Evergreen Gap Fund Awardees Advance Cutting-Edge Research; New Category Supports Early Concepts in Fifth Funding Round

The Office of Technology Commercialization and the Office of Advancement are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Evergreen Gap Fund awards for innovative research projects.
New this year was the Catalyst Awards category supporting very early-stage innovative ideas, in addition to the Full Application category, which supports the advanced research and development of innovative technologies to help projects cross the “valley of death.” The funds are designed to provide crucial support bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world applications, addressing important scientific challenges and paving the way for significant advancements in the field.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the recipients.

Full Awards

• Alexander Kroemer, MD, professor of surgery, Georgetown University Medical Center and Anton Wellstein, MD, PhD, professor of oncology & pharmacology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Project title: Perfusion Compass: Rapid Methylated Cell-Free DNA Injury Testing for Liver Machine Perfusion
• Monica Sanders, JD, adjunct professor, Georgetown Law Center
  • Project title: Software-Based Regulatory and Sustainability Intelligence System
• Alejandro Villagra, PhD, associate professor of oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Project title: Advancing Novel Tetrazolone Dual HDAC Inhibitors for HDAC6 and HDAC10 to Improve Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors

Runner-up Award

• Makarand Paranjape, PhD, associate professor of physics
  • Project title: A Non-Invasive Therapeutic Patch for Parkinson’s Disease

Catalyst Awards

• Stella Alimperti, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular & cellular biology
  • Project title: ReMAP: A Plant-Inspired Platform to Eliminate the Cold-Chain for Vascularized Biologics
• Joseph Wang, current PhD student, departments of pharmacology and physiology
  • Project title: A Tunable Molecular Switch for Targeted Drug Delivery

These projects were selected after a rigorous review process by our panel of esteemed reviewers. The chosen projects span a wide range of disciplines and showcase the exceptional talent and diversity of our researchers.

Applicants were also paired with external advisors to further their goals. We are confident that the recipients’ pioneering work will bring about meaningful advances in their respective fields.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the faculty members who submitted their proposals and our dedicated reviewers who ensured a fair and thorough evaluation process.

We also extend our appreciation to our generous donors whose gifts have made these awards possible. Interested in learning more about how to support the Evergreen Gap Fund and cutting-edge research at Georgetown? Contact Mark Antonucci or donate here.