Dr. Vikki Hazelwood and the Stevens-borne company, SPOC, INC, for which she serves as CEO, were featured in a ScienceCareers article on-line about turning university inventions into companies.

Dr. Hazelwood and three senior students at Stevens Institute of Technology teamed up with Dr. Norman Marcus of NYU Medical College to improve a medical device for identifying the exact source of muscle pain. Using neuromuscular electrical stimulation, it offers a new cost effective diagnostic tool for chronic pain. Initially funded by Connecticut Innovations, SPOC has received FDA 510K Clearance after positive Phase 1 clinical trials and a pilot study. Success has given SPOC an edge in seeking "Series A" venture capital; manufacturing could begin as early as Fall of 2009.

The SPOC story was used as an example of a successful transition of innovation from academe to industry. ScienceCareers is a service provided by the journal, Science. Dr. Hazelwood is an Industry Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Director of the Biomedical Engineering Program in the Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biology, and Biomedical Engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology.