UB’s Sathy Balu-Iyer named 2025 fellow in the National Academy of Inventors

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sathy Balu-Iyer, PhD, University at Buffalo Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been named a fellow by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Balu-Iyer is one of 185 exceptional inventors chosen for the 2025 class of fellows.

The NAI Fellowship is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. Together, the 2025 class holds more than 5,300 U.S. patents and includes recipients of the Nobel Prize and the National Medals of Science and Technology and Innovation. They are members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, among others.

“It’s such an honor to be part of this esteemed fellowship,” says Balu-Iyer, who was appointed associate dean for research for the pharmacy school in 2019 and possesses more than 50 patents or patent applications for drug-related therapies.

Over the past three decades, he has conducted extensive research in protein therapeutics and immunotherapy, co-founded a biotechnological company and secured more than $5 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

“We are exceptionally proud of Dr. Balu-Iyer for his numerous and significant contributions to the Pharmaceutical Sciences Department and to the field of immunotherapy,” says Gary Pollack, PhD, dean of the pharmacy school. “Inclusion in the highly competitive National Academy of Inventors speaks volumes about his dedication and persistence in creating new therapies, obtaining patents and improving therapeutic efficiencies, which ultimately will save lives.”

The 2025 Class of Fellows will be honored by a senior official of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) who will present their medals at the NAI 15th Annual Conference on June 4, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif. The complete list of 2025 NAI Fellows, along with their institutions, is available online.

“NAI Fellows are a driving force within the innovation ecosystem, and their contributions across scientific disciplines are shaping the future of our world,” says Paul R. Sanberg, PhD, president of the NAI. “We are thrilled to welcome this year’s class of fellows to the academy. They are truly an impressive cohort, and we look forward to honoring them at our 15th annual conference next year.”

Involved in three biomedical companies

Balu-Iyer has produced seminal research on taxol-lipid interactions, the foundational formulation for life-saving cancer drugs. His innovative work has led to strategies to reduce unwanted immune response to therapeutic use of life-saving protein-based therapies by inducing immunological tolerance. The platform technology is also used in treating autoimmune conditions such as Type I diabetes and allergies.

This research led to Balu-Iyer founding the Buffalo-based company Immune Modulatory Therapies LLC in 2019. His UB co-founders are Richard Bankert, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Robert Chau, PhD, research scientist in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Balu-Iyer also provides research and expertise to two other startups in Buffalo: Immunotolerx, a drug discovery and development accelerator, and Truvai Biosciences, a technology company specializing in patented and cutting-edge strategies to reduce immunogenicity. These companies have licensed SUNY patents invented in Balu-Iyer’s laboratory to develop immunotherapies for broad clinical indications. He also served in advisory roles for biotechnology companies.

Recipient of multiple research grants

A member of the UB pharmacy school faculty since 1996, Balu-Iyer has received more than $5 million in funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for his research on improving therapeutic efficiency of protein drugs by reducing or reversing unwanted immune responses.

He also has received grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to investigate oral tolerance mechanisms, the Empire Discovery Institute Medicines Discovery Award Program (MDAP), the SUNY Research Foundation and UB’s Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics and Lifesciences.

A fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Balu-Iyer has received numerous awards recognizing the strength and impact of his contributions, including the Biotechnology Innovation Award. He also received the Inventor of the Year Award from Niagara Frontier Intellectual Property Law Association.

Teaching students about entrepreneurship

In addition to his research, Balu-Iyer says he is especially proud of a graduate course in the pharmacy school that he created. Biologics Development teaches students how to develop biotechnology products that will improve human health, especially treatments for rare diseases.

“I teach what it takes to develop a protein molecule drug,” he says, adding that he brings in speakers from the pharmaceutical industry, along with attorneys who speak about patents and businesspeople who discuss how to evaluate the technology to invest in.

“I get the students to come up with their own portfolios and teach them how to sell their ideas like on the show ‘Shark Tank.’ And I then invite the CEOs of biotechnology and other companies to evaluate their presentations. More than a few of the students who have taken this class have gone on to start their own companies.”

Innovation and patents are clearly a passion for Balu-Iyer, who continues to work on new therapies, including one evaluating immune responses in humans based on artificial intelligence (AI) approaches.

“I have always wanted to improve drug therapies while contributing to the economy,” he says. “And I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to do so at UB.”