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Through a career spanning three decades and counting, Douglas Liu has managed various operations for life sciences companies in Boston, Chicago, Europe and Montgomery County. He has been involved with numerous organizations in the field, including the Tech Council of Maryland and the Governor’s International Advisory Council.

Such wide experience is a key reason he was recently chosen as board chairman of BioHealth Innovation, a Rockville-based public-private nonprofit that helps commercialize innovative ideas in the field and expand those companies. The partnership formed about two years ago after it was among the recommendations of the Montgomery County Biosciences Task Force.

BHI Also Announces Agreement With BD to Create Entrepreneur-in-Residence Position

Rick Ivey, BD Diagnostics

BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) today announced the fiscal year 2013-2014 election of officers and a new appointment to its Board of Directors. BHI also announced it has entered into an agreement with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to establish an entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) position at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Technology Transfer. In conjunction with this agreement, BD is entitled to a voting position on the BHI Board of Directors, which will be held by Richard M. “Rick” Ivey, Worldwide Vice President Research & Development, BD Diagnostics – Diagnostic Systems.

“I am pleased to welcome the new roster of officers and a new member to the BHI Board of Directors,” said Richard Bendis, BHI President and CEO. “The officers are a committed group of individuals who already have contributed to the steady growth of BHI, and will continue to be important leaders as the organization further develops.”

“Rick Ivey joins the Board on behalf of BD as part of the terms of an agreement between BHI and BD to establish an NIH EIR position,” added Mr. Bendis. “He represents an important new addition to our Board as he is a seasoned medical technology executive who can offer experience and insights to the growing cadre of start-up diagnostics companies in the State of Maryland.”

In 2012, Maryland ranked 5th in the number and total value of Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program awards, after California, Massachusetts, Virginia and New York. Maryland firms received 265 awards valued at $94 million. A DBED analysis of SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II data shows that the number and value of awards decreased nationally in the last four years, and Maryland followed this trend. Even so, when compared to other states, Maryland consistently ranked within the top five recipients of SBIR/STTR awards in both the number and the dollar value of awards received.

National Brain Tumor Society’s inaugural event draws over 100 brain tumor researchers, biopharma executives, government officials, and venture capital investors

National Brain Tumor Society, the largest nonprofit in the United States dedicated to the brain tumor community, recently hosted the inaugural Advancing Research to Therapies (ART) for Brain Tumors Conference in Washington, D.C. The ART Conference brought together more than 100 leading experts from academic research labs, government agencies, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and venture capital firms to increase communication and collaboration, as well as discuss licensing and investment criteria for new drug candidates to speed the discovery of new treatments for brain tumor patients.

The University System of Maryland is leading a multi-campus effort to bring the unique resources of institutions in the system to address Maryland’s STEM workforce needs. The University of Maryland, College Park in partnership with Northrop Grumman is creating the nation’s first undergraduate multidisciplinary residential cybersecurity honors program. The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is developing a project that connects STEM undergraduates to new career pathways by applying their knowledge to innovation and entrepreneurship, which will begin with a focus on chemistry and link STEM undergraduate education to business, R&D, and innovation.