Five discoveries to watch

Meet the UW-Madison finalists for the 2026 WARF Innovation Awards

CONTACT:
Jeanan Yasiri Moe
Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
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MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has named five University of Wisconsin-Madison technologies as finalists for the 2026 WARF Innovation Awards. Chosen from more than 400 disclosures submitted over the past year, the technologies span cancer care, drug delivery, solar energy, battery technology and food science, demonstrating the broad impact of innovation across the UW-Madison campus.

An independent panel of judges will select the two winning teams, each receiving a $10,000 award shared among the UW inventors, and the winners will be announced in mid-December. To be among the first to hear the news, sign up for WARF's holiday greeting email list.

"At WARF, we have the privilege of seeing tomorrow's breakthroughs take shape today," says Erik Iverson, CEO of WARF. "These finalists exemplify the ingenuity of UW-Madison researchers and the potential to create real-world impact."

Meet the 2026 WARF Innovation Award finalists:

Magnetic soft material to improve targeted drug delivery
Yunus Alapan, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and graduate student Youyi Zhou have created a magnetic soft material that transports liquid therapies and releases them at a target location, creating new possibilities for targeted delivery of drugs, probiotics and stem cells.

New therapy to reduce chemotherapy-related bone marrow damage
Professor Christian Capitini and scientists Kyle Wolf, John Kink and Matthew Forsberg have devised a new therapy that uses extracellular vesicles-tiny biological messengers that help cells communicate-to activate the body's own repair processes after chemotherapy.

Higher-efficiency solar cells without higher manufacturing costs
Robert Jacobberger, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and graduate student Jam Riyan Hamza have engineered a new way of using ultrathin layers of organic molecules and 2D materials that could enable more efficient solar panels without requiring major changes to production.

New sodium-ion battery technology to support affordable energy storage
Fang Liu, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, and graduate students Qianli Xing and Ziqi Zang have designed a new electrolyte additive that improves the stability and performance of sodium metal batteries for applications such as electric vehicles, grid energy storage and other large-scale energy systems.

New approach to high-protein, high-fiber foods
Audrey Girard, an assistant professor of food science, graduate student Sanjana Sawant and former UW-River Falls assistant professor of food science Grace Lewis have developed a food processing method that rapidly forms protein-fiber complexes, helping manufacturers create high-protein, high-fiber foods with improved texture and stability.

Together, these finalists reflect the breadth of innovation happening at UW-Madison and the potential for university discoveries to improve health, strengthen sustainability and make a global impact.

About WARF

Incorporated in 1925, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) patents and licenses discoveries from UW-Madison research, manages an investment portfolio generated from licensing and investment proceeds, and provides annual grants to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research to support further scientific investigation and research. By driving collaborations among researchers, investors, industry and entrepreneurs, WARF commercializes innovations from campus through various initiatives. WARF Accelerator improves the commercialization potential of university intellectual property through industry engagement and investment in proof-of-concept milestones to validate market potential, demonstrate commercial value and de-risk technology. WARF Therapeutics partners with UW-Madison and Morgridge Institute researchers employing an industry-focused approach to improve the value propositions of drug candidates. WARF Ventures is an early-stage venture fund that invests in startups based on UW/WARF technologies. Learn more at warf.org.

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