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Calling all entrepreneurs and Innovators in the DMV area… Have you heard? JLABS @ Washington DC is coming to the District! In anticipation of our upcoming launch we are hosting a community mixer.  This is a wonderful opportunity for those looking to expand your network, connect with other entrepreneurs, VCs, academics and industry leaders. You’ll get an chance to meet the local JLABS Team, learn about future programming and how to become a resident.

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Here are seven pieces of wisdom and advice about the role of innovation in healthcare that executives from hospitals and health systems across the country shared with Becker's Hospital Review in August:

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Viela Bio today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review its Biologics License Application (BLA) for inebilizumab, an investigational anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) — a rare autoimmune disease characterized by unpredictable attacks that often lead to severe, irreparable disability including blindness and paralysis.

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Sonavex, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on empowered patient care, announced that it received a $3 million Phase IIB Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health to use its EchoMark & EchoSure devices to support arteriovenous (AV) fistula maturation and long-term viability. The award provides capital for prospective clinical studies and continued research and development efforts.

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A University of Maryland (UMD) team has been awarded a $1 million grant by the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Strategies for Understanding Neural and Cognitive Systems (NCS) program to investigate the complex effects of intestinal serotonin on both gut and brain health. The project, “Developing engineering solutions to investigate microbiome-to-neuron communication,” aims to provide a more realistic picture of the complex gut-microbiome-brain axis system (GMBA).

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Baltimore-based Gemstone Therapeutics has received $250,000 in a new investment from the Maryland Momentum Fund.

The investment from the fund, which was created by the University System of Maryland to support startups created by students, faculty, alums and other affiliates, is part of a new funding round for Gemstone, according to the fund.

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Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (HQ: Tokyo, President and Representative Director: Masayuki Kobayashi) announced on August 29 that the company has entered into an agreement to invest up to US$30 million in Remiges Biopharma Fund II, LP a biopharma venture capital fund formed by Remiges Ventures, Inc. Taiho Pharmaceutical invested the same amount in the Remiges BioPharma Fund I established in 2014.

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Liftstream, a U.K.-based executive recruiting firm, released an oft referenced report called “A Public Reality for Women in Biotech Boardrooms” in 2016. Lifstream’s research found that only 7 to 9 percent of biotech CEOs were women, less than 11 percent of board seats were held by females and 98 percent of board chair positions were held by men. The report surveyed 177 publicly-listed biotechs that went through the IPO process from 2012 to 2015.

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For the third consecutive year, Children’s National Health System is co-locating its annual Symposium with The MedTech Conference, powered by AdvaMed. If you are interested in advancing innovation in pediatrics and exploring solutions to the challenges associated with device trials, we hope that you will join key industry stakeholders at the  7th Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium on Sept. 22 in Boston, one day before The MedTech Conference. 

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Kenton Lee was traveling through Nairobi when he had, as he says jokingly, “the only idea I’ve ever had.” He saw an orphan girl’s shoes that were way too small; someone had cut off the front so her toes could stick through. “Right there, I thought, Wouldn’t it be nice if there were shoes that could grow?” Then he went home to Boise, Idaho, developed a shoe that expands five sizes, and founded the nonprofit Because International -- which today, 12 years later, has distributed more than 250,000 pairs worldwide.

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Vaccitech, a clinical-stage T cell immunotherapy company developing products to treat and prevent cancer and infectious diseases (ID), announced today that it has appointed Bill Enright as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Enright succeeds Tom Evans, MD who will make a planned transition to the role of Vaccitech’s Chief Scientific Officer.

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America's Seed Fund (the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs) annually provides approximately over $3 billion in non-dilutive early-stage technology funding. The SBIR Road Tour is an opportunity for tech innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers to learn how to access this funding, meet one-on-one with decision makers, and connect with local state innovation ecosystem members. This one-day event will provide attendees, including women and minority entrepreneurs, the opportunity to engage with representatives from various SBIR/STTR agencies.

If you’re an innovator, entrepreneur, researcher, or small technology firm, don’t miss this opportunity!

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The Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR) is interested in proposals to lease a biomanufacturing facility configured to produce biologicals under cGMP conditions in compliance with FDA requirements for phase I/II clinical trials. The facility is also equipped to perform process development research, pre-clinical manufacturing for material necessary to conduct IND-enabling toxicology studies, Proof of Concept (POC) studies, and process demonstration in advance of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) manufacturing. IBBR is a joint research enterprise between the University of Maryland and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

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Graybug Vision, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing potentially transformative long-acting therapies for ocular diseases including wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), today announced the securing of an $80 million Series C financing.

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Leading scientists, public policy experts, and biotech industry leaders joined forces today to launch "Working to Fight AMR," a coalition working to raise public awareness of the growing threat posed by antimicrobial resistance. Working to Fight AMR will also advocate for policies that catalyze the creation of new medicines.

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This article is the second in a 4-part series. Part 1 offered background on innovation districts—what they are, where they’re located, how colleges and universities relate, how P3s relate, etc. Part 3 will look at why schools might want to and might not want to consider pursuing an innovation district. Part 4 will feature an interview with Dr. Jane Talkington, scholar of innovation districts for higher ed. 

What is the difference between research parks and innovation districts?

Darmody: The terms are somewhat interchangeable, but essentially, innovation districts generally are more urban in nature with mixed-use amenities, whereas traditional research parks grew up around universities and are in rural, suburban, and urban areas, such as Boston and Austin, but also Lincoln, Nebraska, and Champaign, Illinois. When it comes down to it, though, they share a base concept: Schools and other anchor institutions are trying to build space-placed entities, and corporations come to the university for things like talent.

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BHI is looking forward to working and partnering with you. We also want to thank his predecessor, Jeff Gallagher, for his 7 years of service. Thank you for your work to help build the BioHealth Capital Region and its efforts to become the Top 3 by 2023.
 
You can follow along with VirginiaBio at:
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Treat yourself is a movement among millennials. But it's something that literally any age group can enjoy. These days with so much negative news, Americans are proactively looking for moments of happiness to boost their moods.

Whether you're getting a mani-pedi, playing your favorite mobile games, lounging at the pool, or visiting your favorite restaurant, there’s positive health benefits associated with giving yourself a bit of “me time.”

The mobile gaming experts at Fort Mason Games— the female run mobile gaming company that creates games designed to help people relax, destress, and socialize— know how important it is to do something nice for yourself once in a while.

That's why they commissioned a national survey to find out what Americans think about these occasional respites from routine. Mobile gaming is just one of the ways people choose to treat themselves regularly, taking time to do something special just for themselves!

Here’s some of the ways Americans treat themselves:

WASHINGTON, COLORADO, MARYLAND ARE THE TOP 3 INDULGING STATES. With 93% of Washingtonians (the state, not the district) saying they treat themselves the most, it tops the list-- though Colorado (91%) and Maryland (90%) are hot on their heels.