Dr. Christy McKinney, Ph.D., MPH and Dr. Michael Cunningham, M.D., Ph.D have been jointly recognized as the 2017 UW Medicine Inventors of the Year for their collaborative work on the NIFTY Cup. The NIFTY Cup is a soft feeding cup used to feed newborns who are unable to breastfeed. Its development was spearheaded by Dr. McKinney and inspired by the Partners in African Cleft Training (PACT) program directed by Dr. Cunningham. It has the potential to help 15 million infants who are born with breastfeeding difficulties each year worldwide.
The Inventor of the Year Awards honor outstanding UW research scientists whose innovations have had a major, positive effect on both healthcare and our local economy.
