About

This event is free for executive-level biotech leaders and is organized by the following event partners – Association of University Research Parks, AstraZeneca, BioHealth Innovation, BRAINBox Solutions, Inc, Childrenโ€™s National Hospital, Emergent BioSolutions, George Mason University, Johnson & Johnson Innovation โ€“ JLABS @ Washington, DC, Maryland Department of Commerce, and Virginia Bio.

NOTE:ย Your registration for this event also enables you to view the 2021 BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap Competition

taking place on September 29, 2021

2021 Agenda

Agenda Subject To Updates

8:30 AM – Welcoming Remarks

  • Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.
  • Daniel Carey M.D., Secretary of Health and Human Services, Commonwealth of Virginia
  • Marc Elrich, County Executive, Montgomery County, MD
  • Kelly Schulz, Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce

9:05 AM – State of the BioHealth Capital Region Address and Introduction

  • Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovations, Inc.

9:20 AM – GEN Top 10 BioPharma Clusters Update

  • Alex Philippidis, Senior News Editor, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
  • Pete Briskman, Executive Managing Directors and Co-Lead, JLL

10:10 AM – Keynote (Introduction by Julie Lenzer, Chief Innovation Officer, University of Maryland)

  • Chris Monroe – CEO & Co-Founder, IonQ, Inc.

Bio Byte Segment

  • Hartaj Singh, Managing Director and Senior Analyst, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.

10:55 AM – Biomedical Big Data: How to Get Real Smarts in a World Full of Artificial Intelligence

  • Eric Stahlberg, MD, Director, Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (MODERATOR)
  • David Ennist, PhD, CEO, Origent Data Sciences, Inc.
  • Vin Singh, MBA, Founder & CEO, BullFrog AI
  • Ellington West, CEO, Sonavi Labs

Bio Byte Segment

  • Ellen Ambrose, Director of AI, Protenus

11:45 AM – IP Analysis and Protection

  • Donna Edmonds, CEO, BRAINBOX Solutions Inc. (MODERATOR)
  • Reid Adler, Co-Managing Partner, Capital Technology Law Group, LLC
  • Charlie Andres, Shareholder, Greenberg Trauig
  • Kolaleh Eskandanian, Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer, Childrenโ€™s National Hospital

Bio Byte Segment

  • Kurt Newman, President and CEO, Childrenโ€™s National

12:40 PM – Federal Funding for Bio Research and Commercialization: Whatโ€™s New and Whatโ€™s on Tap

  • Brian Darmody, CEO, Association of University Research Parks (AURP) (Moderator)
  • Senator Chris Van Hollen, United States Senator from the State of Maryland (Opening Statement)
  • Leslee K. Gilbert, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates
  • Matt McMahon, PhD, Director, Seed, Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Justin Yang, Catalyst Office Director, BARDA

1:30 PM – FireSide Chat with Phlow: Data at Work in Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

  • John Newby, CEO, Virginia Biotechnology Association (Moderator)
  • Eric Edwards, Co-Founder & CEO, Phlow
  • Frank Gupton, Co-Founder, Phlow

2:05 PM – Closing of Day 1

  • Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovations, Inc.

 

Structured Networking

Agenda Subject To Updates

9:00 AM – Fireside Chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci

  • Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovations, Inc. (Moderator)
  • Anthony Fauci, MD, Director, U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

9:35 AM – Infectious Diseases and The Global Pandemic Center

  • Stu Solomon, President & CEO, Connected DMV (Moderator)
  • Nahid Bhadelia, Founding Director, Boston University Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research (CEID)
  • James Crowe, MD, Director, Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Andy Weber, Independent Consultant and Senior Fellow, Council on Strategic Risks

Bio Byte Segment

  • James Crowe, MD, Director, Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Thomas Haag, Co-Founder and CEO, AexeRNA Therapeutics

10:30 AM – Developing and Retaining Talent โ€“ Keeping the Best and Brightest in the BHCR

  • Joe Sanchez, PhD, MBA, Director, R&D Science Engagement, AztraZeneca (Moderator)
  • Christine Dingivan, President & CEO, Emmes
  • JB Holston, CEO, Greater Washington Partnership
  • James Hughes, Senior Vice President, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Bio Byte Segment

  • Dr. Amrie Grammer, Co-Founder and COO/CSO, AMPEL BioSolutions

11:20 AM – Real Estate and Resources in the BHCR

  • Amy Adams, Executive Director, George Mason University Institute for Biohealth Innovation (Moderator)
  • Matt Brady, Senior Vice President, Scheer Partners
  • James Matan, Director of Progress Labs, Matan, Inc.
  • John Newby, CEO, Virginia Biotechnology Association

12:10 PM – Venture Capital Update (Introduction by Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovations, Inc.)

  • Joel Marcus, Executive Chairman and Founder, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc./Alexandria Venture Investments

Bio Byte Segment

  • Sally Allain, Head, JLABS @ Washington DC – Johnson & Johnson Innovation

12:45 PM – White House OSTP Discussion on ARPA-H

  • Tara Schwetz, Assistant Director for Biomedical Science Initiatives, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
  • Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovations, Inc.

1:20 PM – Closing Remarks

  • Rich Bendis, President and CEO, BioHealth Innovations, Inc.

Structured Networking

Nanochon Wins BioHealth Capital Region 6th Annual Crab Trap Competition

Winning company is developing an implantable device based on 3D printing and a synthetic material, which supports and regenerates surface cartilage damage in the knee.

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND, October 1, 2021 โ€“ Nanochon, a Washington, D.C. based company in the BioHealth Capital Region, applying novel materials to replicate bone and cartilage, and high-end 3-D printing to create an implant which can permanently repair debilitating joint injuries, was selected from five finalists as the company with the most commercial potential at the 6th Annual Crab Trap Competition. This year’s judges included industry leaders Sally Allain, Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation โ€“ JLABS @ Washington, DC, Andrea Alms, Co-Fund Manager, BioHealth Capital Fund, Lora Green, Of Counsel, Wilson Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Troy LeMaile-Stovall, Chief Executive Officer, TEDCO, Conley Jones, Senior Associate, Alexandria Venture Investments, John Newby, Chief Executive Officer, Virginia Biotechnology Association, and was moderated by Rich Bendis, President & CEO, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

The Crab Trap, presented virtually for the second year in the row due to the pandemic, was held on September 29th in association with the 7th Annual BioHealth Capital Region and 4th Annual BioHealth Capital Region Investment Conference. Nanochon CEO, Benjamin Holmes, presented on his company’s implant, which acts as both cartilage replacement and tissue growth scaffold, and is designed to be custom 3-D printed for each patient. Nanochon joins previous Crab Trap winners, BrainScope (2020), Floreo (2019), Galen Robotics (2018), LifeSprout (2017) and Sonavex (2016).

“It is a true honor to win the BioHealth Capital Region Crab Trap this year. Being an entrepreneur, especially in life sciences, is a difficult journey. Being recognized by this panel of judges is an achievement we are proud of.” said Benjamin Holmes, Nanchon CEO. “When we first created Nanochon, we were not sure we would stay in the region long term. However, the area continues to grow and provide the support and ecosystem we need to succeed and grow too.”

In addition to Nanochone, the judges and virtual audience viewed four other finalists’ presentations: Hubly Surgical, Linshom, Revalo, and VNTC.

“The companies who present as part of the Crab Trap every year continue to be remarkable with their visions for the future of BioHealth.” said Richard Bendis, BHI President & CEO. “Not only do we applaud Nanochon and all the finalists this year, but also all the competitors over the past six years of this event. They truly are the future of this industry.”

Click here for a replay of the 6th Annual Crab Trap Competition is available online by

Founded in 2016, the Crab Trap Competition focuses on companies in therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, healthcare services, e-health, mobile health, electronic medical records, health informatics, and biohealth cyber security.

About BioHealth Innovation, Inc.

BioHealth Innovation, Inc. (BHI) is a public-private nonprofit organization focused on accelerating biohealth (therapeutic, diagnostic, medtech, and health IT) commercialization in the BioHealth Capital Region (Maryland, DC, and Virginia). BHI’s team of expert Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, in-house venture analysts, and other professional staff work in the region to:

  • Facilitate technology commercialization,
  • Raise the profile of the industry cluster and individual organizations,
  • Increase access to capital for early-stage and growing companies, and
  • Expand the pool of talent with commercially relevant experience.

BHI’s early-stage company support includes market research and commercialization plan development, non-dilutive funding application assistance; a jobs board; event calendar; and introductions to investors, strategic partners, business advisors, and potential clients. BHI also manages wet lab space and provides referrals to other spaces for early-stage companies, offers soft-landing support for international companies, and works with partners to co-host the annual BioHealth Capital Region Forum and an annual BioHealth Capital Region investor partnering conference. For more information: www.BioHealthInnovation.org

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Media contacts:
Richard Bendis
Phone: 301-637-6439, e-mail: rbendis@biohealthinnovation.org

Previous Crab Trap Winners

2020 – BrainScope
BrainScope is a developer of a non-invasive medical device intended to objectively assess head-injured patients for both brain bleeds & concussions at point of care. The company’s device is FDA-cleared, portable, EEG-based, assessment tool that empowers physicians to quickly triage patients for brain bleeds, concussion and the need for a CT scan, providing healthcare professionals with objective diagnostic insights that enable better patient care. The company is reportedly in the process of raising $15 million of venture funding on March 25, 2021. The funds will be used to speed up and expand the company’s commercial execution. Previously, The company was approved for a Paycheck Protection Program Loan for $1.07 million from Sandy Spring Bank on April 09, 2020. The application cited 40 jobs to be retained with the financing.
2019 – Floreo Inc.
Floreo is a developer of a learning platform designed to build a new generation of training program for people with autism and other developmental challenges. The company’s platform leverages the power of virtual reality to develop a supplementary method of teaching social and communication skills, enabling individuals with an autism spectrum disorder to build real-world skills. The company was approved for a Paycheck Protection Program Loan in the range of $150,000-350,000 from Wells Fargo Bank, National Association on May 3, 2020. The application cited jobs to be retained with the financing.
2018 – Galen Robotics
Galen Robotics, is a developer of a surgical robot designed to aid surgeons across several disciplines with minimal disturbance to existing workflows. The company’s robot is designed to assist doctors in executing precise movements with certain surgical instruments, while reducing risks from hand shakiness, enabling surgeons to make minimally invasive interventions safer, faster and more precise. The company is reportedly seeking $25 million of Series A venture funding from undisclosed investors as of March 19, 2021. Previously, the company raised $7 million of seed funding from Verte Capital, TEDCO and Maryland Department of Commerce on November 6, 2020.
2017 – LifeSprout
LifeSprout is a Developer of synthetic soft tissue substitutes intended to be used for aesthetic and reconstructive medicine in tissue reproduction. The company’s tissue substitutes focus on regrowth human tissue by transferring tissue from one part of the body to another, enabling doctors to repair patients’ soft tissue damage from trauma, natural aging, surgery, cancer and metabolic disease.
2016 – ย Sonavex

Sonavex, a medical device company intended to create novel and automated ultrasound technology. The company has developed a portfolio of novel ultrasound solutions to visualize and quantify critical clinical data for improved outcomes and reduced costs in new surgical applications, empowering clinicians with actionable data to deliver superior patient care and deliver savings to the healthcare system.