Katja Michael Becomes First Female UTEP Researcher Named to National Academy of Inventors
Made important contributions to the development of vaccines, diagnostic tools for neglected tropical diseases
EL PASO, Texas (Feb. 20, 2025) – Katja Michael, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Michael is the first female member of the UTEP faculty to earn this honor, joining 162 emerging academic inventors in the 2025 class of Senior Members.
“Dr. Michael’s dedication to scientific innovation and her ability to translate complex research into real-world solutions exemplify the spirit of UTEP,” said Ahmad M. Itani, Ph.D., UTEP vice president for research. “We are immensely proud of her accomplishments and thrilled to see her recognized by the National Academy of Inventors. Her work makes a global impact and inspires our entire academic community.”
Michael has conducted leading research to fight neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) through the synthesis and application of a class of compounds known as glycoconjugates. NTDs typically affect impoverished communities in the tropics and subtropics.
Through her work, Michael contributed to the development of a diagnostic tool and vaccine for Chagas disease, a condition that disproportionately affects rural communities in Mexico, Central and South America, and can result in severe health complications if left untreated.
Her work was also crucial in developing diagnostic tools for leishmaniasis, a disease caused by the bite of an infected sandfly which can cause skin sores, fever and other symptoms and is common in some of the world’s poorest regions.
In addition to her research achievements, Michael is a respected educator and mentor. Over the course of her career, she has guided dozens of undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom have co-authored publications with her. Several of her students are even listed as co-inventors on her patent applications. Her contributions have resulted in an impressive intellectual property portfolio, including multiple U.S. patents and more than 40 peer-reviewed publications. Michael is also a member of the American Chemical Society and the German Chemical Society.
“I am honored to be recognized as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors,” Michael said. “This achievement would not have been possible without the hard work of my research team and the support of my colleagues at UTEP. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to meaningful innovations in global health and look forward to continuing our work to inspire future generations of researchers.”
This year’s class of NAI Senior Members the largest to date and hails from 64 NAI Member Institutions across the nation. Collectively, they are named inventors on over 1,200 U.S. patents.
A full list of NAI Senior Members is available here.
The 2025 class of Senior Members will be celebrated during the Senior Member Induction Ceremony at NAI’s 14th Annual Conference taking place June 23-26th, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
About The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 25,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 171 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
About the National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and non-profit research institutes, with over 4,600 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 260 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate, and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The NAI has a close partnership with the USPTO and is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals and National Inventors Hall of Fame, working closely with the USPTO on many discovery and innovation support initiatives. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation. www.academyofinventors.org.
Last Updated on February 20, 2025 at 12:00 AM | Originally published February 20, 2025
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