Innovation is fluid, and the art of tapping into the right resources and support at the right time is crucial, particularly during a pandemic. Devin Hubbard, teaching associate professor in the UNC/NC State Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering and lead design engineer at the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences Institute, has perfected the art of using resources offered by UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus innovation network to find quick answers to pressing problems.
In response to the increased need for personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hubbard and his team launched Aerem Innovations, a technology company designing solutions for health care and commercial applications. The company is producing the AerFrame, a mask frame device designed to improve the comfort and effectiveness of existing face masks.