The Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) translates fundamental research into innovative product candidates, technologies, and services that deliver benefits to human health and well-being. Our specific objectives are to: (1) Become a catalyst and resource for ‘applied’ and ‘translational’ R&D activities; (2) Establish industry engagement models and industry collaborations; (3) Contribute to workforce development; and (4) Participate in the innovation & entrepreneurship culture on campus.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, March 19
9:00 am to 10:00 am
Learn how Bayer collaborates and get to know the team. This overview will be integrated with an open Q&A session.
ZOOM
Tuesday, March 19
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Samuel Sparks, Kymera Therapeutics, will discuss experiences in integrating experimental biophysics with molecular dynamics simulations to propel early drug discovery efforts.
LSL S330 & Zoom
Monday, March 25

Recent News

Nele Van Dessel and Griffin O'Driscoll

Ernest Pharmaceuticals and Organicin Scientific have won the top prizes at Lever’s 2024 Western Massachusetts Health Tech Challenge

Genomics Resource Laboratory Director Ravi Ranjan recently presented at the 2024 Advances in Genome Biology and Technology General Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

UMass Amherst is one of 18 universities in the country, the only one in New England, to receive a first-ever NSF Accelerating Research Translation award. The four-year award will fund translational research teams, training for postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, and a network of ART Ambassadors, who will serve as role models, peer mentors and advocates for societally impactful translational research.

Please sign up for updates and announcements about Support & Training Accelerating Research Translation (START).

Translational Research

The Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) will transform life science discoveries into candidate products and services in collaboration with industry to improve human health and well being. IALS extends specific identified research strengths at UMass through its three centers:

Models for Optimized Drug Delivery

Center for Bioactive Delivery

CBD creates new ways to deliver “The right drug to the right place: by creating novel delivery platforms for small and large molecules.”  Developing a wide range of delivery platforms matched to bioactive molecular delivery needs based on fundamental design principles, including nanoemulsions, nanoparticles, hybrid particles, bacteria, and hydrogels.

Wearable Sensors for Precision Healthcare Delivery & Biometric Monitoring

Center for Personalized Health Monitoring

CPHM seeks to tackle real-world problems in the emerging field of digital healthcare, wearable sensor technologies, and personalized, precision healthcare delivery, interfacing closely with provider networks, hospitals, and industry across the Massachusetts Commonwealth, and the world.

Translating Fundamental Biology into New Targets, Leads & Disease Models

Models to Medicine Center

M2M leverages mechanistic insights into molecular pathways implicated in cell health and in disease pathology to identify novel drug targets and therapeutic candidates.

IALS Virtual Tour

In this tour you will discover all of the great resources that are available at the Institute for Applied Life Sciences.

Poster for the IALS virtual tour

Shared Resources

UMass Amherst Core Facilities

We work together with researchers toward a singular goal: advancing applied science and technology to address the world’s most pressing challenges. We offer expertise and resources that create new opportunities, not only for scientific achievement, but also for establishing new models of collaboration.

Histology–Tissue Resources

Histological services such as processing and paraffin embedding tissues, sectioning fixed or frozen tissues and immunohistochemical analysis. HistoSpring Tissue Registry provides access to tissue/cells from human breast and ovarian patients.

Nutriceutical Formulation facility

Nutriceutical Formulation

Isolates and concentrates bioactives, thermally treats them by ultrahigh pasteurization and agitating retort, produces emulsion systems by homogenization, and encapsulates by freeze or spray drying.

mHealth facility

mHealthLab

Develops algorithms and processes for large scale wearable sensor networks to support the development of novel hardware.

Advance your idea from concept to commercialization

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

IALS Venture Development programs are here to help you! Our programs support development of startups and industry partnerships by UMass researchers based upon their technologies and product concepts.

 

Training the next generation workforce

Student Engagement

Providing students from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) hands-on training and experience in the use and operation of a state-of-the art research equipment, experience gathering data and data analysis, and the development of team science.