The Technology Licensing Office’s bi-weekly market research report highlights emerging trends, market signals, and industry developments that may inform research and commercialization strategy across the University of Utah. Each edition curates timely insights from key sectors to help faculty, researchers, and innovation partners identify opportunities, anticipate market needs, and align discoveries with real-world demand.
Emerging Market Insights
Social Prescribing Expands Community-Based Care to Address Loneliness, Prevention, and Whole-Person Health
Social prescribing is gaining momentum as health systems connect patients to nonclinical community supports such as arts programs, walking groups, volunteering, peer networks, and financial or housing assistance. The model addresses loneliness, unmet social needs, and gaps that traditional medical care cannot solve alone. Faculty can align by validating referral pathways, link-worker training models, equity impacts, cost-effectiveness, and outcomes dashboards that measure health, belonging, and community resilience.
Human reproductive organ-on-chip models are creating more realistic platforms for women’s health research
The FDA Office of Women’s Health updated its Women’s Health Research Roadmap last year to identify priority areas where new research can better support women’s health; one of those priorities is to promote emerging technologies and methodologies. A recent example is the development of sensor-integrated human Cervix and Vagina Chips, which model reproductive tract physiology, pH, barrier strength, oxygen levels, cellular metabolism, and responses to drugs or microbes in real time. These systems could help reduce reliance on animal models that often fail to capture human female reproductive biology. Faculty can contribute by engineering reproductive microphysiological systems, validating sex-specific biomarkers, and designing regulatory-ready studies that connect chip-based findings to clinical outcomes.
Upcoming Webinars
NASP Webinar: Housing support in social prescribing; information for link workers – Wednesday, July 22, 2026
For link workers, health, housing, and community-service professionals, this webinar explores how housing instability affects health and how practitioners can identify needs, navigate systems, and connect people to local support.
NIH Women's Health Research Roundtable: The Gut Microbiome and Women’s Health – Thursday, July 30, 2026
The Women’s Health Research Roundtable presents a lecture series focused on a range of issues impacting women’s health. This virtual webinar will explore the gut microbiome and women's health.
Tools & Resources
Access additional market information through powerful tools available from the J. Willard Marriott Library:
Markets and Markets - Comprehensive market reports, with competitive intelligence and trends
BCC Research - Detailed market forecasting and industry analysis
Factiva - Global news and business information
Pitchbook - Private market and investment data
Researchers can contact the Technology Licensing Office (TLO), Eccles Health Science Library, J. Willard Marriott Library, or Center for Medical Innovation (CMI) for tailored market information.
Need help getting started?
Explore our full Market Research for Inventors page for tools, examples, and a step-by-step PDF guide to walk you through the process.
