EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 22, 2025) – A dynamic team of graduate researchers from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University captivated judges and attendees with their a sustainable, next-generation wound dressing innovation called Woundra at the 2025 Innovation Venture Expo.
Designed to address both clinical and agricultural health challenges, Woundra combines the healing power of biodegradable polymers like cellulose and other special ingredients to form a multifunctional material engineered for controlled antimicrobial release, cellular compatibility and environmental safety.
N.C. A&T doctoral students Hoda Motaghed, Kayla Morgan and Vaishnavi Kandula of the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN), along with master’s student Mahshid Eghbali from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, developed Woundra and presented it at the expo, hosted by Delaware State University (DSU), the 1890 Center of Excellence for Emerging Technologies and sponsored by Capital One. The event is designed to foster collaboration among industry leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers, with a focus on advancing scientific innovation and economic development.
Using cutting-edge techniques like electrospinning and 3D printing, the A&T team successfully demonstrated a laboratory-scale hydrogel prototype aimed at revolutionizing wound care while reducing ecological impact and supporting agricultural sustainability and innovation. Their participation in the Innovation Venture Expo exemplified the power of interdisciplinary research and an entrepreneurial mindset to transform academic discoveries into real-world solutions.
“Woundra is my baby and our tagline for the product is, ‘Woundra heals with care, is powered by nature, and is perfected by science,’” said Motaghed, the team’s leader, who graduated early this spring with a master’s degree from JSNN and completed her first semester in the school’s doctoral program. “Since I was a teenager, I was always curious about skin products and researched how they help people and from then on I told myself, ‘You will be the one who is going to produce your own skin products. And here I am now.”
Woundra’s primary target audience includes farmers and other workers in the agricultural space who may experience deep wounds while performing everyday tasks. The goal is to make Woundra affordable for consumers to keep handy in an emergency kit. The product will help avoid infection and heal the wound faster before the farmer is able to arrive at a hospital.
Niya King, Ph.D., and Demetrius Finley, Ph.D., both Engineering Postdoctoral Fellows (eFellows) with the National Science Foundation and the American Society for Engineering Education, mentored the Woundra team. Their guidance helped navigate the entrepreneurial process from lab research to innovation pitch.
“Dr. Michael Curry’s mentorship model creates safety for the type of exploration, not only that he does, but he helps our students do in the lab, as well as creates a safe space for failure. As a mentor once told me, it’s not always a loss; sometimes it’s a lesson. This mindset allows us to learn, grow, and be better prepared for what’s next.,” said King, director of special academic programs in A&T’s College of Engineering and Curry’s former postdoctoral fellow.
Curry is the principal investigator and director of the Curry Intelligent Materials Innovation Lab at JSNN. The lab specializes in the development of intelligent materials using biobased and biorenewable sources, with applications spanning from wound healing and drug delivery to environmental remediation, all rooted in sustainable, green engineering practices.
“It has been such a joy to mentor Hoda. It’s very rare for a first-semester Ph.D. student to have a prototype, let alone enough knowledge about the product, how it works and how it can be commercialized,” he said. “When she first came to our group, she was really shy and underestimated her abilities, and that often happens when there’s not enough representation in the fields we pursue. Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to improve representation in these spaces, and not only representation, but to encourage our students to be creative and bring their full selves to their work in solving local and global challenges.”
Curry also serves as the inaugural Tech Transfer & Commercialization Fellow at A&T’s Center of Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEE&I). The center is the university’s hub for entrepreneurship and innovation and combines the innovative ideas and research discoveries made at A&T with startup support and community partnerships to improve the quality of life, drive economic development, and make the community more competitive in the global economy. As a CEE&I Fellow, he supports faculty, staff and students in all phases of their technology transfer endeavors, helping to turn groundbreaking research into real-world impact.
“I am immensely proud of Hoda, Kayla, Vaishnavi and Mahshid for their outstanding representation of N.C. A&T at the Innovation Venture Expo, and grateful to Drs. King, Finley, and Curry for their exceptional mentorship,” said Emanuel Waddell, Ph.D., JSNN nanoengineering department chair. “Their groundbreaking Woundra technology exemplifies the innovative collaboration between the Department of Nanoengineering and the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, showcasing how our students are developing sustainable solutions that truly make a difference.”
This opportunity not only showcased the transformative research emerging from A&T, but also embodied the mission of the Innovation Venture to empower HBCU students to drive change through sustainable, interdisciplinary innovation. The experience left a lasting impression on the team, reinforcing their commitment to turning academic research into tangible impact.
Following the event, the team was awarded development resources to support the continued growth of their prototype at DSU’s College of Agriculture, Science and Technology (CAST). These resources will include funding support, technical mentorship, access to lab or maker-space facilities, and other tailored assistance aligned with the project’s needs. The Woundra team plans to continue refining their prototype and exploring translational opportunities for broader deployment.
As the nation’s largest historically Black university, the top producer of African American engineers, and a leader in STEM research, A&T continues to cultivate the next generation of changemakers through hands-on innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. With bold ideas and a commitment to sustainability, the Woundra team represents a new generation of innovators who are prepared to lead transformative change locally, nationally and around the world.