concepts into actionable solutions that benefit communities both locally and globally.”
Discover more concerning the Grid Accelerator award-winning projects, prior honorees, and the mission of the Harvard Grid.
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