In honor of the late John Holaday, Ph.D., a luminary in the fields of science, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and community leadership, the ‘John Holaday’ BioHealth Leadership Award stands as a beacon recognizing those who embody his guiding principle — “do well by doing good.” Meet the 2023 finalists, nominated by YOU.
The UM BioPark is expanding in West Baltimore, with new laboratory space and state-of-the-art equipment to advance medical technology and the life sciences sector in Maryland.
This month, BD officially opened its new Innovation Center on the UM BioPark campus , which will give University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) students access to the company’s advanced diagnostic tools and allow them to provide feedback on new concepts and technology. Known as one of the largest global medical technology companies, BD’s new facility contains several sophisticated systems, including the BD COR™ PX/GX fully automated diagnostic system for infectious disease molecular testing, and the BD MAX™ System, which includes a variety of tests and an open system for new test development.
The Baltimore biotech ecosystem is thriving. And new, big and bold life sciences development projects are in the works, leading many to project Charm City as the next sector of the BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR) to boom.
The University of Maryland (UM) BioPark today announced its newest tenant, NextStep Robotics Inc., a therapeutic device and robotics company creating advanced solutions to alleviate and eventually eliminate foot drop symptoms. NextStep, a company based on technology licensed from University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), will use its new 3,600-sq. ft. space to build out its manufacturing capabilities as well as a state-of-the-art biomechanics laboratory including advanced motion analysis systems.
In the life science industry there exists a noticeable gap between subcellular/cellular microscopy and whole-body imaging modalities like MRI, PET, and CT. In addition, there is a lack of high-resolution quantitative fluorescent imaging to significantly complement in vivo (animal) studies. Enter Emit Imaging, a Baltimore-based startup here to revolutionize the next generation of fluorescence imaging through its flagship technology, XerraTM.
In 2003, a group of University of Maryland officials approached then-mayor Martin O’Malley with a development plan for vacant land along West Baltimore Street, adjacent to University of Maryland, Baltimore’s campus. Today, this ambitious project, the University of Maryland BioPark, boasts nearly three dozen life science companies, ranging from leading global firms to mature companies to early-stage ventures.
In recent years, the BioPark has attracted a cluster of early-stage medical device companies. For these young companies, the BioPark offers something even more important than a corporate headquarters: a location on UMB’s campus and in the heart of Maryland’s biomed ecosystem.
“The real magnet to coming to our research park is the University of Maryland, Baltimore,” said UM BioPark Executive Director Jane Shaab. “As a leading academic medical center, the quality and scope of research going on here is what companies want to access.”
JuneBrain is located in Baltimore and was founded by Dr. Samantha Scott in 2017. The company is a medtech startup that has the potential to improve the lives of the nearly 500 million patients suffering from neurological and retinal diseases. Dr. Scott has developed a prototype for a wearable, telehealth eye-scanning solution that allows providers to identify new disease activity outside of the clinic for patients suffering from diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), among others.
The Matan Cos. will add biotech manufacturing and research space to one of its existing office campuses in Germantown to meet the surge in demand from local life sciences firms.
