Elaine Horn-Ranney, Ph.D.: Pioneering Medical Innovation in Virginia

Tympanogen CEO, ElaineHorn-Ranney, Ph.D,. shares her journey as an engineer, entrepreneur, executive, and one of the many Women Building Bio in Virginia.

By Cat Thoreson | September 26, 2023

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In the realm of medical innovation in Virginia, few names shine as brightly as Elaine Horn-Ranney’s. CEO and Co-Founder of Tympanogen, a cutting-edge medical device company, she’s been at the forefront of transforming healthcare for close to a decade, leading her team to national and international accolades for her disruptive eardrum repair technology and research projects aboard the International Space Station. 

Her journey is not just a testament to her pioneering spirit and innovative technology, but also a reflection of Virginia’s burgeoning life sciences ecosystem.

Building Bio and Beyond

A long-time supporter of Virginia Bio, Horn-Ranney will attend her 8th Women Building Bio conference this September at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, VA, celebrating the contributions of women to the life sciences in the Commonwealth and beyond.

This year’s theme, Building Better, will explore how life sciences contribute to building a better future and highlight the increasingly significant role of women in it. Panels of interest include Building Better Growth, Building Better Talent, and Building Better Self. 

“There are so few networking events for professional women and that’s one of the biggest detriments to women’s professional development,” says Horn-Ranney. “Men have such large networks of people that they can reach out to. And that just isn’t there for women, it’s very hard to create the network of professional women that you need to help your career. That’s why I get so excited about Women Building Bio because it’s a concentration of professional women who are doing great things in their field and leading the charge and you get them all in the same room.” 

Some of those women include Melissa Perry, Dean College of Public Health, GMU, Erin Burcham, President, Verge Alliance (RBTC, RAMP, and VIC), Susan Mitchell, CEO, Athari BioSciences, Joanna Pezzini, President, PAK BioSolutions, Inc., Elizabeth Pyle, Life Science Business Mentor, Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program, Katie Beach, Owner, Katie Beach Consulting, LLC, Teri Sellars, Vice President Human Resources, ATCC, Nene Spivy, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation, and Maggie Reed, Vice President, Gilbane. 

And of course Horn-Ranney. 

A Visionary in Life Sciences

As the CEO and Co-Founder of Tympanogen, she has worked tirelessly to bring innovation to the market and disrupt the status quo. Her flagship product, the Perf-Fix™ Otologic Gel Patch, is a prime example of this. 

Middle ear infections are the most common childhood disease worldwide, and while surgical procedures have been the standard-of-care solution since the 1960s, the average cost is around $18,000 and requires up to four hours of operative time, plus six to eight weeks of healing time. 

Out of the 1,000,000 procedures conducted each year, approximately 170,000 result in chronic eardrum perforations, which in most cases causes additional ear infections, hearing loss, and nerve damage. 

Horn-Ranney and her team at Tympanogen have figured out how to transform these traditional tympanoplasty procedures into a quick office visit that does not require general anesthesia with Perf-Fix, a polymer-based gel that is the consistency of jam.

An Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor can spread the gel across the perforated eardrum, aka the tympanic membrane, and then “cure” it with a blue light, much like the curing light device used by dentists. The gel can be applied in about 90 seconds and serves as a scaffold for cells to grow on and rebuild the eardrum, eating the gel as they go, only taking about two or three weeks to heal. 

While Horn-Ranney’s innovations have been nothing short of remarkable, her journey has not been without challenges. 

Addressing Challenges as a Woman

Horn-Ranney readily acknowledges the hurdles women face, especially women entrepreneurs, in the field. In fact, research has shown that female founders often receive more negative and skeptical questions during investor pitches compared to their male counterparts. 

And it’s not just during investor pitches. It’s also within more routine settings, like introductions. “I’ve gotten ‘Oh, your husband runs the company’ or “Oh, you must be in sales’,” says Horn-Ranney. “As challenging as those interactions are, I’ve learned to manage expectations and manage first impressions…  there is A LOT that you can do in the first few seconds of meeting someone that can show your impact and weight, and ultimately help correct the gender imbalances that our society has ingrained within.” 

While the majority of Tympanogen’s investors are male, they respect her perseverance and “no-nonsense approach.” They have been incredible mentors to her in charting this course.  “Would things be different if I was a male founder? Most likely. But we’re still going to be successful no matter what. It’s just a different path to success.” 

Horn-Ranney isn’t wrong. Women are indeed still catching up to men, and not just in pay or exposure but experience as well. In fact, the Women’s Business Collaborative (WBC) Women CEOs in America 2022 Report showed that only 8.8% of CEOs in the Future 500 are women. While this is an increase from years past, there is still significant progress to be made. 

Their shortlist for accelerating women to the CEO role: 

1. Recognize women’s experience, talent, and acumen to be CEO Leaders 
2. Turn to Board leaders for commitment and recognition of women in the pipeline 
3. Create shareholder and stakeholder value 
4. Sponsor and advocate for women leaders 
5. Include the best diverse women 
6. Celebrate and affirm the men who are building pipelines 
7. Use successful Women CEO role models as examples and advocates 
8. Pay equal or better compensation 
9. Search Firms to include women in their slates 
10. Join women’s organizations focused on position, pay and power for all women

And Virginia is clearly taking note. 

The Power of Collaboration in Virginia’s Life Science Ecosystem

Virginia is increasingly becoming a hub for life sciences innovation, characterized by its strong support for startups, grant programs, and a growing talent pool. Horn-Ranney’s participation in Virginia Bio and her role on the board exemplify the culture of cooperation and knowledge sharing that thrives in the state as well as the collaborative spirit that defines the state’s ecosystem.

“When we started the company, we were down in New Orleans before moving to Virginia in 2014,” said Horn-Ranney. “I joined Virginia Bio to find a network of professionals in a place where I was brand new and didn’t know anybody. It’s been really great for not only the networking but also helping to build up the life science ecosystem in Virginia.” 

Looking ahead to the future, Horn-Ranney anticipates more opportunities for collaboration, networking, and innovation in Virginia, especially as in-person conferences and events resume after the pandemic. 

Be sure to connect with her at the Women Building Bio conference or stay tuned for Virginia Bio’s Thrive Conference this spring.