Noted Indian American urologic oncologist Dr. Akshay Sood has received the 2026 Early Career Innovator of the Year Award from The Ohio State University’s Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK).
Sood, clinical assistant professor o
His translational research focuses on advancing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for urologic cancers, with a particular emphasis on improving outcomes for patients with prostate and urothelial malignancies through biomarker-driven, investigator-initiated clinical trials, according to a university release.
His innovative work is characterized by a distinctive blend of scientific rigor and inventive thinking, leading to the development of technologies that address critical gaps in clinical practice.
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Sood has created a first-in-class, flexible biopsy instrument designed to obtain full-thick tissue samples from luminal organs, which is undergoing the patent application process. This has the potential to transform cancer diagnostics, enabling more accurate staging and personalized treatment.
His research has led to development of provisional patents for an allograft bioengineered conduit device for urinary diversion, a micro-nanofluidic device enabling rapid, non-invasive detection of tumor DNA in urinary extracellular vesicles, and an invention disclosure for an ink-based biopsy orientation sampling innovation designed to enhance precision mapping in prostate cancer diagnosis.
Sood is known for his commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration bringing togethe
He has secured significant external funding, including the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship and NSF I-Corps awards, underscoring his readiness to translate discoveries into commercial products that benefit patients and drive economic development in central Ohio.
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Sood received the award recognizing researchers actively working to further develop the research community and advance university intellectual property, patents and licensed technology, during ERIK’s Research and Innovation Showcase on April 7.
Sood’s research interests are focused primarily on developing novel therapies and diagnostic methods for prostate and urothelial cancers through biomarker-driven, investigator-initiated clinical trials.
He has received multiple awards for research, including the prestigious John D. Silbar Award by the American Urological Association (AUA); and the Michael S. Benninger Award by the Wayne State University School of Medicine Henry Ford Hospital.
Sood is a member of the American Urological Association, the European Association of Urology, the International Bladder Cancer Group and the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, among others.