A partnership that began in a University of Georgia lab between an exercise scientist and two cardiologists has blossomed into a startup business, recently hiring its first employees. Now, it plans to expand and refine its marketing plan thanks to a new federal grant.
The company, Infrared Rx, was started by Kevin McCully, a professor in the kinesiology department, along with Jonathan R. Murrow and Kent Nilsson, associate professors with the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. It has developed a noninvasive method to measure the health of muscle mitochondria, an indicator of overall muscle health. Now, with the assistance of a one-year small
business grant from the National Institutes of Health, Infrared Rx can take the next steps in refining its company model while also helping patients with vascular complications from Type 1 diabetes.
The one-year, $183,000 grant from the Small Business Technology Transfer Program of the NIH will fund a study to investigate the mitochondria health of middle-aged patients with Type 1 diabetes. From a business perspective, the study will help Infrared Rx further refine its software. From an academic perspective, the study will help health care professionals understand the role diabetes may have in muscle health.
