PATH vice president Dr. Michael Free receives award for achievement in life sciences

Seattle Business Monthly has honored PATH’s vice president and senior advisor for technologies, Dr. Michael Free, for “Outstanding Achievement and Innovation in Life Sciences.”

Former Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Association president Jack Faris presented the award at the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle on February 26 at the magazine’s first annual Leaders in Health Care Awards ceremony. He remarked upon Dr. Free’s award by saying, “The judges were looking at developments that had gone all the way from remarkable scientific achievements to helping lots of people. That is why the case for choosing Michael Free was so very strong.”

Dr. Free has been associated with PATH since its inception, establishing PATH’s laboratory, product development shop, and staff expertise that are specifically geared for developing health technologies for use in rugged, low-resource settings. His accomplishments have strengthened health systems and improved lives around the world. He has helped advance more than 55 technologies from research and development to technology transfer, licensing, marketing, quality assessment, and introduction and use in 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America.

Dr. Free was co-inventor of the world’s first commercialized single-use disposable syringe—now known as the BD SoloShot™ syringe—and today, over two billion SoloShot devices have been produced. He has overseen the development of many other innovative technologies, including the Uniject™ device, the vaccine vial monitor, point-of-care diagnostic tests for infectious diseases, hand-held baby-weighing scales, and improved contraceptive devices.

More about the Leaders in Health Care program and Dr. Free’s award will be available in the March 2009 edition of Seattle Business Monthly.

Soloshot is a trademark of BD.
Uniject is a trademark of BD.