About Kishore Udipi, Ph.D.
Dr. Udipi has had a successful industrial career spanning over 30 years. During this period, he has worked in and had led projects in such wide ranging areas as biomaterials, drug delivery, polymeric coatings, implantable polymers, polymer syntheses, polymer blends and alloys among others. Dr. Udipi received his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Akron and subsequently worked at Princeton University as a NASA postdoctoral fellow. He began his career in industry at Phillips Petroleum Research Center before joining Monsanto. Dr. Udipi had a very successful career at Monsanto where he attained the position of Senior Science Fellow in recognition of his excellence in science, his contributions to their businesses and his international reputation, a position that less than 1% of the scientists at Monsanto attain.
Dr. Udipi joined Medtronic in 2002 and was quickly promoted to Research Director in 2003. He built a world class polymer program at Medtronic CardioVascular focused on the development of biostable and bioabsorbable polymers for drug eluting stent and other similar applications. He is the co-inventor of the BioLinx Polymer System employed in Resolute, Medtronic’s second generation drug eluting stent. In recognition of his leadership and technical contributions, Dr. Udipi was also appointed to the position of Distinguished Scientist in 2007. He has 40 awarded US patents; scores of awarded foreign patents, as well as several pending US applications. He has authored and co-authored book chapters and >40 papers in peer reviewed journals. He has made presentations and chaired sessions at national and international polymer and biomedical conferences. Dr. Udipi was inducted into the prestigious College of Fellows, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers and was also awarded the Society for Biomaterials Technology, Innovation and Development Team Award in 2014.
Professional Profile
- Over 30 years industrial experience in various aspects of polymer chemistry
- Exceptionally broad range of expertise in areas such as biomaterials, drug delivery, polymeric coatings, chemical modification of polymers, anionic and free radical polymerizations of polar and non-polar monomers, polymer alloys and blends, reinforced polymer systems, glassy and crystalline polymers.
- Inventor/co-inventor of 48 US and scores of foreign patents
- Appointed to the position of Distinguished Scientist at Medtronic CardioVascular in recognition of technical contributions and leadership. (Second Distinguished Scientist at Medtronic CardioVascular and seventh in Medtronic Corporation)
- Co-inventor of the BioLinx Polymer System for Resolute, Medtronic next generation drug eluting stent
- Speaking engagements at international polymer and biomedical conferences as a member of the faculty
- Appointed to the position of Senior Science Fellow at Monsanto in recognition of excellence in science, contribution to businesses and international reputation (less than 1% of the scientists at Monsanto attain this position)
- Gold medalist, University of Bombay, India
- Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award, Bombay University Department of Chemical Technology, November 2012
- Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
- Society for Biomaterials, Technology, Innovation and Development Award, 2014
- Member, Scientific Advisory Boards
- EDUCATION:
Ph. D. (Polymer Science)
University of Akron, Akron, OH
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ - EXPERIENCE:
Ph. D. (Polymer Science)
University of Akron, Akron, OH
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ - 2008- Medtronic Distinguished Scientist Emeritus
- 2007- 2008 Distinguished Scientist, and Director, Polymer Research Science & Technology
- 2003-2007 Director, Polymer Research
Directed polymeric biomaterials program to support future generation drug eluting cardiovascular stents
Directed build up of voluminous libraries of proprietary bio-stable and bio-absorbable polymers (>200 each)
Co-inventor in 4 issued US patents and 32 filings at Medtronic
Second generation Medtronic drug eluting stents (Endeavor Resolute) are based on BioLinx biostable polymer System invented and developed by the Polymer Group
Adopted unconventional approaches to solving problems (leasing a local University chemistry laboratory to avail space for synthesizing polymers)
Made global presentations on designing and selecting polymers for drug eluting stent coatings
Lead polymer person to interface with FDA
Co-authored 21 posters presented in Minneapolis at the Technology Conferences 2002 thru 2006
Nominated for Technical Contributor of the Year (TCOY) (Individual Award) in 2003 and TCOY (Team Award) in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Awarded the TCOY Team Award in 2007 with two collaborators for developing BioLinx Polymer used in Endeavor Resolute DES
Participated in CardioVascular due diligence teams to evaluate polymer technologies
Taught courses on polymers to the manufacturing engineers and sales force - 2002 – 2003 Senior Principal Scientist
Campaigned and help put in place a fully equipped polymer laboratory at CardioVascular in Santa Rosa
Hired qualified and motivated professionals to form a highly innovative team
Implemented a well regarded world class polymer program, a core competency unique to Medtronic versus competition
Set polymer design/synthesis strategy and achieved good in vitro results
- 1999-2002 Consultant,
MetaPhore Pharmaceuticals
St. Louis, MO 63117 - 1996-1999 Senior Science Fellow
Chemical Sciences,
Monsanto Corporation Research, St. Louis MO - 1994-1996 Science Fellow
Monsanto Technical Center,
Pensacola, FL - 1989-1994 Science Fellow
Monsanto Technical Center,
Springfield, MA - 1982-1989 Senior Research Specialist
Monsanto Technical Center,
Springfield, MA - 1979-1982 Senior Research Specialist
Monsanto Technical Center,
Springfield, MA - 1973-1979 Senior Research Chemist
Phillips Petroleum Research Center
Bartlesville, OK
Functionalized device surfaces with superoxide dismutase mimics and demonstrated reduced inflammatory response
Designed and produced biomaterials with reduced inflammatory response and improved resistance to biodegradation
Synthesized unique polymeric structures as bile acid sequesterants to lower levels of serum cholesterol
Formulated biodegradable nanoparticulate systems as drug carriers for controlled release applications
Developed a novel low cost process for weather-stabilized black nylon
Project lead to understand the mechanism of ultraviolet degradation of nylon 6, 6 through characterization of structural changes by NMR
As a Fellow-Manager (1990-93) carried out independent research in addition to supervising
projects of both commercial and fundamental interest, e.g.;
>> Formulated a proprietary permanent anti-static ABS to meet customer needs
>> Compiled a database on fundamentals of ring opening anionic polymerization and copolymerization of caprolactam in support of pultruded thermoplastic glass-nylon composites JV with Paturle Composites, Saint-Laurent Dupont, France
>> Championed and promoted a project on fundamentals of clear-tough alloys and alloys with barrier properties
>> Supervised a project to develop an environmentally friendly non-etch route to electroplate ABS plastics
>> Proposed and managed projects at the A. V. Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Moscow, focused on developing fundamental solutions to chronic problems in ABS plastics and resolving critical process/cost issues
>> Represented Plastics Technology in delegations to overseas locations to evaluate technologies for possible joint ventures
>> Proposed several projects of strategic value to Monsanto such as low cost leadership process for continuous mass ABS
>> Helped Plastics Technology build/maintain relations with academia such as Virginia Polytechnic, University of Massachusetts, University of Minnesota, University of Akron, Leuven University (Leuven, Belgium), EAHP (Strasbourg, France) and Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan)
>> Developed fundamental and proprietary technology to produce polyester/ABS and polyester/polycarbonate/ABS alloys to compliment the nylon/ABS and polycarbonate/ABS alloy product lines. Applications included lawn and garden equipment and automobile plenums.
>> Demonstrated that recycled polyethylene terephthalate (pulverized PET soda bottles) can be effectively employed to generate alloys with interesting property balance
>> Synthesized high modulus, high impact nylons for reaction injection molded (RIM) applications via anionic polymerization and graft polymerization of caprolactam on particulate core-shell rubber
>> Produced elastomeric alloys from scrap SAFLEX and commercial core-shell rubbers
>> Formulated glass filled composites based on PET comparable in properties to competition. Studies were then extended to nylon/PET hybrid glass composites with reduced moisture absorption and improved modulus retention on equilibration (compared to nylon composites)
>> Synthesized block and random copolymers of non-polar and polar monomers by butyl lithium initiated anionic polymerization
>> Chemically modified vinyl aromatic-diene block and random copolymers to improve their resistance to motor oils and wet-skid resistance in tire applications.