The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has designated two current and one former Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) faculty researchers as Senior Members. Thomas Abbruscato, Ph.D., Annette Louise Sobel, M.D., and Sanjay K. Srivastava, Ph.D., are among the 230 academic inventors identified by NAI’s member institutions as the 2026 Class of Senior Members.
“This is our biggest class of NAI inventors to date, a testament to both our university’s impressive and growing critical mass of faculty innovators and the excellent commercialization support we receive from the Office of Research and Innovation at Texas Tech University,” TTUHSC Executive Vice President of the Office of Research and Innovation Lance R. McMahon, Ph.D., said in a news release.
Abbruscato, a professor and chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and director of the TTUHSC Brain Drug Discovery Research Center investigates novel therapeutic targets to improve brain recovery after a stroke. Abbruscato’s research expertise is utilized in the areas of brain drug discovery and neurodegenerative diseases. He is named inventor on five patents, one of which was issued June, 17, 2025 – U.S. Patent (U.S.12,331,333), “Enhancers of Neurolysin Activity.”
This invention covers a method for enhancing the activity of the cerebroprotective enzyme neurolysin series of first-in-class, small molecule neurolysin activators. This approach represents a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, including stroke and traumatic brain injury.
Srivastava, a University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology in the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, focuses on the fields of cancer chemoprevention and cancer therapeutics. He is a serial innovator with several patents to his credit, including three issued U.S. patents and four pending U.S. patent applications. For much of the last decade, his research has focused on investigating non-cancer drugs which can be repurposed as chemotherapeutic agents.
Srivastava’s U.S. patent, “Compositions and Methods for Treating Cancer,” (U.S. Patent 11,357,766, issued on 6/14/2022), covers the repurposing of pimavanserin to treat various types of cancer. Pimavanserin is a 5-HT2A inverse agonist approved by the FDA in 2016 for treatment of Parkinson’s disease psychosis, providing for an expedited path to market for its use in oncology applications.
Retired Major General Sobel is a family medicine physician and held appointments as associate professor in the TTUHSC School of Medicine Department of Medical Education and adjunct in the schools of Nursing and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Additionally, she is an adjunct in the Texas Tech University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
In 2024, Sobel earned a U.S. patent for a new portable COVID-19 respirator. (A. Sobel, R. Duncan, C. Lin, M. Dardik, R. Baca, C. Carty, “Respirator Designed to Mitigate Deep Lung Infections,” U.S. Patent 12,053,578, issued on 8/6/2024.) Sobel also is named inventor on three pending U.S. patent applications.
The invention describes a novel respiratory device with a multi-funchtional design to break up lung mucus using ultrasonic waves combined with mask-based negative pressure exhalation assistance. The device also includes a system for the removal and storage of excretions and intergrates aerolized drug delivery, providing a tailored venilation solution, helping to manage deep lung infections more effectively and reducing the risk of complications.
NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists and administrators from NAI Member Institutions who have demonstrated remarkable innovation producing technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. They also have growing success in patents, licensing and commercialization, while educating and mentoring the next generation of inventors.
This year’s class of NAI Senior Members is the largest to date, hailing from 82 NAI Member Institutions across the globe and collectively holding over 2,000 U.S. patents.
Today, there are 945 Senior Members holding more than 11,000 U.S. patents. The 2026 class will be inducted at the NAI 15th Annual Meeting on June 3 in Los Angeles. These Member Institutions are widely regarded as innovation powerhouses that continuously promote and foster the spirit of innovation at their institutions and in their communities.