The Virginia Biotechnology Association (Virginia Bio), the premier statewide non-profit trade association representing the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia, today announced that its bioscience centered THRiVE 2015 Conference will feature a Governor’s Forum on Bio and Big Data/Analytics with The Honorable Terry McAuliffe, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. THRiVE 2015, to be held on April 23, 2015 at the Westfields Marriot Washington Dulles Conference Center in Chantilly, Virginia, will bring together bioscience leaders from across the state and beyond – including companies, universities, research organizations, investors, entrepreneurs, policy makers, scientific and professional services firms – to help create the future of the industry.

The Governor’s Forum on Bio and Big Data/Analytics will show cutting-edge work now being done in Virginia, identify needs and reveal tremendous opportunities ahead with the goal of moving Virginia on a path to become a global leader in the field that is remaking bioscience and healthcare. Hosted by Governor McAuliffe, the session also includes:

  • Jason Paragas, Deputy Director, Office of Mission Innovation at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
  • Paul Wallace, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Clinical Translation, Optum Labs, Cambridge, MA
  • Jon White, Acting Deputy National Coordinator, CMO, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)
  • Yihong Yao, Director and Head of Pharmacogenomics and Bioinformatics Group, MedImmune

“We are proud to present this opportunity for direct interaction with some of the most influential thought leaders in the bioscience industry,” said Jeffrey M. Gallagher, CEO, Virginia Bio. “We are grateful to Governor McAuliffe for his proactive leadership and outreach as we seek to continue to grow Virginia’s role as a leading economic and innovative force in life sciences nationwide.”

A selection of other THRiVE 2015 speakers, in programs ranging from access to capital to the impact of changes in federal regulation, includes:

  • Congressman Morgan Griffith, R-VA 9th, Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
  • Jill Carroll, Senior Associate, SR One
  • Stephanie Fertig, Director Small Business Programs, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
  • Natalia Kruchinin, Small Business Program Coordinator, Office of Research Training and Special Programs, Division of Extramural Activities, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease
  • Susan Nichols, Program Director, Small Business Programs Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • Isai Peimer, Managing Director, MedImmune Ventures, Inc.
  • Colonel Todd Rasmussen, Director, Combat Casualty Research Program, Department of Defense
  • Jesus Soriano, Program Director, National Science Foundation, Smart Health and Biomedical Technologies
  • Katherine Underwood, Senior Director, Family Office Relations, Cavendish Global
  • Patricia Weber, Program Director, National Cancer Institute

For a full list of speakers and sessions, please see the program agenda. If you would like to register as a member of the press at no cost, please contact A.J. Guenther at aj@connellyworks.com or 571-323-2585, extension 2130.

About Virginia Bio

Virginia Bio is the statewide non-profit trade association for life sciences, developing and promoting the considerable scientific and economic impact of life sciences research, development and commercialization in Virginia. Virginia Bio also is an advocate for the biopharmaceutical and medical device industries among federal, state and local policy-makers. Virginia Bio is the official state affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), AdvaMed and the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) and also collaborates closely with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). To learn more, visit www.vabio.org.