by Carly Orewiler
Driven by her unwavering love for animals and determined entrepreneurial spirit, a biology senior at UT Dallas is emerging as a trailblazer in veterinary medicine.
Madison Valdivia, co-founder of Olive Tree Therapeutics, invented the world’s first vibrating therapy vest for dogs with upper-respiratory illnesses. She pitched her startup company alongside top research faculty and alumni in the 2023 Big Idea Competition, ultimately winning a UTDesign Startup Challenge award.
During her experience as a veterinary technician over the past eight years, Valdivia has witnessed a harsh reality for patients who suffer from pulmonary diseases. She was frustrated that so many animals, especially those dependent on oxygen, were unable to receive life-saving therapy due to the manual percussion techniques used in veterinary medicine.
“What we do with animals is called coupage, where we pat the chest like a mother would pat a baby on the back,” she said. “I had so many patients that were just not making it. I thought, ‘There must be a better way.’”
Determined to find a better solution, Valdivia drew inspiration from a therapy tool used for people with cystic fibrosis and pneumonia: a vest that vibrates at a high frequency to break up mucus in the lungs and promote coughing.
She recognizes the lack of scientific studies and information regarding vibrational techniques in animals, despite their success in human patients. Her vision is to conduct clinical trials and prove the effectiveness of vibrational therapy in animals, building on the existing knowledge from human studies.
“In science and medicine, we typically start with animals and work our way to people,” she explained. “But with vibrational therapies, we started with people. So we’re going to work backwards.”
While still in its early stages, Olive Tree Therapeutics has big plans in the next year. The UTDesign Startup Challenge award provides a technical mentor, business coaches and $15,000 dedicated to on-campus engineering services over two semesters. A select group of UTD engineering seniors will build a presentation-quality prototype of the Coupage Vest for their capstone project.
Valdivia admits her non-engineering background, explaining how she assembled her prototype with various items purchased online. She is looking forward to showcasing the refined model by next summer.
“I’m really excited that the engineering students chose my project as their first pick,” she said. “It makes me happy that they are getting something out of this, too.”
When Olive Tree Therapeutics started, Valdivia didn’t realize how quickly her abstract idea would become a reality. She touts her business partner and significant other, Galen Wampler, BS’22, as the “brains and talk behind all of it.”
“Olive was our first dog together,” Wampler said, “so we named the company Olive Tree Therapeutics as a tribute to her. She embodies the compassion and inspiration that drive our mission.”
Looking ahead, Valdivia and Wampler envision a future where the company expands its product range and collaborates with renowned veterinary hospitals and industry leaders. Valdivia is pursuing veterinary school this fall, where she will gain more knowledge and expertise to develop more creative treatment tools in the future. Wampler plans to go to law school and could soon help draft and file patents for the company.
With the support of her mentors and the resources provided by UT Dallas, Valdivia is optimistic that the Coupage Vest will empower animals to fight and overcome their diseases.
“Thankfully, I am blessed enough to bring Olive Tree Therapeutics to life,” she said. “Hopefully one day, my company can produce even more medical devices that help stop animal suffering.”
Help us leave the planet a better place for future generations. Your support for the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics funds scientific discoveries with real-world applications, student and faculty recruitment, and academic scholarships.